A restless Schönbrunn Summer Night Concert

The setting was beautiful, but the overall impression was restlessness

Last night I watched with great anticipation the Vienna Philharmonic´s Summer Night Concert broadcast live from Vienna. The setting could not have been more beautiful: One of the world´s best - if not the best - orchestras, under the baton of the young, charismatic musical magician Gustavo Dudamel, playing in the UNESCO world heritage listed Schönbrunn palace gardens. 

It was nice to see several female musicians in the orchestra
 

And, of course, the Vienna Philharmonic never disappoints. This time it was also nice to see a few more ladies than previously in the orchestra. And it is always a joy to see the charismatic young maestro Dudamel in action. 

Gustavo Dudamel did his best to cheer up the audience

Sadly, though, something was missing on this beautiful viennese summer evening. There seemed to be too much of everything: The television director constantly switched from one moving or zooming camera to another, creating a restless general impression, added by the lights from the flashing spotlights installed all over in this enormous park. Often the director chose to add to the restlessness by showing people walking and talking, instead of listening to the music. The great Brian Large would not have done it this way. 


The uneasiness was also apparent in the "water ballet", which failed to light up Debussy´s rather boring La Mer. The Wiener Staatsoper´s fine dancers were not to be blamed for this; not even the best dancers can produce anything spectacular when the "floor" is covered by water.