Vienna still leads in worst Christmas kitsch
OrchestrasI mean, beat this.
It was shown on Austrian television eight years ago, but the bad taste still lingers.
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I’ve seen worse. Much worse.
Lucky you! I’ve never seen anything so awful. It’s like a total take-off of opera singers singing pop music with the most atrocious sound and dreadful English.
If you think the English is dreadful, you obviously haven’t listened to Ian Bostridge or Mark Padmore singing German Lieder. 😉
>> …the bad taste still lingers.
Please pass the ipecac.
Jonas Kaufmann can beat this with his “All I want for Christmas”. Easily.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCSKvXs_f9Q&ab_channel=JonasKaufmann-Topic
Even beat this mezzo?
Think this is far better and at least he doesnt use his Wagner voice for a pop song!
At least it is better thanBocelli´s wooden,flat toned howling.
Well, Christmas as such IS kitsch: all those gaudy Christmas decorations, awful Christmas sweaters, cheesy songs and what not – but once a year we can indulge ourselves in bad taste, can’t we?
It’s a return to childhood – and who had good taste as a child?
You said it all, guest.
We are inundated with kitsch and lousy renditions of originally beautiful music, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBDFMD5kLvc
I am posting this for purely musical reasons, not because expressing support of Ukraine is trendy (although I support Ukraine).
Kiri & Roberto, eatcha hearts out!
Groovy.
You’re right, that’s pretty God-awful. It might even surpass what I’ve long considered the champion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCE8HCxlDTk
Ah, how the great have fallen.
No, in absolute terms I find the champion far worse. In relative terms, my ears ache when I think of the best of those three guys.
Love the thick german accent!
wow. that was truly horrid.
Well at least they broadcast concerts on Austrian television…
I’d sooner they broadcast Austrian 4th division football.
George Michael never had it so good.
Well thanks for that, scarred for life.
I thought the singer in the silver gown seemed to be channeling the Swingle Singers in her ‘give it your all’ interpretation.
It looks like a skit satirizing opera on Saturday Night Live, an irreverent comedy show in the US. Even the singers were laughing.
It reminded me of a pastische by Peter Ustinov
Vienna’s taste police that night were away at a Christmas party…
Watch French and Saunders with Sarah Walker conductor Carl Davis Opera Classics I should be so lucky
The perfect Christmas nightmare. I mean, the screams…
It brings to mind the French & Saunders sketch (hilarious) where Sarah Walkers sings Kylie Minogue’s “I should be so lucky” with orchestra…
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38nnqc
Christmas should be fun and kitsch! My 5 year old son enjoyed the Viennesse version of Wham! Here is my favourite piece of excellent Christmas kitsch from choral scholars: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FqGfvtJvaSg
I was there!
(my wife sang in the choir)
Bad taste is part of life, there wouldn’t be good taste without it…
Ghastly.
This was one of Gustav Leonhardt’s favorite words.
I’m reminded of the lecture where Leonard Bernstein plays a recording of an opera singer trying to do an old Negro spiritual.
I’m also reminded of a concert I attended in Dallas where a young lady with a severe Texas twang and gen-u-ine Country & Western boots was belting out the standards of Gershwin, Kern and Porter.
People think that pop music doesn’t have style… until the style is missing and then hilarity ensues.
I’m in the Wiener Singakademie (the choir) and definitely remember that piece. It was probably the kitschiest year ever, and my husband and I still laugh about it each year! I was also afraid that soprano was going to bust right out of the top of her dress, but I digress… I do recommend watching this year’s (2022) when it comes out – I loved singing it, it was such a lovely program, with some fun, maybe slightly kitschy, moments, but mostly just a good Christmas feel throughout!