For Ms. Schmick's Class!

Hey everyone, this is Lucas! My mom and dad put these pictures up for you all to see more of what we have been doing in Austria. I hope you find them interesting. 

VERY IMPORTANT: CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO MAKE THEM BIGGER!!

This is the plane we took from Boston to Switzerland. We flew overnight over the Atlantic Ocean and landed the next morning in Switzerland.

 This is my brother Ben and me, after the first flight, waiting for the second one to Vienna. We were SO TIRED!

 This is us after a nap, feeling much better!

 This is the view from the apartment where Mozart lived. He was a great composer. He wrote a very famous opera here, called The Marriage of Figaro.

 Ben and me at the Mozart House. I am listening to some of his music on the guide they give you for when you walk around the museum. It was cool. We saw parts of his opera, The Magic Flute. Some of it is very funny!

 This is where we live. We live on the 5th floor.

 We went to a Hunters Festival in the mountians. I got to shoot a little crossbow. I hit the bullseye!

 Me and the  crossbow guy.

This is the fortress castle in Salzburg. It's like a big, walled city up there.

 We went into an ice cave inside a mountain called Dachstein. There is a glacier on top of the ice cave. A glacier is a river of ice!

This is the view from the opening to the cave.

 This is a very old town called Halstatt. It is the home to one of the oldest civilizations in Europe. They found people frozen in the ice from almost 10,00 years ago.

 Hallstatt. At the bottom of the picture you can see a swan! He lives on the lake.

 Halstatt.

Halstatt. A house from the year 1569. It has a pear tree growing into it.

Vienna was the home of great composers. This plaque says that this was the house that Ludwig Van Beethoven died in, in 1827.

 Ben and I up in the castle in Salzburg.

 More of the castle.

 Me playing on cannonballs. They aren't loaded!

 Mom, Ben and I on top of mountain called Feuerkogel. Ben got head butted by a cow he tried to pet on the way down the mountain. It was really funny!

 The whole family.

 Me in front of the Natural History museum.

 The Mozart Memorial. I'm pretending to play the piano that is part of the statue!

 The Beethoven Memorial. He looks mad in every statue!

 Inside the Natural History Museum. DINOSAUERS!

 At a concert.

 On the street where Mozart lived, from 1781-1785. It still looks the same.

 The back of the Stephansdom. Stephansdon means Stephan's Cathedral.

 A view of the St. Michael's Church

 A french fry machine! We didn't try them.

 The Abbey (that's where monks lived) in Melk. Melk is about an hour from Vienna on the train.

 The inside courtyard of the Melk Abbey.

 The library. It was huge like Hogwarts! I don't know how they got to the books on the top shelf!

 See what I mean?

 The main church of the Abbey.

 A view of the roof of the church. It is built in the Baroque style. Very fancy with lots of ornamentation.

 The Abbey as seen from the Danube river.

 This are what some apartment buildings look like in Vienna. This was built in the 1890's.

Another view of the building.

 Us, waiting to see the Lippizaner horses of the Spanish Riding school. They were beautiful.

 This is another apartment house in Vienna. It was built by a famous artist named Friedrich Hundertwasser. It looks like a fairy tale.

Another view.

 The inside of the Stephansdom. It is really, really big. The catacombs, where all the bones are stacked in rooms, are underneath.

 A gargoyle. Don't stand under it when it rains. The rainwater comes down through its mouth!

My dad, my Aunt Dana, my brother and I at Schonbrünn, the summer palace of the Austrian Kaisers. 

 Cool statues.

 Golden turtles.

 A view of the whole palace and the grounds,

 Me at one of the many fountains and sculptures.

 This is the Glorietta, and is way up a hill from the palace.

 This is the palace, looking down from the Glorietta.

 Another view.

 That is the Imperial Box, where the Kaiser sat when he came to watch the horses.

 One of the Lippizaner horses. They were so pretty.

Another picture of the horse.

 My favorite place in Vienna. Der Mann! A great place to eat...

 Topfenbällchen! That means "little custard doughnuts", in German. I love them!

 Me in front of one of the many Art Museums. These buildings are really big!!

 The Butterfly House. You can walk inside with the butterflies. If you stand still, sometimes they land on you.

 A viennese police car.

A model of the Stephansdom.

The tower. I climbed up it! 372 steps. Whew!! A that's not the whole way up to the top!

The side of the Stephansdom.

Me in front of the Mozart house. Thanks for looking at my pictures. Bye!

Bruckner 9th Concert Review/ Thoughts about Conducting

 1. From my seat. Row 1, Seat 1. It wasn't as good as it looks. I spent a lot of time looking at the shoes of the viola section, 5 feet in front of me... I didn't have a lot of options at the time of purchase.

 2. View from the back, during intermission.

3. Franz Welser-Möst taking a solo bow on an empty stage, called back long after the orchestra has left. The ultimate sign of respect from the audience.

This concert was to be the Mahler 9th with Esa-Pekka Salonen. Franz Welser-Möst stepped in as a replcement with this program.

October 19, 2010

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Musikverein

Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D minor

For the first time since I have been here, the Vienna Philharmonic played like the world-class group they are supposed to be. Their performances have ranged disappointing (with Dudamel) and pretty good With Harnoncourt) in previous concerts. However, this night, they played beyond reproach. One might wish for a different tone quality, balance, articulation, or any number of personal touches, but one could not fault them for what they did. This was how a great orchestra plays... their way, doing music they feel they own. So, enough about them. They were very, very good. Inspired, actually.

The question of the night is the conductor, Franz Welser-Möst, who is the Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra, and more importantly in this case, the new Music Director of the Vienna State Opera, from which the musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic are selected. Whether his position as their new music director had any influence on how they played this night is disputable, maybe they just love Bruckner. Maybe it's a little of both.

Franz Welser-Möst has two major drawbacks in my mind. Both are clearly unfair to him... First, he bears an uncanny resemblance to the great comedian, singer and actor, Danny Kaye. If you have ever seen Danny Kaye conduct it is not an image you can rid yourself of easily. He had very successful second career as comedic conductor, and actually had better skills than many professional stick wavers. (If you haven't seem him, go to YouTube right now...), . He is just too funny. On the other hand, no one would accuse FW-M of being funny. So that's a problem for me. Secondly, he has been given the nickname by orchestra members in the USA and England, where he had a troubled tenure in front of the Lodon Philharmonic, of "Frankly Worse Than Most". The nickname is just too clever, and will stick with him forever in my mind.

My first experience of hm was when I saw a video of him conducting the Cleveland Orchestra in the Bruckner 5th, from the Cathedral in Linz, Bruckner's hometown, and the church under which he lies in a crypt. In the interviews on the DVD, FW(T)-M spoke quite eloquently about Bruckner. FW-M is also from Linz. It is clear he is totally committed to his music. However, watching the DVD, I felt it was the dullest, most mundane, uninspired performance I had ever heard. I didn't get it at all. He seemed, and the orchestra played, uninvolved. It was a huge disappointment. Of all major conductors in the world today, it is safe to say that FW-M has the widest gulf of opinion between those who admire him, and those who revile him.

As a result of all that, I came to this concert hoping against hope, having no idea what to expect. I must say at this concert, in many ways, I was very impressed. He does so much that I like in a conductor. He does not flail around like Bernstein and make the music and the concert become about him. I have always preferred conductors with a bit of stoicism, and reserve. Karajan and Haitink come to mind as examples of conductors who are clearly emotionally involved in the music, but not to the point that their personal experiences distract from the music. European conductors, especially those from Austria and Germany, tend to let the music speak for itself. American conductors, on the other hand, cue too much, beat their patterns too much, and generally don't display trust in either the musicians or the audiences. Now, I am not saying that is a fault. There are historical and practical reasons that Americans conduct the way they do. However, at the highest levels of music making, I don't want a traffic cop on the podium. As a student in Cleveland in the late 70s , I watched Lorin Maazel as the music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, and never warmed to that type of conductor.

Herbert Von Karajan is the exaggeration of the idea of the Germanic conductor. In the 15 or so concerts I saw him conduct live, I can remember him giving one instrumental cue... After 25 years in front of the same group of fabulous players, cues really weren't necessary. He said once, "the longer you work with an orchestra, the more difficult it is to make improvements. It's like mountain climbing, the higher you go, the thinner the air, and the more exhausting every step is", or something to that effect. American conductors are never given that luxury of working with the same group for such a long time. It's just not how things work here anymore...

Back to FW-M. Musically, I had very little argument with anything he did. He has a calm presence on the podium, His tempi are generally faster than I prefer, but he does a wonderful job of allowing the music to unfold by itself, not "oversteering" as it were, every few bars. Many, many conductors can't leave well enough alone. Not FW-M. Throughout the Wagner and Bruckner there was a steadiness that was admirable.

However, and this is a big however, he never let a big moment or climax truly happen. He seemed so unrelenting, that when the time came for the pay off, he seemed to already be moving on to the next section. All the steady buildup was wasted, in a manner of speaking. This is what the great ones: Karajan, Haintink, Abbado, Rattle (though he does misfire at times...) Solti, etc, never miss. The payoff. No matter how differently they may reach the goal, the goal is achieved. For me, FW-M misses many of the goals. Nothing felt accomplished, regardless of the quality of the journey up to that point. It was so bewildering, so disturbing that I was at times asking myself if he really understood the structure of the music he was conducting. Not the feeling you want to have at the end of a 20 minute movement of a Bruckner symphony.

For this reason, the Scherzo of the Bruckner was the best moment of the night. It is unrelenting. It never gives in. It is a manic, frightening whirlwind; one of the scariest things Bruckner (or anyone for that matter) ever wrote. FW-M nailed it.

Conversely the most disappointing moments were the climaxes of the 1st and 3rd movements. In each case, if he would have let his hand off of the throttle, just a touch, the results would have been overwhelming. Great Bruckner conductors: Karajan, Daniel Barenboin and Günther Wand do this. They know how to pace the great Bruckner codas. Franz Welser-Möst it seems, doesn't. It seems the Franz Welser-Möst is going to have a long career in front of great orchestras. I hope he displays some growth. It would be a shame if he remains the conductor he is in the music I love.

Not to end on a negative note, I'd like to close by praising the horns. The Bruckner 9th ends with a great Adagio. Bruckner didn't live to finish the symphony. The coda of this lovely movement asks much of the horns, and even though it ends without a finale, the piece clocks in at about an hour. The Vienna horns gave everything throughout the piece, coloring the orchestra with broad, golden brushstrokes. As the Adagio settles into its final elegaic moments the horns are asked to play very difficult soft, high and sustained passages... the last thing as a player that you want to do at the end of a long blow. The Vienna horn section played those final, delicate passages beautifully; with confidence, wonderful control, and no sense of struggle. Even though I wish FW-M had stretched out the final passages, it was still a beautiful, memorable moment. 

4. Franz Welser-Möst

5. Danny Kaye

Bach B minor Mass Concert Review

It is hard for me to imagine a better concert than the one Marisa and I attended on Saturday night:

Bach: b-minor Mass


Concentus Musicus Wien
Arnold Schoenberg Chor
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor


Genia Kühmeier, s
Elisabeth von Magnus, s
Bernarda Fink, a
Michael Schade, t
Florian Boesch, b

First of all, no pics. I forgot my camera. My bad...

Anyways, the b minor is one of those pieces that I don't listen to very often, but is on my mental list of most important pieces in my life (others would be be the Bach St. Matthew Passion, Goldberg Variations, Mahler 9th and 6th, a couple of Wagner operas, and all the late Bruckner Symphonies....). As I was listening to it I was taken back to my college days, when we had the B-W Bach Festival every May. My senior year, we played the b minor, and I got to sit next to one of my teachers, Mrs. Mary Squire, one of the greatest piccolo trumpet players I ever got to hear, or sit next to. That was 30 years ago last May. She has since passed, but my memory of her and that concert is strong.

This concert, which took place in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, was in many ways the summing up of a great career. Nikolaus Harnoncourt is now 80 years young, and is one of the most important figures in the entire "original instrument" approach to Bach. He has had a fundamental influence on how all musicians approach the pre-classical periods, and especially the music of the Baroque. He was, in 1953, both a founding member and leader of the Concentus Musicus. The idea behind the "movement" (as it certainly would be called) was to "as nearly as possible" try to recreate the intention and sounds of the time, by playing on historically correct instruments - valveless brass, woodwinds on older key systems, strings on gut strings, etc,  and a lower "A", (basically a semitone lower).

(If you want to hear what the differences are go listen on iTunes and sample the recordings of the opening chorus of the St. Matthew Passion or the B minor Mass, by two conductors: Herbert Von Karajan and then Nikolaus Harnoncourt. It will take about 2 seconds for all to become clear.)

It was all very controversial at the beginning and debate continues as to how much we can really know what the conditions were at the time, what the pitch was, and most importantly, in terms of style and interpretation, how fast and slow things were... yet, this new approach has changed the way any informed musician looks at Bach, whether playing a modern or historical instrument.

Since the year of their founding, the skills of musicians have developed tremendously. In some cities (like here in Vienna) there are musicians whose sole career path is by way of the original instrument movement. Many cities have musicians who bounce happily between both modern and historical.

What Marisa and I found so remarkable at this concert was how none of it mattered. It was simply beautiful. Convincing, and beautiful.

The Arnold Schoenberg Choir is a miracle of pure, clear, in tune singing. Beautiful chords, perfectly in tune, with no vibrato to cloud the clarity of the harmony. Each soloist matched their purity.

The orchestra was wonderful. The string sound was rich, dark hued, and yet light. The winds perfectly perfectly in tune, even, and so expressive in their obbligato solos. Lastly, the trumpets were perfect.  They played as if creation itself depended on them (which as we all know, it does...), yet their volume never crowded out the choir.

Harnoncourt, 80 years old, looks as though he could continue to conduct for a long time. He stood throughout, showing no signs of trouble. He is a tall man and uses no podium. His conducting is clear, simple and unremarkable. The music he produces with his colleagues is anything but unremarkable. He must recognize how far he and his "movement" have come.

The Viennese have a reputation of waiting until an artist dies to begin to appreciate them: Mozart, Schubert, Mahler, and Bruckner are examples. However, their are many more examples of great musicians that Vienna loved and praised throughout their careers: Beethoven, Brahms, J. Strauss, the conductors Herbert Von Karajan and Carlos Kleiber. Nikolaus Harnoncourt belongs to the latter category.

At the beginning of most concerts in Vienna, the orchestra enters the stage together, one or two minutes before the "downbeat", to general applause. Then, if there is a choir, they come on stage, then vocal soloists. The conductor appears. As Harnoncourt walked quietly on stage to start the b minor Mass, the applause, having already been going on for 2 minutes as everyone on stage took their places, swelled like a giant wave, and remained at a peak for almost 60 seconds as he stood there facing us, the audience, bowing slightly every few seconds. No cheers, no bravos, no whistles, just steady, intense applause.

It was a remarkable thing to witness and to participate in. It was as if the hall was in no hurry for him to start the concert; not until he was given the deep respect of a music loving city.

A Visit to Schönbrunn with Dana

My sister Dana is here, with two friends from Florida. She is here for a week, until Friday. When she leaves, Marisa's mom, Ingrid (who was born in Vienna), sister Ula, husband Phil and two boys, Max and Fletch arrive for a week as well. Whew!!!

We have actually been putting off some of the more spectacular sites in Vienna until Dana got here; knowing we were going to seen them with her. Schönbrunn Palace, the summer getaway of the Hapsburg is one of those places.

Situated on what once was the outskirts of Vienna, this is a complex purposely intended to rival the summer palaces of the French kings, Versailles. It is really stunning. We took a tour of the Imperial living quarters. They are really impressive and interesting, but I have a hard time swallowing all the wealth and luxury given to one family. I guess it's the natural born republican (small "r"...) blood flowing though my veins. It really bothers me. I get the same feeling in many of the ornate churches one can visit, but at least in the churches the average citizen could set foot and gain some spiritual (and physical) warmth. Royalty just pisses me off.

HOWEVER, I do love history and architecture, so I get over it. Schönbrunn (beautiful fountain, in German) has a lot of both... The ornate and sculptured gardens are in the classical French style, meaning unnaturally sculpted, but still, they are wonderful for walking. The entire area served as a hunting grounds as well, so there are large forested areas with walking paths. The reals highlights of the entire area are the palace living quarters; the Glorietta, a kind of open, pillared gallery at the top of a large, open hill; and the many fountains, obelisks and other sculptures though out the park.

Nowadays, Schönbrunn is a tourist haven, and a great parks for anyone to enjoy. I hope you like the pictures. As always, don't forget to click on the picture to enlarge them of better viewing... Thanks for stopping by....

 1. Ben, having fun with perspective.

 2. Lucas, doing the same... poor photography skills on my part, though.

 3. The open square in front of the Palace.

 4. The obelisk fountain.

 5. Close up.

 6. Fake Roman ruins.

 7. Me and Dana.

8. Lucas and Dana's friend Karen, up on the Neptune fountains.

 9. The Neptune fountains.

10. Looking back at the Palace from behind the Neptunbrunnen.

11. More of the same.

 12. Ben

 13. The Palace, from the top of the Glorietta.

 14. The Glorietta. On a less foggy, cloudy, smoggy day, it has one of the best views of all Vienna. However, as Hannibal Lecter said to Agent Starling, ..."but not today..."

15. The Glorietta, the Neptunebrunnen, from the Palace viewpoint. See #13 to get the opposite view.

Mad Austrian Cow

Last August we visited the cousins n the Austrian mountains. We took a hike to the top of Feuerkogel, a very pretty peak.... There were cows everywhere. Ben wanted to pet on. It wasn't a good idea...

Helloooooo! It's been a while!

Hey everyone! We have been very busy, with lots of different activities. I don't know why I am posting all this. Half of the people who read this are family members and they are all gonna be here in the next two weeks!

Here are some pictures of what we've been up to. Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge them.

1. Everyone having fun on a walk near Mozart's house.

 2. The back of the Stefansdom.

 3. The Konzerthaus. We saw a Berlin Orchestra there, plus a great jazz concert. We see Bryn Terfel there in November.

 4. Our spot in the Musikverein for the Vienna Phil doing My Country, by Smetana. I love that piece... Most of you might know the Moldau, which is one of the movenments.

 5. The Michaelerkirche, from a distance.

 6. Yep, that's is a french fry machine. Nope, we didn't.

 7. The Benedictine Abbey in Melk. One of the most beautiful buildings in Europe.

 8. The Abbey Library.

 9. The Main Alter in the Abbey Church.

 10. The view from the courtyard of the church.

 11. Pretty family.

 12. The Abbey, as seen from the Danube below.

 13. One of our favorite U-Bahn stations. It lets you out in the middle of one of Vienna prettiest parks.

 14. Me and Ben on a stroll in the Innere Stadt.

 15. Me and Lucas.

 16. After a concert. I was onstage chatting with some trumpeters and realized that the hall was completely empty. Great pic...

17. The Kathi, Fannie (Bernadette's baby) and Nikolaus and Laura.

18. Kathi and Fannie....

 19. Laura and Fannie

 20. Raphael giving his mama a birthday hug.

 21. The boys and Nikolaus, Laura and Raphael playing.

22. Raphael and his Opi Leopold. They are very sweet together.

23. The Karlskirche at night, walking home after a concert.