美國紐約 (舊聞回顧) - 2011年維也納愛樂新年音樂會的指揮佛朗茨‧威瑟-莫斯特，在2006年接受訪問時表示，若樂團能把約翰史特勞斯作品的維也納風格掌握好，那麼就能演奏好任何曲目。
威瑟-莫斯特是在2006年帶領克利夫蘭樂團赴紐約卡耐基音樂廳首次登台前，接受美國公共電視網節目Great Performance時發表這些看法的。
他還表示指揮聽上去很容易的音樂其實才是最難，還提到華格納和布拉姆斯在生時常常稱讚約翰施特勞斯的音樂，並沒有｢歧視」這種輕音樂。
威瑟-莫斯特是現任維也納國立歌劇院藝術總監，克利夫蘭樂團首席指揮，在今年年初獲維也納愛樂選為2011年維也納愛樂新年音樂會指揮。
(下附訪問相關內容節錄
GP: Great Performance 記者
FW-M: 威瑟-莫斯特)
GP: Can you provide an example of how your rapport with the orchestra improved?
FW-M: Music that sounds easy is often the hardest. On my second visit to Cleveland [as a guest conductor], I did Johann Strauss with them. They played the "Fledermaus" Overture technically very well, but the tiny little rubatos that are part of the music, they just were not used to. It took us some time, but now they play a sensational "Fledermaus." Now they know this Viennese style, how to play a dotted note, how to hurry the second beat [of a waltz]. You can say that Johann Strauss is only a tiny part of the repertoire, but if an orchestra can play this repertoire well, play it idiomatically, it can play anything. I've done this overture with other orchestras in this country, including one of the most famous. There was a young percussionist at that one who played the snare drum in the "Fledermaus" Overture. He was as white as the wall just before the concert. He was so nervous about how to play it, even though I had explained it over and over again. You can't learn something like that in two days.
GP: On regular concerts by the Cleveland Orchestra, you have often included works by Johann Strauss, a composer most American ensembles confine solely to pops programs. You seem quite comfortable putting so-called "light" music alongside works by Mozart and Mahler.
FW-M: In Bach's time or Mozart's time, that distinction between pop music and serious music didn't really exist. And when Wagner and Brahms talked about Johann Strauss, they were full of praise and admiration. They didn't look down on him. I don't think anything can be said against a good tune. This is great music, refined, wonderfully crafted music, but it must be played very well. Otherwise, it sounds cheap.
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