Back for his fifth turn at the helm of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert, a yearly ritual for many, even in the classical-phobic United States, conductor Riccardo Muti plays it straight. Lots of Strausses, including Johann II above all; the traditional encores in place, with the thoroughly typical, unannounced Donner und Blitz Polka leading into the final festivities; and plenty of foot-tapping rhythms. Two factors keep it from being phoned in. First is that when Muti wants to vary the mood, he does include more ...
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Back for his fifth turn at the helm of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert, a yearly ritual for many, even in the classical-phobic United States, conductor Riccardo Muti plays it straight. Lots of Strausses, including Johann II above all; the traditional encores in place, with the thoroughly typical, unannounced Donner und Blitz Polka leading into the final festivities; and plenty of foot-tapping rhythms. Two factors keep it from being phoned in. First is that when Muti wants to vary the mood, he does include more unusual pieces: the overture to Suppé's Boccaccio, and the prancingly elegant Stephanie-Gavotte, Op. 312, of the composer and military bandleader Alphons Czibulka. Second, Muti, among his other strengths, executes this kind of thing extremely well. He does not go for subtlety; he knows that the audience is there to sway and clap, and he keeps things moving. Deutsche Grammophon serves him quite well with close-up sound that keeps the brasses in the foreground. An outing that shows what...
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Add this copy of New Year's Concert 2018 / Neujahrskonzert 2018 to cart. $27.48, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by Sony Classical.
