New Year’s Eve music

Violinist Joshua Bell was the guest at the New York Phiharmonic’s New Year’s Eve concert this year at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. Lorin Maazal conducted the orchestra and soprano Renee Fleming hosted the broadcast.

In a release, “Live From Lincoln Center,” I learned that Bell came to national attention at the age of 14, in a highly acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Many years later, he is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra leader.

In several arrangements for violin and orchestra, featured were Kreisler’s “Liabesleid,” Saint-Saen’s introduction and Rondo Cariccioso, Ravel’s “Tzigane,” Ponce’s “Estrellita,” and Tchaikowsky’s “None But the Lonely Heart.” The orchestra also performed Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Ravel’s “Bolero,” Bizet’s “Farandole” and selections from Tschiakovsky’s “Swan Lake.”

Joshua Bell is one of the most highly recognized classical musicians performing today. He won the coveted Avery Fisher Prize, and was named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People. At intermission, Renee Fleming interviewed the violinist. He has played in prominent European concerts also.

It was a wonderful concert.

New Year’s Day music

The annual New Year’s Day concert with the Vienna Philharmonic in Musicverein Hall was another evening not to be missed.

We watched the concert on TV, too, with great interest. It was broadcast to millions of viewers in 54 countries. The conductor, Georges Pretre, was the first Frenchman to lead the annual concert since it began in 1939. He was such fun to watch, often smiling at certain passages, and nodding his head in rhythm.

There were many Strauss waltzes played. The final numbers were Johann Strauss Jr.’s famous “Blue Danube” waltz, and his father’s clap-along “Radetzky March,” followed by a three-minute standing ovation. We hear the “Radetzky March” each year on this program, and we at home clap, too, as the audience always does, throughout the playing of that march.

Austria’s famous Lipizzaner horses marched in, in line, and in one of the numbers a rider stood beside his horse as his animal gracefully danced to the music. The other horses and riders soon joined the first horse and rider. These horses are trained to perform and are world-famous.

A group of acrobatic dancers performed, dancing outdoors on the steps of the building and on the lawn out front. They turned somersaults, crawled, jumped, all to the music the orchestra was playing. It was a very active group.

A young, graceful couple danced together in the hallway during the “Blue Danube” waltz. She wore a lovely, long, black, full skirt, which flowed as she danced; he wore a dark suit.

The camera often showed us the interior of the hall, with its crystal chandeliers and beautiful decorations on the walls. We also saw several of the orchestra players.

Walter Cronkite was the narrator again, as he has been for many years, and it was good to see him back. It was another beautiful musical program,

Up to par

We read in the Jan. 3 Boston Herald quite an article from Brisbane, Australia, about a python (non-venomous) which mistook four golf balls for chicken eggs. The snake had to undergo emergency surgery to free the obstructions.

A New South Wales couple had placed the golf balls in their chicken coop to encourage their hens to nest, the Australian Associated Press reported. The balls were actually meant to fool chickens, not the snake.

The balls disappeared, and the couple found the lumpy-looking carpet python nearby. They took the 32-inch snake to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, nearby, where it was operated on to remove the balls from its intestine.

The veterinarian said the python was making a speedy recovery. “If the snake hadn’t been found, it would have died, for sure,” he said.

Soup for lunch

Today’s recipe is from the cookbook “A Taste of Hallowell,” 1992, submitted by Debbie Webber, Old South Church.

CHEESY BROCCOLI SOUP

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

1 cup grated American cheese

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli (or equal amount of fresh)

In a 3-quart saucepan, cook onion in butter until tender. Blend in the flour, salt and pepper. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened. Add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

In another pan, dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water. Add broccoli; cover and cook until tender. Add broccoli and cooling liquid to cheese mixture. Heat through. Do not boil.

Ramblings