New Year's Concert (2002)
The Vienna Philharmonic New Year's concert remains as musically uplifting and orchestrally ravishing a tradition in 2002 as it's been for many a recent year. The Vienna Philharmonic, of course, can play Strauss waltzes, marches, and polkas in their sleep. Yet under Seiji Ozawa's firm baton in a mink glove, the players sound wide awake at every turn: effortlessly negotiating theFledermausOverture's tricky tempo transitions, bringing just the right combination of gravity and pizzazz to rarities such as "Zivio!," "Elisen-Polka Français," and Joseph Hellmesberger II's delightful "Danse Diabolique." Among the better-known items, "Künsterleben" moves with refreshing understatement and subtle lilt. Perhaps Philips's engineering doesn't pack the punch of Teldec's extraordinary2001 edition with Harnoncourt, but at least the audience's rhythmic clapping during the inevitable "Radetsky-Marsch" encore doesn't overpower the musicians. Great sound, great playing, charming music: how can you go wrong?--Jed Distler