Heavenly!
This is a special edition celebrating the music of Vienna. First, the most famous work by Johann Strauss, Junior, the greatest waltz ever written, as well as the best piece of music named after a river.
Next, a march written by Johann Strauss, Senior, and one of the most rollicking, just plain fun pieces in the entire classical repertoire. Watch for the conductor conducting the audience.
Johann Strauss Sr. "Radetzky March" performed by Vienna Philharmonic at new years concert 2011
Last, an American song inspired by its composer’s first trip to Vienna.
You should have Vienna by Ultravox here also. Better then at joel song. I think i’ll go find some tiny sausages now.Report
Thank you for this, Mike! My daughter will be very pleased. Or annoyed, since her parents have been making her listen to that Billy Joel song a lot lately and for some reason she hates it.
(We’re actually going there in a couple of weeks – needless to say, we agree with your assessment of the place).Report
Karlskirche is probably the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen. It’s like being inside a Faberge egg. Set aside a little time (you’re going to be near it anyway) and see it.Report
Thanks for the tip! Last time we were there (sans daughter) we only had time to take a couple of pictures outside it while we were walking to the U-Bahn to go to Schonbrunn.Report
Aren’t you in New Jersey? Shouldn’t you be making her listen to the Boss?
As a Long Islander, I find it kind of amusing how he has somewhat become our representative to popular culture.
Lou Reed is a much better Long Islander.Report
Oh, she gets plenty of that forced on her. But Bruce doesn’t have any songs about Vienna.Report
I keep meaning to post this, since I know there are a lot of BRUUUUUCEEEE fans around here that might enjoy this. (There’s some Tom Petty in it too).
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the best piece of music named after a river
I dunno, I’d probably go with either this or this:
But then I’m a philistine. (I also don’t particularly like Vienna – when I was there it was clean, modern, safe…and deadly dull.)Report
We’re no longer friends. I was willing to overlook your dislike of Springsteen, but this is a bridge too far.Report
Man, you want to go to Barcelona, Prague, London, Lisbon, Paris, Berlin, you call me right up. I’m your man.
But Vienna? No, thanks (though I DID have an excellent schnitzel there).
I kind of felt the same way about Madrid, TBH. Just not as “funky” as I like. Couldn’t get a bead on the “personality” of the city. Does that make sense?Report
That’s interesting, because I’ve always felt quite the opposite – it has a definite personality, though Saul’s criticism below as to a good chunk of the basis for that personality is pretty accurate. It’s absolutely not a city where “funky” is encouraged, but the flipside of that is that it’s a place where being “Viennese” has a definite meaning. I love Prague – it’s an amazingly beautiful city – but I never got the sense that being “from Prague” had much meaning.
What I like most about Vienna is the general pace at which everyone seems to move, which somehow manages to be both slow and efficient at the same time.Report
Great Creedence song, horrible synching.
I liked Vienna but it struck me very much as a city that was enthrall of its past glories. From what I’ve read, this was also true at the start of The Great War.
An Italian person also asked if I was Italian at the Summer Palace without me opening my mouth. I can seemingly pass for every Mediterranean and Levant ethnicity. When I was in Italy, the Arab people spoke to me in Arabic and the Jewish Italians could tell I was Jewish.Report
Which makes you like Billy Joel, a Jewish guy that half the world thinks is Italian.Report
Interesting presentation of Blue Danube. The conductor treated it like a classical piece, rather than a dance.Report
But it’s great that Donald Rumsfeld has found a new career.Report
Another fun performances of classical music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klc6nH8E_Qw
John Irving is another American with a fascination towards Vienna.Report
And bears.Report
Ok, My sweetie just played this for me, and I thought to share because it’s so beautiful — Dolly Parton’s Jolene, played at 33 1/3 rpm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doz1QJ7LwjAReport
That was really beautiful @zic and very sweet synchronicity for me I just heard from a good childhood friend named Jolene and I have been thinking of her all day with that song going through my head. I was always jealous that she has such a great song associated with her name. I always get people singing songs from Annie to me when they hear my name. I hate that.Report