Casperworld Forum

gosh, what a contrast... arrived here in Wien and was greeted by a friendly and handsome Austrian guy who sold me a ticket for the city express train and gave me a map... the hotel is clean, very nicey decorated and maintained and has a nice little bar/restaurant in it.

Contrast that to my first French hotel which was overly warm, shabby, noisy and with a closed restaurant and bar...

I've remembered again why I like travelling in Germanic countries.

Seeing the Vienna Boys' Choir later today, I hope.

The concert was billed as the Vienna Boys' Choir Friday afternoon concert in the MuTh Concert Hall. The venue itself is purpose built for the Vienna Boys' Choir as both a rehearsal and performance space, and was opened in December 2012. It is conveniently located on the corner of the Augarten park which is not a long walk from the city centre but is also near the Taborstrasse Ubahn. The concert auditorium has a main seating area and a smaller upper seating area, with the main seating area split into three with a seat in the second row of the left wing costing me €54. The ushers are particularly fussy about what you take into the auditorium, I was not allowed to take my coat, or a drink in. Filming, photography and sound recording is not allowed. The were a surprising number of empty seats so I would say the place was probably 3/4 full.

The concert started with the boys singing Gaudete as they walked onto the stage passing down the two isles in the main auditorium. The director then came on stage to give a short introduction before handing over to the flamboyant choirmaster and conductor, Manolo Cagnin. There then followed two subdued pieces which were nicely sung but forgettable. The subsequent Motettes were more stirring and equally well sung and showed the range and discipline of the choir well.

The music then shifted direction to more contemporary pieces and included Pie Jesu and Amazing Grace with a very good soloist. The lonely goatherd had some lovely yodelling and the first half then finished with a Medley from Sister Act. The upbeat pieces chosen had me leaving the auditorium for my intermission glass of wine in a good mood.

The second half featured the Camerata Schulz Orchestra with the boys now further back on stage. The opening piece of the half was 'Dir, Seele des Weltalls' followed by 'Omnes de Saba venient' which featured a young soloist with a fantastic voice, who deservedly got a standing ovation, he was then joined at the front by a second singer for the next piece. The fourth song of the evening is fairly familiar ground, Ave Maria. The soloist was very good, and based on the "Bravo Pauli!" shouted by a member of the audience at the end, I would guess his name is Pauli! I would however say that, having just heard Cosme from PCF sing this three times last weekend, Cosme's version is superior in every way. The programme concluded with Polkas, Waltzes including 'An der Schoenen blauen Donau' and two encores.

My personal opinion of the second half was that although it made for a more complete concert, showing the ability of the boys married to an orchestra, I did feel that I could quite easily have done without the orchestra at all. In some sections the boys singing was drowned out by the orchestra and I had after all paid to hear the Vienna Boys' Choir, not the Camerata Schulz. All in all it was an enjoyable concert but, perhaps because it didn't feel so personal or interactive, not as good as the concerts of the Petits Chanteurs de France. I can't deny their technical ability as a choir, that was indeed excellent, but the Petits Chanteurs sounded like they were enjoying the singing more and it was that enjoyment and playfulness that made the difference over this concert.

That said, if you find yourself in Vienna on a Friday afternoon, I would recommend that you get yourself a ticket to hear the Vienna Boys' Choir as it is certainly worth experiencing.

A museum, some sightseeing, a rugby match, a 7 course meal, a night of indigestion and a Catholic mass later...

It's the boy on the far left who had the standout voice at Friday's concert.

Et voila!