Fast forward a year or so...it was right around New Years Day either 2 years ago, or maybe even last year. I was flipping through the TV Guide and saw a concert from this same place. I didn't know anything about it, but it turns out that there is a New Years day concert every year at the Musikverein where they play polkas and waltzes...a tradition going back to the late 30's. In fact, the Austrian composers that are traditionally played were chosen in rebellion to the German political control at the time.
In contrast to most concerts, where audience 'participation' is frowned upon, the audience gets downright rowdy during the planned encores, clapping along and swaying back and forth in good bierhalle fashion. The concert always ends with the Radetzky March, which is the Austrian equivalent to Stars and Stripes Forever for us.
Let's fast forward again. A few months ago, Andrew asked if I would take him to an orchestra field trip. I agreed, and we signed up and paid. I promptly forgot all about it until earlier this week, when the reminders came from school. The concert was last night. We went to the DSO, and imagine my surprise when I read that they were re-creating this traditional New Years concert for us. We got INCREDIBLE seats, especially for the student prices we paid...on the floor about 10 rows back.
The new conductor is VERY animated and energetic, and I really enjoyed the concert. They played a lot that was familiar: Hungarian Dance #5 (I had the easy piano music for this YEARS ago), The Blue Danube Waltz, etc. They also played a few that I'd never heard before...The Typewriter (by Leroy Anderson) was funny, and is worth looking up if you're interested.
They ended the concert with the traditional encores, and after the Radetzky March, came out for a final encore of Stars & Stripes. It was really a wonderful performance, and made me wish (again) that I could get to the DSO more often.
4 comments:
Wow, that was like being there with you! What a cool opportunity. Of course, it was a really a cool opportunity to be in the concert hall in Vienna. Did Andrew enjoy it as much as you did, and did the other boys wish they could have been there? I DO!
I think he liked it, but probably not as much as I did. I just like hearing the favorites done in new ways, and stuff. I noticed him peeking at the watch a few times.
The biggest downside to watching a concert is that there is no rewind button. If you really liked something, you can't go back and listen again. *hmm*
Are you suggesting with your title that you're not a fuddy-duddy? That's a big self-assumption, isn't it? :) That really looks like so much fun. Vienna is great, but even DSO is wonderful. I'll always remember that M&D took me to a Canadian Brass concert at Jones Hall in Houston, who happened to be playing over the weekend of my 16th birthday. Yes, there's nothing like being at a concert. Then you have to try to find CDs of the music to try to re-live the experience. Or just keep going to live concerts...
BTW, I didn't know there was still such thing as a "TV Guide"...
Next time take me with you!!!
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