Andris Nelsons is no stranger to the Vienna Philharmonic. On the eve of the Beethoven year 2020, he provided an integral Beethoven symphonies cycle on CD with this orchestra. Beethoven's atypical dance music had to be heard during the traditional New Year's concert in the Musikverein. Although it was probably for the very first and very last time. The programming of the waltz Seid umschlungen
… Millionen! by Johann Strauss Jr. also seems to be a nod to Beethoven, because of the (incidentally completely coincidental) resemblance to the choral final of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The traditional encores - An der schönen blauen Donau & the Radetzky-Marsch - were of course not lacking. Although the orchestra decided to strip the Radetzky-Marsch of its overly brown tones. Previously, the march sounded in an arrangement by the Nazi supporter Leopold Weninger. This year the orchestra decided to do it with its own arrangement. (HJ)more
