A much better Radetzky March

A much better Radetzky March

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norman lebrecht

December 13, 2019

You read today about the sanitised Vienna Philharmonic version?

This beats the bongs off it.

 

Comments

  • Elizabeth Owen says:

    Thank-you so much for this Norman, it’s cheered me up on an absolutely appalling day for Britain. Another country to be run by a liar and cheat. And it’s Friday 13th!

  • Petros Linardos says:

    We look forward to learning how the version Nelsons will conduct differs from the one Harnoncourt conducted in 2001.

  • phf655 says:

    Yes, it’s funny, skillful in its way, but on another level a little scary. With the Chinese attempt to buy respectability and a deceptive openness to the outside world with classical music on its least demanding level (see the recent report on this site about the Philadelphia Orchestra’s relationship with China), and its accompanying monetization, will we soon be hearing Bruckner symphonies performed like this, and not as a stunt or joke?

    • Fan says:

      This is from 20 years ago. The future you are talking about is now. No, Chinese are not responsible for the presumed kitschy turn in the great Western civilization, which by the way is doing well.

  • Gustavo says:

    Only Mariss, Franz and I know how difficult it really is.

  • Axl says:

    Marvellous!!!

  • Pat says:

    I like it. It is industrial!

  • Greg Bottini says:

    Priceless! Marvelous! Wonderful! Lovely!
    Thank you, Norman, for making my morning!
    I need more info – what group is this? When was the concert? What else was on the program?

  • Pedro says:

    This is an old film… Kurt Waldheim is in the audience. First row of the second Parterre.

  • Mustafa Kandan says:

    Yes, this is the future.

  • DaveT says:

    I’ll take this any day over that flimsy, corny standard.

  • Bernard Caplan says:

    This must be quite some time ago. I notice Kurt Waldheim sitting in the front row. As we all know there was an enormous cloud hanging over him as to his Nazi past.

  • FrauGeigerin says:

    Obscene travestism.

  • Novagerio says:

    Has the change of instrumentation made it less “brown”?…

  • barry guerrero says:

    The imitation of the percussion’s roll-off is hilarious. The trio section (second subject) comes off particularly well. It’s a fabulous march that’s often times – outside of Vienna – played too fast. It’s an equestrian paced march.

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