Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Great sampler, excellent recording . |
| Disadvantages: |
Not quite as memorable as being there in person . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
The Vienna New Year's Concert is a tradition somewhat akin to the "Last Night of the Proms" apart from the fact that obviously it is Austrian music that is played, and there is not the same atmosphere. The concert has happened annually since 1939, although originally it used to take place on New Year's Eve rather than New Year's Day, because a poor attendance was feared, after the traditional Austrian "Silvester" revelry.
One other difference is that the New Year's Concert is even more exclusive than the Last Night of the Proms, as you have to apply for tickets two years in advance, and they are exceptionally pricey. Indeed applications for the 2003 concert closed on 2nd January this year. It is an event to be seen at, and is also a musical highlight of the Vienna music scene. Each year since 1987, when the late Herbert von Karajan conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and 2001 marked Mikolaus Harnoncourt's début at the conductors podium, although he has previously played the 'Cello in the VPO in previous New Year's Concerts.
Whilst the Radetzkymarsch is always played, and indeed a New Year's
Concert without the Radetzkymarsch would be like leaving "Jerusalem" or "Land of Hope and Glory" out of the running order of the Last Night of the Proms, this CD features a lot of slightly less known
music. There is as ever a large proportion of Strauß in the performance, with Johann Strauß I's Radetzkymarsch opening the CD, and a different arrangement of it on a Bonus CD.
To celebrate the bicentenary of Joseph Lanner, the programme also contains his "Die Schönbrunner", "Jägers Lust" and "Steyrische Tänze", which are typical of the Waltzing tradition that Lanner and Johann Strauß I introduced to Vienna in the late 1820s, 1830s and early 1840s. The CD then also features a selection of Polkas from all three of the Straußes, with Johann Strauß II's Electro-magnetische Polka and Electrofor-Polka being performed for the first time.
The bonus CD, which contains encores of Josef
Strauß' "Ohne Sorgen", Johann Strauß' "An der schönen blauen Donau" - better known to us of course as the "Blue Danube Waltz", followed up by the Radetzkymarsch, which is a rousing bombastic military march, which often have tears welling in the eyes of the fervent Austrian patriot.
The sound quality is exceptional, but that is only to be expected of a fully Digital (DDD) recording of this concert. The technical set-up for the concert is rumoured to take days rather than hours and the quality of the recording is exceptional.
The CD inlay case has a few choice snaps of the conductor as well as a brief introduction to the tradition of the New Year's Concert in
French, German and
English, such is the international appeal of this CD. For 11 pounds (ATS229) you get an exceptional CD set, and for anyone wanting a rousing taste of Austrian music, I cannot recommend this CD enough.
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
