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Stories   >   Under Andris Nelsons' direction, there's an infectious bounce and sparkle to 'Vienna Philharmonic 2020 New Year's Concert' / Classical Music Sentinel

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Under Andris Nelsons' direction, there's an infectious bounce and sparkle to 'Vienna Philharmonic 2020 New Year's Concert' / Classical Music Sentinel

Posted: February 15, 2020

Everyone enjoys a great New Year's party, especially when the music's rockin'. And this year's New Year's Concert in Vienna with conductor Andris Nelsons on the podium was no exception, as it included a few hitherto unheard pieces during this 80 years running event. 

There's an infectious bounce and sparkle to Nelsons' direction that impels the members of the orchestra to produce a sound marked by precise attacks, sharp accents, and punctilious rhythms and dynamics. At once gracious, velvety rich, highly nuanced and energetic, this is one of the best interpretations of the Blue Danube Waltz I've heard in a long time. And one of my all-time favorites, the Light Cavalry Overture by Franz von Suppé (1819-1895) is given a dramatic touch in this riveting account. The brass ensemble work in particular is a thrill to hear. It builds to such a powerfully well-attained coda that even the applause at the end is spectacular. This is a party not to miss, 'cause the music is a rockin'.

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