Hallé - New Year Viennese Concert
(with Natasha Marsh)

A New Year Viennese Concert performed by the Hallé Orchestra with special guest soprano Natasha Marsh.

Act I

Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna (Suppé)
Meine lippen, sie küssen so heiss [My lips, they kiss so hotly] (Lehár) - Sung by Natasha Marsh
New Year Gallop (Lanner)
Roses From the South (Strauss, Johann II)
Pizzicato Polka (Strauss, Johann II & Josef)
Adele's Laughing Song from "Die Fledermaus" (Strauss, Johann II) - Sung by Natasha Marsh
Overture from "Die Fledermaus" (Strauss, Johann II)

Act II

Tritsch Tratsch Polka (Strauss, Johann II)
Vilja-Lied from "The Merry Widow" (Lehár) - Sung by Natasha Marsh
Gold and Silver (Lehár)
Entrance March from "The Gypsy Baron" (Strauss, Johann II)
Gypsy Fiddles Playing from "Gypsy Love" (Lehár) - Sung by Natasha Marsh
Pesther Czardos (Strauss, Johann II)
Vienna, City of My Dreams (Sieczynski) - Sung by Natasha Marsh
On the Beautiful Blue Danube (Strauss, Johann II)

Impressions/Performances

This was a wonderful evening of classical entertainment provided by around forty musicians from the internationally reknowned Hallé Orchestra under the capable direction of conductor Stephen Bell, and with occasional guest appearances from beautiful soprano Natasha Marsh.

Conductor Stephen Bell led us through the evening with introductions to the music and occasional comic anecdotes. His obvious charm and love of the music were infectious and he had no trouble in getting the audience to respond in singing the chorus to "Vilja-Lied" or clapping, high and low under his direction, to some of the more martial music. His 's conducting style is somewhat understated compared to many, but his total rapport with the orchestra was obvious in his ability to draw out every nuance of the music and balance perfectly every melody and harmony. From the opening number, "Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna" through to the closing rendition of the perennial favourite "On the Beautiful Blue Danube", this was playing of the very highest calibre, filling the medium sized hall with a delightful curtain of sound. A highlight of the first act was "Roses From the South," drawing out the best from every section of the orchestra as it ranged from it's melodic opening based on a superbly played cello solo, through a joyous middle section before rising to a boisterous and triumphant ending. Another highlight was the delightful plucked "Pizzicato Polka" which leads the listener through a mesmerizing melody of highs and lows that seem to defy reality.

But as excellent as Bell and the orchestra were, it was the presence of Natasha Marsh that had drawn me to this concert and if I came away with even the slightest disappointment it was only that she did not figure in more numbers. From her sensuous opening rendition of "Meine lippen, sie küssen so heiss" she had the audience in the palm of her hand each time she reappeared on stage. Her rendition of the Laughing Song from "Die Fledermaus" was electric with her tackling of the coloratura elements nothing less than exquisite. In the second act her "Vilja-Lied" was so beautifully sung that I am not ashamed to say it brought tears to the eyes. But the best, for me was saved for the encore. In a slight, but not inappropriate, departure from the general theme of the evening Natasha and the orchestra gave us a delightful rendition of one of my all-time favourite numbers from the musicals, "I Could Have Danced All Night" from "My Fair Lady." I have always thought the Marny Nixon version (dubbing for Audrey Hepburn) from the hit movie to be the definitive version of this song - now I am not quite so sure.