Stéphane Denève, Conductor; Rosa Feola, soprano; Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Kate Lindsey, mezzo; Wiener Symphoniker. Programme included – Mass for Choir and Orchestra C major KV 167 “Trinity”, 2. Gloria, Mozart; Laudate Dominum, Mozart; German Dances KV 605, No. 3 C major “Sleigh Ride”, Mozart; ‘Ave Maria” for solo voice and organ, Saint-Saëns; ‘Carillon”, 3rd and 4th movement from “L’Arlésienne”, Suite No. 1 plus “Farandole”, 4th movement from “L’Arlésienne”, Suite No. 2, Bizet; “Les anges dans nos campagnes” for Choir in G major, Gevaert; “Marche des Rois” for Choir (Arrangement: Rosa Parker / Robert Shaw); “Adeste fideles”, Anonymous; Overture and “Abendsegen’ from the opera “Hansel and Gretel”, Humperdinck; “Ich harrete des Herrn”, Duet and choir from the choral symphony No. 2 in B-flat major op. 52 “Hymn of Praise”, Mendelssohn; “Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella” (Arrangement for Organ: Keith Chapman); Anonymous; “Adoration”, Florence Price; “In the bleak Midwinter” (Arrangement: Mack Wilberg); Gustav Holst; “Somewhere in my Memory” and “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas” from “Home Alone” (1990), John Williams; “O du fröhliche” (Arr.: Matthias Spindler).
Well, for my third evening in Vienna – and it seemed a bit miserable to leave after only two – there were only two musical options happening that I could identify in advance to go to – one was West Side Story at the Volksoper, and the other was this, clearly a BIG Austrian event having a Christmas at King’s feel to it – televised, lots of people queuing. I suspect in fact I might have done better at the Volksoper but this, as they say, was what it was and delivered what it was meant to deliver – a series of festive, though not particularly Advent-ishly themed, short snippets of mostly easy-on-the-ear music. Highlights, though as usual the music in a big church always gets distorted, were the idiomatically played ‘Hansel and Gretel’ overture and Stephane Deneve really putting the orchestra through its paces in the Bizet Farandole, dangerously fast for such a congested space. Rosa Feola and Kate Lindsey are both distinguished opera singers and did well in their pieces, particularly the Hansel and Gretel duet. There was also some very effective and powerful organ playing in the piece arranged by Keith Chapman. That’s about it, really……My mind kept going back to ‘Tonight, tonight’……….as I listened to some of the more tedious pieces (there was a very irritatingly arranged version of ‘ In the bleak midwinter’ which managed to ruin Holst’s simple melody with chromatic overlays….)
My next trip overseas is in March to hear the Berlin Phil play Bartok. and three R. Strauss operas.
John's musical journey 