Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker

[Opus106]

Does anyone know where I can get a list of countries to which this concert is telecast live? VPO's website says that it is broadcast to over 50 countries, but which ones?   

[Iago]

Why bother?  What George Pretre knows about Strauss Waltzes, you probably could put in a thimble and have space remaining for the Empire State Building.

Wait two weeks and buy the DVD.

Amazon already has a site for pre-ordering it.

The DVD will be in better sound than the broadcast.

Here in the USA it's always touted as being "live". But it isn't. It's usually tape delayed by about 6 hrs, or they show the performance from the night of New Years Eve. But "live"?  NEVER!

[pjme]

Neu dabei in diesem Jahr sind die afrikanischen Länder Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mosambik, Namibia, Swasiland, Sambia und Simbabwe. Auch Zuseher aus Ecuador und Bolivien, El Salvador und Guatemala können das Konzert heuer erstmals live im Fernsehen verfolgen. ( as per 2006)

I couldn't find a more complete list. Do write an email to ORF ( Austrian TV & Radio) - I'm sure they'l be able to give the complete list.

Peter

[Opus106]

Why bother?  What George Pretre knows about Strauss Waltzes, you probably could put in a thimble and have space remaining for the Empire State Building.

Wait two weeks and buy the DVD.

Amazon already has a site for pre-ordering it.

The DVD will be in better sound than the broadcast.

Here in the USA it's always touted as being "live". But it isn't. It's usually tape delayed by about 6 hrs, or they show the performance from the night of New Years Eve. But "live"?  NEVER!

I don't really want the DVDs - YouTube suffices -  I want to watch it "live."  In fact, I hadn't heard of George Pretre before visting the concert's webpage last night.

Neu dabei in diesem Jahr sind die afrikanischen Länder Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mosambik, Namibia, Swasiland, Sambia und Simbabwe. Auch Zuseher aus Ecuador und Bolivien, El Salvador und Guatemala können das Konzert heuer erstmals live im Fernsehen verfolgen. ( as per 2006)

I couldn't find a more complete list. Do write an email to ORF ( Austrian TV & Radio) - I'm sure they'l be able to give the complete list.

Peter

Thanks, Peter. I checked Wikipedia, and it lists a few countries, but not all. I specifically want to know if the concert will be telecast in India. I have left a message at the VPO's website, but I thought I'd ask here too, just in case the 'Media' people there see my message after the 1st. I'll check with ORF also.

[Iago]

I don't really want the DVDs - YouTube suffices -  I want to watch it "live."

You may WANT to watch it "live". But unless you live in Germany, Austria, Italy, France or Switzerland, the chances of you being able to do that are very, very small. And if indeed, "u-tube suffices", your standards must be incredibly low.

[knight66]

Well Iago, not everyone has your opportunity for attending live concerts, or your resources to indulge themselves.

Navneeth, Pretre seems to have been around forever. He is a very surprising choice for this concert. Here is a link to a number of reviews of his recordings. As you will see, he is mainly praised for his conducting of French music, but not always even that.

http://www.classicstoday.com/digest/pdigest.asp?perfidx=32095

I have friends who are going to the concert; I have not mentioned to them that it is unlikely to be a vintage one. Anyway, you never know what he might pull out of his hat.

Mike

[Opus106]

And if indeed, "u-tube suffices", your standards must be incredibly low.

It appears that your ability to judge other people's tastes isn't very far off, either.

[M forever]

Why bother?  What George Pretre knows about Strauss Waltzes, you probably could put in a thimble and have space remaining for the Empire State Building.

But some middle school teacher from Las Vegas knows more about Strauß' music? That's pretty funny. You don't even know how to spell his name. You probably can't pronounce it either. What you know about Strauß or any other composer from the Old World you probably could put in a thimble and have space remaining for Sears Tower.

[knight66]

I know everything in the US is big; but those thimbles are really getting out of hand.

Mike

[Brian]

I know everything in the US is big; but those thimbles are really getting out of hand.

Mike

Indeed, giant thimbles are a common sight in these parts.

EDIT: Image file isn't showing. Alas.

[Opus106]

Coming back to the original topic... I just received a mail from one Sabine Gruber (ORF) (Response to the message I left at the VPO website.): No broadcast in India.

[M forever]

Broadcasting the Neujahrskonzert in India is not possible because of censorship rules. The lightly clad ballerinas are perceived as "obscene" by Indian censors.

[Iago]

Coming back to the original topic... I just received a mail from one Sabine Gruber (ORF) (Response to the message I left at the VPO website.): No broadcast in India.

Guess you'll have to settle for the DVD, after all.

[Symphonien]

Decent concert, not too many exciting choices but then what can you expect. I'm sure some people here were delighted to see that Lang Lang made an appearance.

"Sport polka" was the highlight! And appropriate for Euro 2008.

Besides that, Pretre was funny to watch.

[Iago]

I don't know what version of the (so called) "live" broadcast that Europeans, Asians and Australians received, but the version broadcast in the U.S., was the absolute WORST EVER PRESENTED in the 25 years that I've been watching them.
An uninspired orchestra, with a totally incompetent conductor, playing the worst program ever presented at these concerts.

The number of selections was about one-half the number that they usually are, and the program was more or less a travelogue for the city of Vienna. I don't know about you, but I am totally uninterested in Viennas beer halls, palaces, riding academies, and fountains. The ballet dancers were (at best) amateurish and also nearly incompetent. They added NOTHING to the broadcast, and in fact, detracted from whatever little music their was. 
The U.S. version had Walter Cronkite as the "host" and he looks and sounds as if he died a decade ago.

I wanted to watch a great orchestra, under a great conductor, playing the music  which it was born to play. Hopefully, the DVD will contain more music and delete the un-necessary accoutrements. But (for me) this broadcast was a total failure.

[Harry]

I found the concert boring, and the ballets disastrous.

[Harry]

I don't know what version of the (so called) "live" broadcast that Europeans, Asians and Australians received, but the version broadcast in the U.S., was the absolute WORST EVER PRESENTED in the 25 years that I've been watching them.
An uninspired orchestra, with a totally incompetent conductor, playing the worst program ever presented at these concerts.

The number of selections was about one-half the number that they usually are, and the program was more or less a travelogue for the city of Vienna. I don't know about you, but I am totally uninterested in Viennas beer halls, palaces, riding academies, and fountains. The ballet dancers were (at best) amateurish and also nearly incompetent. They added NOTHING to the broadcast, and in fact, detracted from whatever little music their was. 
The U.S. version had Walter Cronkite as the "host" and he looks and sounds as if he died a decade ago.

I wanted to watch a great orchestra, under a great conductor, playing the music  which it was born to play. Hopefully, the DVD will contain more music and delete the un-necessary accoutrements. But (for me) this broadcast was a total failure.

Well, this is the first time I agree with Cuddles.......

[knight66]

Not entirely bad; I did have a nice snooze in front of it.

Mike

[Harry]

Not entirely bad; I did have a nice snooze in front of it.

Mike

You lucky man......

[knight66]

I did think that Pretre looked amazingly spry for 83, but when I was watching, I did not once see a member of the orchestra looking at him; it was faces in the music throughout. The choice of music was beyond dull.

Mike