Composer: Joseph Hellmesberger, Joseph Franz Karl Lanner, Johann Strauss, Josef Strauss, Franz von Suppe, Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner
Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker
Conductor: Franz Welser-Möst
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Sony
Catalogue: 88765411632
Release: 2013
Size: 2.24 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Strauss Josef: Die Souberette, Polka schnell, Op. 109
02. Strauss J II: Kuss-Walzer, Op. 400
03. Strauss Josef: Theater Quadrille, Op. 213
04. Strauss J II: Aus den Bergen Walzer (From the Mountains), Op. 292
05. Suppe: Leichte Kavallerie Overture
06. Strauss Josef: Sphärenklänge, Op. 235
07. Strauss Josef: Die Spinnerin, Polka francaise, Op. 192
08. Wagner: Lohengrin, WWV 75: Act III, Prelude
09. Hellmesberger: Unter vier Augen, Polka Mazur, Op. 15
10. Strauss Josef: Hesperus’ Path, Waltz, Op. 279
11. Strauss Josef: Gallopin – Polka schnell, Op. 237
12. Lanner: Steyrische Tänze, Op. 165
13. Strauss J II: Melodien-Quadrille nach Verdi, Op. 112
14. Verdi: Don Carlo: Act III, Prestissimo – Ballet Music
15. Strauss J II: Wo die Zitronen blühen, Op. 364
16. Strauss J I: Erinnerung an Ernst oder Der Carneval in Venedig, Fantasie, Op. 126
17. Strauss Josef: Plappermäulchen – polka schnell, Op. 245
18. New Year’s Address
19. Strauss J II: An der schönen, blauen Donau, Op. 314
20. Strauss J I: Radetzky March, Op. 228
The New Year’s concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra has evolved into one of the regular tourist attractions of the old Austrian capital. The orchestra may make noise about introducing some innovation to the program, as it does here with pieces by Verdi and Wagner in observation of the 2013 bicentennials of the births of both of those composers. But really this is a ritual that needs to be repeated annually, for the benefit of Austrians and visitors alike. The center of the program is the Strauss family, above all the waltz king Johann Strauss II, with tasteful admixtures of other Viennese composers and a few sprightly pieces that are not dances, and so it is here. The conductor this time around is Franz Welser-Möst, who also ran the show in 2011. The same stolid quality that tends to dismay American critics when it comes to this conductor turns out to be just the ticket for this event, which he brings in with maximum precision and flash. He’s aided by strong live engineering from Sony Classical, which gets a sound with a bit more dimension than was achieved by Deutsche Grammophon in earlier iterations. The bottom line: for those sampling the famed New Year’s concert for the first time, for those wanting classical music as part of the entertainment as an alternative to football, or for those collecting the entire series, this will prove a satisfying choice.