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PEOPLE & ARTSThursday 31 December 2015
Looks easy, isn’t: Lots of work goes into New Year’s Concert
GEORGE JAHN the world’s most-watched
Associated Press classical music event of
VIENNA (AP) — One, two, the year.
three, one, two, three. A “It’s very, very difficult,”
Strauss waltz is a musical said Vienna Philharmonic
cinch, right? Orchestra chairman and
Not even for the mem- violinist Andreas Grossbau-
bers of one of the world’s er ahead of Friday’s big
best orchestras. Listening event. “Take the ‘Blue Dan-
in to the final rehearsal of ube’ waltz for instance. To
the Vienna Philharmonic’s create beautiful phrases
annual New Year’s con- here, these are really diffi-
cert quickly reveals that cult things.”
lots of work goes into the The effort that goes into
final product of what is each concert is as well
Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons listens during an interview with The Associated Press in Vienna,
Austria. Jansons will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for the traditional New Year’s
concert on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016 at the Musikverein in Vienna. The effort that goes into each
concert is as well hidden to the more than 50 million people tuning in from nearly 100 countries
worldwide. It was originally a morale booster staged by the Nazis to draw attention away from a
losing war. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
hidden to the more than for a slickly staged experi- 18 pieces from an original
50 million people tuning ence that can cost more list of 800. Even the tradi-
in from nearly 100 coun- than 1,000 euros (more tionally comic segments
tries worldwide as the dark than $1,000) for those lucky needed honing. Blaring
origins of the event. It was enough to get a ticket. into a plastic horn to emit
originally a morale boost- But it’s a tough slog to get a discordant triad, Jansons
er staged by the Nazis to there. asked repeatedly “can
draw attention away from For three hours this week, you hear?” before putting
a losing war. musicians clad in jeans down the toy and picking
But now, as then, the mu- and T-shirts instead of their up his baton. Relaxing af-
sic from the Strauss dynasty concert finery repeatedly ter rehearsal, the Latvian
and their contemporaries is went over passages during maestro also took issue
lilting. And the visuals have their final rehearsal. Con- with the idea that “light”
evolved. ductor Mariss Jansons was music is light work.
The floral arrangements jovial but firm as he cajoled “It’s not easy when you
are spectacular, TV audi- them to do it just a little take it seriously and want
ences are treated to bal- better each time — more to conduct a very high-
let segments and stunning piano here, a smoother class concert,” he said.
Vienna vistas, while the passage elsewhere. “You must have a very
gilt Musikverein concert He and orchestra mem- special relationship to this
hall is the perfect venue bers picked each of the music.”q
San Francisco investigating Bieber graffiti
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — used chalk, according to and other neighborhoods.
San Francisco’s city at- Herrera. Herrera said pub- City officials have received
torney is demanding that lic works crews have re- complaints about it, Her-
Justin Bieber’s music pub- moved some of the graffiti rera said.
lisher help determine who at great expense, although “This prohibited market-
is responsible for sidewalk he did not provide a figure. ing practice illegally ex-
graffiti promoting the pop The city attorney’s office ploits our city’s walkable
star’s latest album. released photographs of neighborhoods and ro-
City attorney Dennis Her- eight instances of the graf- bust tourism, intentionally
rera sent a letter to Univer- fiti and asked for Univer- creates visual distractions
sal Music Group earlier in sal’s help in determining its that pose risks to pedestri-
the week, saying the graf- full scope. Emails seeking ans on busy rights of way,
fiti appears to have been comment from represen- and irresponsibly tells our
applied with spray paint tatives of Universal Music youth that likeminded law-
that has not come off even Group were not immedi- lessness and contempt for
after recent rainstorms. ately returned. The graffiti public property are con-
That contrasts with other promoting Bieber’s new al- doned and encouraged
recent sidewalk market- bum, “Purpose,” has been by its beneficiaries,” Her-
ing campaigns that have found in Haight-Ashbury rera said in his letter.q
