The annual
Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert, a big splash by Austrian standards, makes for entertaining listening either for its intended purpose or just for any listener looking for a collection of Viennese waltzes and polkas, with the various generations of the
Strauss family heavily represented. The program has a preponderance of old favorites, but also includes less familiar items such as
Eduard Strauss' Ohne Bremse (Without Brakes) and the Delirien (Delirium) waltz of Josef Strauss. The orchestra's style in this music tends to remain constant no matter who is at the helm, but conductor
Zubin Mehta imbues all the music with a lively zip. The booklet notes, translated from German into English, give a useful overview of how this central European phenomenon came into being and developed. Recommended to all waltz lovers.