What Franz Welser-Möst would die for
mainThe conductor Franz Welser-Möst has a busy weekend. Saturday morning he will be presiding over the annual Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Day concert. Sunday he will appear on WQXR’s Mad About Music, telling Gilbert Kaplan some of his darker secrets.
As well as airing his reflections on hostile music critics – a must-hear for misery hacks – the music director of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera gets to pick a wild-card record, one that you wouldn’t expect to appear among his personal favourites. What can I tell you? It’s not a Strauss waltz or a Bruckner dirge (Franz is from Linz, like Bruckner and the other famous Austrian, name escapes me).
Pin your ears back, it’s a klezmer whirl.
He also gets to pick the music for his funeral. Simon Keenlyside, check your diary. He’s booking you for Schubert songs, date to be advised.
Do you have a link for the WQXR’s Mad About Music broadcast sir?
NL: I don’t have a URL. The show goes out 9pm NY time Sunday.
For those who wish to listen online, the URL is
http://www.wqxr.org. There is a link on the homepage that says “Listen Now,” and there is also some help with audio formats. I’ll have to give this a listen, too; thanks for the heads-up, Norman!
Is the other famous Austrian Bishop Rudiger? (Bruckner’s patron for those who don’t get the joke…)
Well, it could also be Hermann Bahr or Richard Tauber…I can’t think of anyone else famous from Linz off the top of my head! 😉
A bit late but below is the on demand link to the interview Mad About Music.
http://www.wqxr.Welser-Möst debütierte bei Neujahrskonzertorg/programs/mam/
Sorry. The correct link is the one below.
http://www.wqxr.org/programs/mam/2011/jan/02/