Leipzig: Lovely Music and People

I have had the most wonderful time in Leipzig! Not only did I get to enjoy the BachFest with a dear friend of mine, Travis Whaley, but I also got to meet a Blüthner family member. What a week!

Leipzig University Library 

Courthouse

From the Beginning

When I first arrived in Leipzig, I was sad to leave my new friends from the TAP-YTL program; however, after meeting my (yet another) lovely hostess, Myriam, I immediately felt welcomed. My room was a part of a cozy apartment (which I had all to myself for the most part), including a kitchen and bathroom. The best part of it all was not the location (although that was pretty good), but Myriam said all the tea was free! Obviously, I took advantage of this. Many nights consisted of an episode of Golden Girls (all episodes now on YouTube) with a hot cup of black tea.

Room in Leipzig 

           At one point, I needed to iron a few outfits and Myriam, of course, welcomed me into her own private apartment to use her iron. While I ironed my dress and blouse, Myriam talked about what Leipzig was like in the DDR/GDR (under Soviet Russia’s rule). It has taken a long time for Leipzig to return to the beautiful condition it now is today. Myriam showed me many pictures where the buildings were grey with soot and crumbling. Again, she was a great hostess!

New Townhall

BachFest

Before Travis joined me for the weekend, I attended a few concerts, including my favorite concert which was the Gewandhausorchestra at the Gewandhaus. I got to dress all fancy (which I love) and it was looking to be a nice evening….until the huge downpour an hour before the concert. By the time I arrived at the Gewandhaus, my bottom half was completely soaked and I was not so classy in my NorthFace rain jacket and multi-colored umbrella. I still had a wonderful evening! The program included Strauss’ “Die Rosenkavalier” and Shostakovich’s Suite No. 10. It may be the best orchestra concert I have attended so far in my life…or maybe I was just really excited about it. I also got to hear several of Bach’s works in the St. Thomaskirche (church where he worked) on a replica of the original organ.

St. Thomas Church

        I also went on a five-hour tour to two local churches, complete with concerts on their famous organs. Before the tour, I met some Texans at breakfast, and during the tour, I met more Americans! It was so refreshing and comforting! Remember how I mentioned that Germans don’t smile at you (when you’re a stranger)? Well, this couple both locked eyes and smiled at me as they walked by. “Excuse me, are you Americans,” I asked. Of course, they were! I told them that smiling was a dead giveaway. They laughed and then asked me questions about my trip…they had eavesdropped on my conversation on the bus. Such a nice couple!

Gewandhaus Orchestra

When Travis arrived, we attended a total of three concerts and had an overall blast! We even got a tour of the Bach Museum where Travis was all excited about the original manuscripts of Bach’s work. I was more excited about the pipes that played music when you touched them. To each their own! I don’t think Travis and I ever stopped talking except for during concerts. The only downside was, he left too early! One night, we even watched Pride & Prejudice while he edited his German paper. True friends!

Organ at St. Nikolaikirche

Blüthner Tour

Today, I had the honor of touring the Blüthner piano factory and meeting Christian Blüthner-Haessler. Kristina Richards was gracious enough to hop off a plane from her sailing trip that morning to give me a private tour of the factory in English. We also discussed what it was like for the company after World War II being in the DDR (GDR). Details of this discussion, along with the production process and “green” initiatives will soon be on a “Blüthner” page. After the tour, I was allowed some time to play on several Blüthner pianos. Although my memory is rusty, I still managed to get through parts of my Rachmaninoff piece. It was an awesome feeling knowing that Rachmaninoff owned and composed on a Blüthner piano. I actually quite enjoyed the sound, crisp but still warm, and was able to get some power out of it even without recent practice. I just had to play on the mahogany because that is my ultimate dream piano.

Got to test some out! 

         Afterward, Kristina and I met with Christian Blüthner-Haessler to discuss more of the sustainable characteristics of the factory. This conversation was amazing! We discussed much more than the factory…topics ranging from hormones in animals we eat (illegal in Germany) to why Texas’ power grid is great (sinus waves?). Regardless, it was a great conversation and I enjoyed meeting some piano manufacturing royalty.

Where To?

Now, I’m in Dresden for two whole weeks (the longest I’ll be in one city). So many things to look forward to! Charlie will be visiting me for a few days, I’ll get to see the Frauenkirche, tour the opera house, and see a ballet! What piano factory is near Dresden? Bechstein!