Great Performances and Live from Lincoln Center

[Anne]

LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER
New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: Joshua Bell's Romantic Violin
Monday,  December 31, 2007 8 - 10:00 pm
The annual New Year's Eve gala concert, live from Avery Fisher
Hall, this year includes several arrangements for violin and
orchestra: Kreisler's "Liebesleid" and "Liebesfreud,"
Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Ravel's
"Tzigane" and Schubert's "Ave Maria." The orchestra will also
perform Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and Ravel's
"Bolero." (CC, Stereo)

http://www.pbs.org/livefromlincolncenter/

GREAT PERFORMANCES
From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration (2008)
Tuesday,  January 1, 2008 8 - 9:30 pm
"Great Performances" returns to the stately splendor of
Vienna's Musikverein for its 24th annual New Year's Day
celebration with the Vienna Philharmonic. Georges Prêtre leads
the world-renowned orchestra in a selection of buoyant Strauss
family waltzes. Also featured are festive ballets danced by the
Vienna State Opera Ballet. (CC, Stereo)

Check your listing for date and time.

[Iago]

Just some additional information:

   1. The Dec 31, "Live from Lincoln Center" on PBS will ALSO (for the first time) be carried on PBS-HD. And it will be available in HD, nationwide TRULY LIVE. For example, I live in Las Vegas (PST), and it will go on the air here at 5.PM. (which is 8PM in NY). Later in the evening it will be repeated twice.

   2. Unfortunately the New Years Concert from Vienna is NOT being televised on the HD PBS stations. I suspect this is because they want to sell as many copies of the DVD made from the concert as possible. The DVDs WILL be in the 16:9 widescreen format.

[Anne]

January 7: CARNEGIE HALL CELEBRATES BERLIN (check local
listings at http://www.pbs.org/gperf/broadcast/schedule_airdates.html)
-- Carnegie Hall spotlighted the artistic revitalization
taking place in the city of Berlin with a 17-day festival in
November 2007. As part of the festivities, the Berlin
Philharmonic, led by its chief conductor and artistic
director, Simon Rattle, performed several works by Gustav
Mahler, including his monumental "Ninth Symphony," which
will be the centerpiece of this GREAT PERFORMANCES
broadcast. Get a preview at
http://www.pbs.org/gperf/shows/carnegieberlin/index.html.

[Anne]

There is another program honoring Ella Fitzgerald but since it was not classical, it was posted in the Diner on the Non-Classical Musical Listening Thread!

[Anne]

Some additional regarding the New Year's telecast:

FROM VIENNA: THE NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION 2008
Although 2008 will be the 50th year that the annual concert,
dominated by the works of Johann Jr., is telecast, it wasn't
until 1986 that the musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic
elected to vary the conductor who would lead them at each
year's event. Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado, Zubin
Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Nikolaus
Harnoncourt, and Mariss Jansons are among the notables who
have ascended the podium at the Musikverein on New Year's
Day, and this year George Pretre joins this select
and illustrious group. He is the first French conductor to
helm the concert and has included a few French-themed works
in the program. Read an interview with the maestro to learn
more about his relationship with the venerable orchestra in
Dialogue. See if your favorite works by the Strausses are
among those slated for the concert in the song list.

From the Archive
Before a musician can apply to become a part of the Vienna
Philharmonic, he or she must have first been a member of the
Vienna State Opera Orchestra and performed with them for
three years. The VSO ensemble and an incredible lineup of
conductors and opera stars were brought together in 2005 to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opera house's
reopening after Allied bombings nearly destroyed it in the
waning years of World War II. Read an interview with one of
the featured performers, mezzo-soprano Angelika
Kirchschlager; watch excerpts from the gala; and discover
more about the history of the VSO on the Web companion at
http://www.pbs.org/gperf/shows/viennaopera50/index.html.

[longears]

Thanks for the heads up, Anne.  Bell's Lincoln Center gig sounds like a fine way to pass the time while waiting for the big guy to squeeze down the chimney.  And Jan 7th sounds promising, as well--too bad these broadcasts are usually after my bedtime!

[Anne]

You're welcome.  Glad to be of help.

[bhodges]

January 7: CARNEGIE HALL CELEBRATES BERLIN (check local
listings at http://www.pbs.org/gperf/broadcast/schedule_airdates.html)
-- Carnegie Hall spotlighted the artistic revitalization
taking place in the city of Berlin with a 17-day festival in
November 2007. As part of the festivities, the Berlin
Philharmonic, led by its chief conductor and artistic
director, Simon Rattle, performed several works by Gustav
Mahler, including his monumental "Ninth Symphony," which
will be the centerpiece of this GREAT PERFORMANCES
broadcast. Get a preview at
http://www.pbs.org/gperf/shows/carnegieberlin/index.html.

The Rattle/Berlin Mahler 9 was completely fascinating, and I would urge anyone curious to check it out.  They are also going to show Dudamel and his Venezuelans in Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra (not sure if they will show the entire piece or just excerpts).

--Bruce

[longears]

Speaking of Bell--I have a bad habit left over from adolescence of tending to look down my nose at the popular.  Consequently hadn't paid much attention to Bell.  But a couple of years ago I saw him in performance with the wonderful young pianist, Jeremy Denk, and he was terrific.

[bhodges]

Denk has a very good blog, if you haven't run across it! 

http://jeremydenk.net/blog/

I have yet to hear him (and won't be able to catch either the live concert or the broadcast) but I've heard from others who admire him as well. 

--Bruce

[Iago]

Thanks for the heads up, Anne.  Bell's Lincoln Center gig sounds like a fine way to pass the time while waiting for the big guy to squeeze down the chimney.  And Jan 7th sounds promising, as well--too bad these broadcasts are usually after my bedtime!

Since Bells "Lincoln Center gig" is to take place on Dec 31, the big guy will have squeezed down the chimney six days previously or you'll have to "wait" another twelve months for the squeezing to take place again. Mr. Bell is a fine violinist, but even he won't be able to help you "pass the time" for that period of months.

[longears]

Since Bells "Lincoln Center gig" is to take place on Dec 31, the big guy will have squeezed down the chimney six days previously or you'll have to "wait" another twelve months for the squeezing to take place again. Mr. Bell is a fine violinist, but even he won't be able to help you "pass the time" for that period of months.

And thank you for that heads up, oh Moorish one!  Guess we'll have to find another way to pass the time.  Backgammon, anyone?