New Year's Concert 2009
by Daniel Barenboim
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Daniel Barenboim, Vienna Philharmonic OrchestraDirector: Daniel Barenboim
Brand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 130 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-02-10
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Decca
Movie Reviews of New Year's Concert 2009
Movie Review: Barenboim brings humor, politics and great playing to a new year's institution
Summary: 5 Stars
I should start by saying I really like Daniel Barenboim. Besides the fact that he is one of the great musical interpreters of our time, I also enjoy his outspokenness about music, life and politics.
I should also admit up front that I'm not a typical Vienna Philharmonic new year's concert fan. I have a hard time getting excited at the Strauss waltzes and polkas, as I generally like longer works with more development and maybe a slow depressing bit in the middle. Strauss often seems a bit like Sacher cake -- a great dessert, but not a meal. However, I would agree wholeheartedly that the new year's concert is a perfect opportunity to pay Strauss his due once a year, and recognize that these great compositions deserve a special niche in the repertoire.
Barenboim follows the new year's formula here, and he pulls off Strauss II with the best of them. The Strauss II selections are relatively varied and satisfying, and I appreciate that Barenboim included a kind of "mini-suite" from Zigeunerbaron, consisting of a back-to-back overture, Einzugs-Marsch and Schatz-Walzer, and giving at least some semblance of larger scope and context.
His selection of non-Strauss-II pieces was also great, including "Music of the Spheres" by Josef Strauss, which has been performed at the new year's concert before. From Hellmesberger, there is a great performance of "Valse espagnol" -- perhaps not surprising that the Argentinian-born Barenboim brings a Spanish flavor into the Viennese concert.
The real star attraction, however, was surely Haydn's Symphony No. 45 -- I only wish we could have had the whole thing and not just the 4th movement. Haydn was brought in as 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of his death, and will be marked by a flurry of concerts and events across Austria and neighboring countries.
The "Farewell" symphony injected not only variety, but also real humor into the new year concert. The symphony gets its name from the fact that the musicians walk off one by one, leaving just two violins at the end, before they also finally get up and leave. This was a message from Haydn to his Eszterhazy boss at the time that it was time to end an unexpectedly long stay at the Hungarian summer residence and head back home to Eisenstadt. Barenboim and the VPO pull off the piece with great playing and humor. Barenboim acts sufficiently surprised as the orchestra members start walking off. At the end, Barenboim cuts up with one of the remaining violinists and then continues conducting after the last have left the stage.
This all prompts plenty of laughter from the audience -- and for this reason I think it's important to get the DVD rather than the CD of this year's concert. If you only have the music, the audience laughter will be a distraction only. The joke is visual, and won't come across on a CD.
Barenboim almost wouldn't be Barenboim unless he used his speaking opportunity to talk about the Middle East, and he did this here as well. He used his traditional spot for new year's wishes to call for a "year of peace in the world and of human justice in the Middle East." He may not quite have pulled a "Vanessa Redgrave" -- there was no direct criticism of Israel -- but still, this may not be to everyone's taste.
I am ambivalent at best about all the dancing clips thrown into the concert, which became a bit exaggerated in the second half. But even there, I am willing to give a nod to the technical precision this required. All those dances were also broadcast live when the concert went out on TV -- meaning Barenboim and the VPO had to have their tempos down with metronome-like precision to match up with the spliced-in video of happy dancers with flowing gowns waltzing about in Hapsburg-style castles. Hats off to them.
All in all, I think this year's concert was a great success, and I'm sure I will watch it from time to time.
Summary of New Year's Concert 2009
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