Bloggen Ohne Worte

I have decided I do not give Mendellsohn enough credit, nor did I realise quite how involved he was with Leipzig, so I'm listening to his Lieder Ohne Worte as I write this, making my way from Leipzig to Weimar.

Leipzig has been just wonderful! I arrived on Saturday into this magnificently musical town. Following Julia's directions, I found myself wandering down RiemanstraBe (sorry about all these Bs, I can't do umlauts on this keyboard) and discovered her flat to be just the other side of the street from a huge neo-gothic church.Ringing the bell (of the flat), I was greeted at the door by Julia, a very friendly girl who took me in and had me sit down in this rather magnificent flat of hers while she made me some tea. I was feeling a little dopey, but not too bad - this intense travelling has left me in a rather permanent state of sleepiness - and so after chatting for a bit, I decide to let her get on with some work while I go into town.
To the Thomaskirche I went for the motette - the German version of evensong. Alas, it was not the local boys choir, oh if only!! But we had the Valparaiso University Choir from the USA doing bits of Bloch, Handel and finally one of Bach's Cantatas - as would be obligatory in the place Bach spent the majority of his working life and produced the most music. The service itself was alright, I did feel a little like Mr Bean as the vicar droned on and on and on in German, leaving me unsure whether to look the part I should nod in affirmation or shake my head with a look of "oh how terrible". And monotonous English is bad enough, when there's no change of pitch in a German voice except for a very gradual rise and fall, well it does become a touch soporiphic. Still, he eventually stopped and the choir broke into the cantata. Having finished that, some people filed out and quite a few stayed to mill around the church, myself included.
It was very pretty actually, with some impressive stained glass. One window I loved because the top looked like a pair of angel wings and the other, of course, has Bach on it.
The was also a large piece of brass set into the stone just before the altar. It was Bach's memorial. I felt rather touched by it, and then greatly angered by all the people around me who just seemed to walk up, take a photo, go again. Why can't they just take a moment, just take one short moment to reflect on the unimaginable influence this man has had on music. No Bach means no Beethoven, no Beethoven means no Romantics, no Romantics means no Wagner, lack of Wagner means slower development of orchestration, so no marching military bands as we know them, then that means no jazz, no jazz means no recording technology, no recording technology means no electronic instruments, meaning no rock and roll, nor pop. It matters not what one listens to, it all goes back to the roots! And these people just take a snap to show they've been there and leave! One despairs! And I bet there's no-one standing by the memorial for Pythagoras with the same sentiments, it was afterall his theories that gave birth to any harmony at all.
After calming oneself and smiling at the lovely statue they had erected of Bach outside, I proceeded to the Bach museum, the time now being much later than I had expected. Nevertheless, I'm assured that I should just about be able to get through it in the hour and a half before closing. And I did, but only with mere minutes to spare!


It was an impressive museum actually, I do rather wish that I had more time to savour it as there was just SO much to take in. Later in the evening I was asked "So what have you learnt about Bach?" and I could not answer! If that was for tiredness, the fact it was still filtering through my mind or if it was inebriation I know not, but I do feel I've come away feeling better acquainted with Bach and more familiar. It did appear to me that he was remarkably family-orientated, despite having so much family to orientate himself upon! It appeared he was very supportive of his musical sons, though of course we will never know if that was pushy parenting or gentle co-ersion, and also that he was an extremely astute business man, and a very good self-promoter. The number of noblemen and dignitaries he managed to ingratiate himself with was quite extraordinary actually, and the way he managed to keep himself in favour (and employ) with so many of them simultaneously, particularly when it involved holidaying with them. With I think it was either Leopold or August, he went to Karlsbad - now Karlovy Vary, where I shall be on Friday! That should be really interesting, there's a square where they've always had folk bands perfoming, I'd be interested to see if any of it managed to enter into Bach's music - similarly, I'll be curious to draw comparisons between them and Dvorak.

It did also have some very interesting sections on how an editorial is made from the original score - a very valuable bit of knowledge when choosing what to conduct. There's a lot of disparity between the composer's score and the parts that were issued to the orchestra, for example. One then needs to ascertain which should be the more trusted source (as Bach would have inevitably made changes during initial rehearsals) or to go with the composer's score as that is less likely to have been changed outside of Bach's authority. They have infact now got a method to see when the markings were written, using x-rays to analyse the ink, so maybe over the next five to ten years we will see extremely authoritative editorials being issued.

After almost being kicked out of the Bach museum, I wandered back to the flat. I sat down with Julia and Lea over a mug of tea and we chatted of this and that. I was interested to know, having heard that there was still somewhat an economical divide between East and West, if a cultural difference was still felt, seeing some comparisons perhaps to be drawn between the North and South of England, and apparently very much so, for now. If one looks at voting patterns, there's a general trend to the right in what was West Germany and to the left in what was East. But this, they tell me, is very much generational. The flat is made up of people born on both sides and one can only tell a very slight difference, just what was passed on from their parents. Typing this does make me rather feel I should watch Goodbye Lenin again, but they were saying that with the next generation, the difference will be negligable.

Very off-topic, but listening to these Lieder Ohne Worte, I've just noticed where Mahler got the theme for his 5th Symphony from!! Listen to the opening to Mahler's 5th, then listen to Lieder Ohne Worte, Book 5, op. 62 - Andante Maestoso. It's uncanny :)

So after some chats we went up to Jacob's flat for a barbecue on his balcony. I took on grilling responsibilities and we had lots of lovely food and a few beers while all of us having a good time. There was Julia, Lea, Jacob, Phillip and two of their flatmates from downstairs. Julia left us a little early to go and find a friend at this party we were going to later on as she hadn't seen her in ages and wanted to catch up. Lea, Jacob and I finished eating, cleared up and then went to a do being put on by the local music and arts students. It was formal, but not rigidly followed so we dressed stylishly but not fancily. Three floors, there were, each with their own band and music. We started at the ground floor where there was a big band doing lots of jazzy numbers which was great fun, and then the drama students did a dance display, doing lots of different styles, some of which was really impressive. Back to dancing, we're all having a good time and then the MC says something in German. I turn to the girl next to me and ask what he said. "Now they're going to do a slow waltz." - "Oh.." - "Ja.... You know how to waltz?"
Do I know how to waltz? Well, it's just in three, isn't it? Simple. Oh dear Fred, now look - any gentlemanly grace you had posessed you're now leaving all over the dancefloor with each bump into other pairs and general malcoordination. I must must MUST get dancing lessons, that's one thing I am now convinced of. I will join a dancing society at university. It is decided.

Next floor up was a bit funky, we walked in on them doing a rather original James Brown cover and it was fun but not terribly dancable, so another floor up we went for good beats and tunes. Danced for a while and then it was time to go, so we got on our bikes and cycled towards the outskirts of Leipzig. We cycled and cycled and cycled until we found ourselves in this abandoned industrial-age district with loads of abandoned warehouses and broad, deserted streets. Eminating from up a darkened alley somewhere nearby was the throb of bass and of people. After feeling our way around in the dimly lit roads, we happened across this outdoor party with lots of people, a large stereo and a couple of fires for people to stay warm around, as well as some dancing. It was such a friendly environment, and apparently the police just don't care! They warned the organisers last year that the streetfestival (it's an annual event) was getting a little too big to go unnoticed, so would they kindly scale it down this year so they can go on ignoring the fact it happens :) Thing is, the entire place is devoid of any residents, no-one's actually being affected by it, so no-one to press any charges nor make any complaints! And what's more is that the atmosphere is just so relaxed and friendly and open.During the daytime it's very family-orientated, Leipzig families take their children along for facepainting and bouncy castles and generally playful things, then in the evening all the students come out for a long long night out! We left to go home again at about 5ish, by which time the sun was almost up! Cycling back, I got to bed at twenty past five only to have to get up at half past nine. What sheer commitment this man has, limiting himself to four hours of sleep just so that he can go to the concert at the Gewandhaus for 11am! It was brilliant though, I had to get a ticket and just inside the door was a nice local lady selling her ticket because her husband couldn't come. Not knowing how many tickets were even left, I thought I couldn't leave it to chance and so for €15 I found myself once again directly behind the orchestra. This time, the programme consisted of Fauré, Poulenc and Berlioz!

Pelléas et Mélisande opened the concert, played absolutely wonderfully, it was just so delicately done, I really was transported somewhere else with that Fauré, and I was really rating the conductor, plus he did it without a score. Shame then that the Poulenc came around. I enjoyed the musical side of it, but again it's these dratted soloists who keep spoiling it. They were two sisters performing Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, one of whom was quite alright but the other was just ridiculously OTT. She screwed up her face at everyone when it was at a particularly dissonant/loud/fast section, and whenever she hit a loud chord, she sprang backwards and upwards into the air before landing on the stool again. Entirely superfluous, she's not gaining anything from playing like that and it's just very distracting. What's more is that the audience started sniggering at her!! And one could see why, she looked utterly ridiculous! What's more is that it wasn't forgivable eccentricity as it was all just so so insincere, all of her expressions and actions just meant nothing, and you could tell in her face it meant nothing to her either. I'm flummoxed as to how she hasn't been throttled by her sister yet, I could not bear to tour with such a person as who clasps her hands together to praise the orchestra with such blatant flamboyance and lack of feeling. Alas, this rubbed off onto the orchestra and conductor who began doing similar. By the Berlioz, everyone just started to think they were the absolute bloody best, the yardstick in music whilst trying to look hip. The leader kept rattling his head around as he played, the bassoonist was no different, it was more than a little cringeworthy. The sole saving grace was the fact that I love Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique so much after studying it in school. All it needed was the last two movements to send me out with a big smile on my face and energised for the day ahead!

To the Mendelssohn-Haus I went, and I must say what a great place it was. At first you're unsure whether it's actually open or not - which I think is just a German trait, they like to keep doors closed! - and then one goes through into what used to be his flat. I was greeted by a kindly woman who gave me student price and let me borrow some information in English. The first room I came to was his study, where I was rather touched to see that as he worked, he had a bust of Goethe and of Bach watching over him, two men he greatly admired.


In a ponderous mood, and thinking maybe I underestimated Mendelssohn, I listened to Lieder Ohne Worte as I strolled between there and the Schumann-Haus. Upon arrival it was a little embarrassing to have nothing by a €50 note for a €3 entry, but I got in. Really, I should have done it the other way around and seen Schumann first, it was much smaller, just three rooms, the rest having been handed over to a primary school. How inconsiderate that these children should want to be educated! What's more was that very little information was available in English, just a succinct summary in the leaflet they give you on the way in, no translations of what the various artefacts were, but they did do a lot on Clara Schumann as well, which was nice to see as she often gets overshadowed by Robert. But also there was very little about what happened to them AFTER Leipzig which was a little annoying. I think it's more of a chamber music venue with some niceities added on rather than an actual museum, really.
Walking back, my body realised it didn't actually need to stay awake anymore and so I staggered home, found the sofa and was brought a tea by my lovely host who took pity on me :) After a bit of recouperation we all headed out to the nearest bakery where I tried the local specialty, Leipziger Lerche - it's shortcrust pastry casing, shaped like a bun, then it's filled with a bit of jam at the bottom and lots of nutty loveliness filling it up, with a fair old amount of almond. It was looooooooooooovely! I tell you, Germany appears to me the absolute worst place to try and lose any weight, what with kuche und wurst und bier und schnitzel. I still haven't had saurkraut though, but it sounds horrible so I'm not in any great rush!

Back from our culinary adventure, we cooked up some supper and spent the evening just chilling out, all of us feeling a bit dopey after last night, particularly yours truly who had less than half the sleep to recover than anyone else!! Next morning brought my departure and I am now in Weimar, will probably try and take a daytrip to either Erfut or more likely Eisenach tomorrow. Via the hairdresser, there's a place here for €6 or something, though I might wait until Bayreuth where it might just be warmer with any luck, although even then that's only as far South as Cherbourg..