Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker

[knight66]

That is very kind of you, thanks indeed.

Mike

[M forever]

I was surprised to see a Chinese guy in the orchestra. When did the most racist, sexist of all orchestras start employing actual ethnic people?

The WP have a lot of foreigners, by which I mean non-Austrians. Are these not "ethnic" enough? And what does "ethnic" mean? Are some people more "ethnic" than others? Why does it matter so much? It shouldn't actually, either way. Perceiving some people, e.g. "non-Caucasian" people as "ethnic" has a racist subtone to it as well.
BTW, the young man you are referring to is probably Jun Keller, one of the 1st violins. Sometime in the mid-90s, he floated around Berlin for a while where I met him a few times. I think his mother is Japanese, and his father is either German or Austrian. I don't remember exactly though, because it never seemed to matter so much that he was "half-ethnic". I just saw him as a violinist.

[Gustav]

yep, i also don't see what the big fuss is. But, i guess being the only one does make him stand out, btw, who were the ladies that sat besides the orchestra? They weren't playing any instruments or anything, they just sat there, can anyone explain their presence?

[Brian]

The WP have a lot of foreigners, by which I mean non-Austrians. Are these not "ethnic" enough? And what does "ethnic" mean? Are some people more "ethnic" than others? Why does it matter so much? It shouldn't actually, either way. Perceiving some people, e.g. "non-Caucasian" people as "ethnic" has a racist subtone to it as well.
BTW, the young man you are referring to is probably Jun Keller, one of the 1st violins. Sometime in the mid-90s, he floated around Berlin for a while where I met him a few times. I think his mother is Japanese, and his father is either German or Austrian. I don't remember exactly though, because it never seemed to matter so much that he was "half-ethnic". I just saw him as a violinist.

"Ethnic" was a joking term to indicate a non-Caucasian, non-white, person, although here in my racially homogeneous corner of Texas even Italians and East Europeans get treated as racial minorities. (I would be foolish to use "ethnic" in a derogatory way, being Turkish myself...)

I would not be surprised if it was Mr Keller; the performer was in the back of the string section, either violins or violas; I cannot recall which. It may also be Wilfried Hedenborg, according to this handy article on the subject. The end of the article mentions a female violist suddenly departing on leave; she was in the New Years' Concert yesterday.

[M forever]

I would be foolish to use "ethnic" in a derogatory way, being Turkish myself...

What part of Türkiye are you from?

It may also be Wilfried Hedenborg, according to this handy article on the subject.

Oh man, that Osborne guy doesn't seem to have anything better to do. I wonder why, if that subject is so dear to him, he doesn't invest his energies into protesting against racism and sexism where they actually happen on a large scale, with many victims. There are still many places where people get discriminated against by the millions based on their "race" or sex, with much more drastic effects on their lives than not being hired by the Wiener Philharmoniker.
It appears that he is more interested in the attention it gets him and his other activities.

Mr. Sugiyama's dismissal, however, raised serious questions.  If he were not qualified, how could he so quickly win a position with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra?  The United States has only about one twenty-third the number of full-time, year-round orchestras per capita as Austria, so the competition for positions is much fiercer.

Who knows, maybe he made a very good impression during the audition - apparently he did, otherwise he wouldn't have won it, "ethnic" or not - but wasn't ready yet for the daily grind of playing in an orchestra, especially an opera orchestra in a house with repertoire system, like the Wiener Staatsoper, where you have to play a different 2-4h long opera every night, often without rehearsal, and with different conductors with different quirks every night. That is pretty brutal, believe me, I have played a lot in the opera, and it is admittedly easier for a string player than a constantly exposed player such as a tubist.  There are a lot of excellent musicians who are fantastic when they are prepared, but not so secure at sight reading under such circumstances.
Somebody should point out to Mr Osborne that it's "Cleveland Orchestra", not "Cleveland Symphony Orchestra". I wonder, does he also write articles asking why there aren't more "black" people in American orchestras, given that roughly 12% or so of the population are "black"?

Mr. Ozawa is the General Music Director of the Vienna State Opera, but the conductors there are appointed by the house's administration, not the orchestra.  The Vienna Philharmonic is a private enterprise the musicians run on the side.  The Philharmonic chooses its own conductors, where Ozawa has only occasionally worked as an invited guest.

Bull. Ozawa has been a regular guest with the WP for a long time, made a number of recordings with them and was "even" invited to do the Neujahrskonzert which is more or less the "highest honor" the orchestra can "bestow" on a conductor. Same about Mehta, BTW, who is kind of "ethnic", too.

[Brian]

What part of Türkiye are you from?

Family is of Istanbul (Asian side - Kadıköy), though I was born in the States. 

Although I don't sympathise with the author of the article (is it really so rare for a performer to be turned down by the VPO but accepted by the "Cleveland Symphony" [sic]?), I cannot say I am fond of the Vienna Philharmonic's line on the issue, either. How necessary is it that they remain "a group of white skinned male musicians, that perform exclusively the music of white skinned male composers," in the words of one orchestra member?

[Symphonien]

Dead right! The ballet just plain stunk. I felt personally embarrassed watching that horrendous thing with the football uniforms and the ballet referee in hot-shorts. The number where they danced into the concert hall was blatantly cheesy (and I noticed that several audience members who had seats along the aisle were highly irritated, and tried their best to look around the dancers to watch the orchestra).

Yes, that was a rather annoying part... That football thing in particular was one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen.

The encore where Pretre yellow carded the violinist was a nice touch though.

[MISHUGINA]

By the way, I see that having learned a lesson about hiring old conductors, next year's concert will feature the sprightly young rising star ... Daniel Barenboim.

I'm still waiting for Pierre Boulez to conduct a New Year's concert and VPO to finally blurt, "**** this whole Strauß BS, we're gonna play an all Webern programme!" 

[M forever]

What was that football ballet thing all about? To what music did they dance? There is actually a ballet by Shostakovich about a Soviet football team in the West ("The Golden Age"), but I don't suppose that is what they played?

[Brian]

What was that football ballet thing all about? To what music did they dance? There is actually a ballet by Shostakovich about a Soviet football team in the West ("The Golden Age"), but I don't suppose that is what they played?

They played the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, and employed roughly fifteen ballet dancers in various football uniforms to run around pretending to kick, squatting for push-ups, and jogging in place. In the middle of it all was (I assume) a soloist, in referee costume with extremely short shorts, who made it his business to alternately stand around watching and pick footballs up off the ground. It was frankly so excruciating that after a few seconds I returned to my book, a biography of Mao, and only looked up at the television when my parents laughed or asked what the hell was going on.

[M forever]

Don't your parents ever watch American football on TV? They should be used to guys in tight pants fussing around a little egg, dropping it all the time, and grabbing each others' asses.
That said, I really don't regret that I didn't watch this year's Neujahrskonzert. I have always found the ballet sections painful to watch, football costumes or not. I hate that the ballet dancers grin all the time.

[Brian]

Don't your parents ever watch American football on TV? They should be used to guys in tight pants fussing around a little egg, dropping it all the time, and grabbing each others' asses.
That said, I really don't regret that I didn't watch this year's Neujahrskonzert. I have always found the ballet sections painful to watch, football costumes or not. I hate that the ballet dancers grin all the time.

European football. (Austria are hosting the European championship this year, so naturally football/soccer was a "theme.") That said, you didn't miss much, and the ballet sequences are preposterous. Better to pull out the recordings of New Years' Concerts past, like Kleiber's...

[Iago]

I'm still waiting for Pierre Boulez to conduct a New Year's concert and VPO to finally blurt, "**** this whole Strauß BS, we're gonna play an all Webern programme!" 

You will wait a VERY long time. If the VPO did that, the Musikverrein would be empty and nobody would watch it on TV. Thus NO DVD sales.

[Hector]

You will wait a VERY long time. If the VPO did that, the Musikverrein would be empty and nobody would watch it on TV. Thus NO DVD sales.

Never! You do not seriously believe that the audience was there to listen to the music do you?

As for TV, the Beeb relayed it 'live' and repeated the extravaganza in the evening. Pierre Boulez or a monkey would not effect the International TV rights!

What do people expect from this annual farrago: music?

[MISHUGINA]

You will wait a VERY long time. If the VPO did that, the Musikverrein would be empty and nobody would watch it on TV. Thus NO DVD sales.

Puh-leeze. Musikverein might have reduced crowd, telecast numbers and DVD sales might dwindle a bit. You're over-exaggerating.

[Brian]

What do people expect from this annual farrago: music?

Well, I do.

But then I'm a naive youth 

[Iago]

From a column written by Bernard Holland regarding the "Live from Lincoln Center" telecast on New Years Eve. But the same comments could well be used in reference to the VPOs New Years concert.  And I agree with them 100%.
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"It is a shame that experienced listeners have been scared off from liking what they like, but understandable, given 20th-century music's moral mandate to instruct rather than to please"

[MishaK]

From a column written by Bernard Holland regarding the "Live from Lincoln Center" telecast on New Years Eve. But the same comments could well be used in reference to the VPOs New Years concert.  And I agree with them 100%.
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"It is a shame that experienced listeners have been scared off from liking what they like, but understandable, given 20th-century music's moral mandate to instruct rather than to please"

I am neither surprised that Bernie would write that nor that you would agree.

[Symphonien]

If the VPO did that, the Musikverrein would be empty and nobody would watch it on TV.

If they broadcast an all-Webern programme on TV, I would definitely watch it!

[Siedler]

yep, i also don't see what the big fuss is. But, i guess being the only one does make him stand out, btw, who were the ladies that sat besides the orchestra? They weren't playing any instruments or anything, they just sat there, can anyone explain their presence?

Musikverein has some seats very near (behind) the orchestra.