A Visit from an Old Friend & a Trip to Schönbrunn
When I sang with the Robert Page Festival singers in Budapest and Vienna two summers ago, I befriended our tour guide, Ondra. Ondra is from the Czech Republic, and at the end of our tour in 2008, he gave me his card and told me that if I ever came back to Europe, I should contact him. Well, two years later, I still had his card in my wallet, and I gave him a call. It just so happened that he was in Vienna this past weekend with a tour group! It was so nice to see a familiar face after spending so much time on my own over the past two weeks. On Saturday, Ondra and I went to Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer home of the royal family Habsburg. The grounds are just gorgeous (as you can see from the photos), and they are free and open to the public. Schönbrunn is also the home of the world's oldest zoo! It's so amazing to see people reading in the grass or going for a jog in such a remarkable environment. I'm so looking forward to Christmastime, when Schönbrunn sets up their Christmas market. Take a look here!
Another Exciting Night at the Opera
On Sunday, I met Ondra again for tea in the afternoon, and then we said our farewells in front of the opera house before my coaching with David. I had my second coaching that evening, which went very well. Afterwards, David asked me if I'd be interested in seeing some of La Bohème again. Of course I was! So, after my coaching, David had to run to rehearse with the principals. In the meantime, I went down to the Opera House Kantine for a quick bite to eat. It was exciting to sit and observe everyone around me in the Cafe, knowing that they were all somehow associated with the Staatsoper. After his rehearsal, David came down to get me. At this point, I still didn't really know what was happening, as it was all pretty hectic before the start of the performance. Finally, David led me down a narrow hallway, and just said, "Ok, open that door", so I did, and there I was: in the wing of the Staatsoper stage, right next to the orchestra pit. I watched the first act of the opera there by myself. It was thrilling! I loved seeing the artists' faces so closely - though I have to say that the poor tenor looked like he was about to jump off a bridge before his high C in "Che gelida manina"! Other than the Mimì and Schaunard, it was an entirely different cast from the performance I saw in the standing seats, so of course it was interesting hearing new voices in the house. I was so inspired by Mimì's performance, and she barely finished her aria when a chorus of "Brava"s came from the audience. It gave me chills!
A Night Walk along the Danube and "Flashdance" auf Deutsch!
On Monday, Jay and I met in front of the opera house and walked to his apartment along the Danube. It was a bit chilly, but a beautiful walk nonetheless. I tried to get the gorgeous view in the photo above behind us, but it was tough to capture on camera. Jay is being hosted by a bachelor who lives in a gorgeous 100 year old apartment building in the city. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to meet him, but I DID get to take a picture of this hilarious toilet! Also, in Austria, the toilet is in a separate room from the rest of the bathroom (i.e. sink, bathtub, shower). Just another interesting cultural difference. Jay's host has a projector for watching movies, and for some reason he owns "Flashdance" in German, so that's how we spent our Monday evening!
And finally, a night with Cecilia Bartoli
Last night, Jay and I went to the Theater an der Wien, another opera house just a short walk from the Staatsoper, to get standing room tickets for Handel's Semele. I hadn't even heard of this company, but there are some big names performing there this season, beginning with Cecilia Bartoli. (Check out the season here.) It's almost overwhelming, how many opportunities I have to see incredible musical performances in Vienna. I feel so lucky!
Unfortunately, Jay and I seem to have bad luck with standing room. The space was very limited in the theater, as it's much smaller than the Staatsoper. We were fortunate to stand next to a lovely older couple, who let us share their space. It was still fairly difficult to see, especially when the performers were upstage. I must say that I wasn't so impressed with Ms. Bartoli. She was very difficult to hear, and her diction was...well...let's just say it didn't seem to matter to her what language she was singing in! It was still exciting to see an international opera star in such a close space, though. And for only seven Euro, I can't complain!
Whew, well that's what I've been up to these past few days. The weather here is gorgeous this week, sunny and 70 every day, so I'm going to take full advantage and maybe even venture out on my bike!
Will be writing again soon!
Amanda
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