A lovely article of a unique phenomenon: the sound of Die Viener Philharmoniker. Although the sound does not quite capture the phenomenon, for it is a sort of privileged auditory window to some of the most mesmerizing aspects of Viennese culture. (And sometimes, it is a subtle reference to some frustrating and even ridiculous aspects of Viennese culture, artful reminder of real Schlamperei,) My first visit to Vienna took place many years after making some fragments of that incredible cultural heritage my own through reading, watching and listening. Upon arriving, I felt immediately at home, as if following an internal map that effortlessly (well, maybe with some Schlamperei!) connected me with the city of Vienna. Now, 100 years after the beginning of the Great War (that was so closely connected with the final years of the Habsburg monarchy and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), that rich and rounded sound of Vienna Philharmonic seems to have some bittersweetness that gives it extra poignancy. OK, time to fetch a nice bottle of Grüner Veltliner and one of my favourite recordings? That would be Leonard Bernstein conducting Gustav Mahlers Das Lied von der Erde with Die Viener Philharmoniker, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and James King as solists. nytimes/2014/08/03/arts/music/what-makes-the-vienna-philharmonic-so-distinctive.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 08:37:30 +0000
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