The annual Wiener Philharmoniker concert in the idyllic surroundings of Schönbrunn Palace (Schloß Schönbrunn) is a much-anticipated event. It is released annually by Sony, and the last one covered by Classical Explorer was the 2021 event, conducted by Daniel Harding.
Here it is Andris Nelsons who takes the helm, with guest star Lise Davidsen as guest. But we begin with a tempestuous account of the Valkyries’ Ride (“Walkürenritt”) from Wagner’s Die Walküre:
Two of Lise Davidsen’s trademark operas are here: Tannhäuser and Forza. It is lovely to hear her in fine, open voice for “Dich, teure Halle”:
It is some way from Wagner to Smetana, but what a lovely trio of orchestral pieces her have here, lovingly shaped by Nelsons. This being a populist night, why not kick off with a beautifully accurate and yet flowing Vltava (“Die Moldau” in German) from Má vlast. And as if to contradict my suggestion of distance, how those horns suggest some sot of Ur-Wald of Wagnerian myth in this performance:
Smetana’s most famous opera is The Bartered Bride, and indeed we get the “Dance of the Comedians,” but how nice to hear an extra from lesser-known opera from his output: the charming Polka from The Two Widows, so suavely performed here:
.. and I bet you now the “Dance of the Comedians” from The Bartered Bride, scampering away here:
There are two excerpts form Verdi’s La Forza del destino, and how Nelsons makes sure we shift in every which way – focus, tone – for the Overture:
Davidsen is a force of Nature on stage as Leonora in this opera: here we have “Pace, pace o Dio,” although it feels less controlled here than I have heard in person.
Before the pot-boilers, one rarity: Le Nuit et l’Amour by Augusta Holmès, a lush pice perfect for.Summer night, Holmès (1847-1903) was.a French composer of Irish descent (hence the name, and the addition of the accent to ‘Holmes’). Her piece, written in 1888, could hardly have been better served, ever, than this:
There follows.a frenzied “Sabre Dance” by Khachaturian (from the ballet Gayaneh)
The Shosakovich Walyz is fantastic fun, and here we have a video!. That Shostakovich ‘edge’ is just perfect in this account:
Two encores: one with Davidsen. Here’s som Emmerich Kálmán: from his most famous piece, Die Csärdäsfürsin, “Heia, heia, in den Bergen its mean Heimaland” (My Homeland is in the Mountains):
… and surely the only way to finish is with some Johann Strauss II. Wiener Blut. Surely only the Vienna Phlilhrmonic plays Strauss like this!:
A lovely memento of an enjoyable event.
The audio-only disc is available at a staggering 3% off at Amazon here; the DVD here, Blu-ray here.
