Addiction Toward Classic Concert

When I first listening to classic music, it seems quite bored and tiresome. However it would soon be changed. In the last 6 months, I’ve listened a dozen (even more) classical concert. At the beginning, the only orchestra I knew is only The Vienna Philharmonic (Wiener Philharmoniker). I remember, they used to play a concert every new year (Neujahrskonzert). I watch the 2015 New Year Concert, dirigent by Zubin Mehta (An Indian classic conductor, quite famous because he had once conducted The Three Tenor Concert in Los Angeles https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XaeBRqIqQkI).   

And so I started my path toward the classic addiction. The next time I watched several concert by different orchestra like: The London Symphony Orchestra, The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, The Venice Symphony, etc.  But from all of it, I still prefer The Vienna Philharmonic as my first choice. The Vienna Philharmonic has several tradition on its annual New Year Concert. I tried to compare between the 2015 and 2010 concert (Conducted by Georges Prêtre). I found out several things similiar:

1. There’s always a waltz dancers following several waltz like Wein, Weib, und Gesang (Wine, Woman, and Song)
2. It is a concert treated like a national concert (sort of must watch thing in Austria). Even The President of Austria (Österreichischer Bundespräsident) Heinz Fischer attend it.
3. An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 or The Blue Danube is always played near the end of the concert, and the waltz itself is considered to be a national anthem for Austrians because of its deep sense of Viennese style.
4. The last composition is usually Radetzky March, during which the audience claps along under the conductor’s direction. In this last piece, the tradition also calls for the conductor to start the orchestra as soon he steps onto the stage, before reaching the podium
5. Several composer is always been playing like from: Otto Nicolai, Johann Strauss I, Johann Strauss II Sohn, Edward Strauss, Franz von Suppe, etc.

My addiction towards classic concert isn’t just limited to Viennese, but rather extends to other European countries.  Several composer would be a fine example of classic masterpiece like:

1. Edward Elgar, UK. I really love his composition such as Salut d’Amour, Land of Hope and Glory, etc. You could see more fine perfomance of his works in youtube like BBC Prom
2. Antonio Vivaldi from Italy, well several of his works like Primavera is truly a masterpiece, beautiful like a fresco in Sistine Chapel.
3. Richard Wagner from Germany with its famous arrangement for several opera.
4. Etc

Beside that several soloist like Rudolf Buchbinder is also amazing. Just recently I watched his perfomance in Sommernachtskonzert or Summer Night Concert in Schönnbrun Palace. He plays with the orchestra at the beginning, and plays alone later. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KSd9VcHsP9Y  

 

Well I think that’s all I could share for now, and to those who think that classic is bored, outdated music. Well you’re incorrect (absolutely), there’s a reason why classic is still surviving in 21st century.  Besides, several article saying that classic could actually good for your health http://www.care2.com/causes/5-reasons-listening-to-classical-music-could-be-good-for-your-health.html.

 

 

So listen now, Au revoir...

PS: Several data and article is from http://www.wikipedia.org  Picture and image by Google.com