BSO New Year’s Viennese Gala Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Anita Connor
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra New Year’s Viennese Gala is conducted by Mark Wrigglesworth, their chief conductor since 2024. I was excited to be going to this concert as I have always enjoyed watching the traditional New Year’s Day concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra from the comfort of my sofa, when it is televised.
The opening performance of Johann Strauss II Fledermaus Overture set the scene for the magic to begin. This is a well-known piece from the classical repertoire and was enjoyed by all the audience. This was followed by the Accelerations Waltz which must be difficult for dancers with the fluctuating changes of the music’s speed! The soprano soloist, Elizabeth Watts, then joined the orchestra on the stage and she
personally introduced the two arias from Die Fledermaus that she was about to sing. Her ebullient personality shone through, and the audience was transported to a Viennese masked ball. The well-known Thunder and Lightning Polka then rang out, with the cymbals and timpani expertly producing the weather effects. The Artist’s Waltz concluded the first half of the concert.
The second half of the programme began with The Merry Widow Overture by Franz Lehar. Elizabeth then returned to sing two arias by the same composer and had the audience humming along in the appropriate places. She received rapturous applause after her theatrical performances. The orchestra then played two lesser-known works by Josef Strauss, before The Blue Danube, Johann Strauss II’s most
famous waltz, was beautifully played. The concert ended with the Radetsky March which is usually the final encore of the Vienna concert. The audience followed Mark’s conducting of the clapping admirably and it was an exhilarating end to a brilliant concert.
This was a very special and memorable way to celebrate the beginning of a new year and one which may become a new, personal tradition.
Lighthouse, Poole, is a great venue with both a theatre and concert hall. The acoustics in the concert hall are excellent, and the seating is well tiered and comfortable. There is a cafe for pre-theatre dining and a bar serving hot and cold drinks. The venue has accessible toilets and there are lifts to all the floors.
Parking is available at street level opposite the venue, and the Dolphin Shopping Centre has a multi-storey car park very near to the concert hall. There is additional parking available at the Dolphin Swimming Pool. Poole railway station is approximately a 10 minute walk from the venue.
Tickets range in price from £20.90 – £57.20. The link for booking tickets is www.lighthousepoole.co.uk or you can search info@lighthousepoole.co.uk.
The address is 21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1UPG and the telephone number is 01202 280000.
Rating: 5/5.
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts are always a delight to attend; they give a weekly programme of concerts from October to May each year at Lighthouse Poole, so I recommend looking at their programme and choosing a concert that suits your musical taste. Digital tickets are also available for many of their concerts, providing another way to enjoy classical music. Check out bsolive.com for details.