Musical Moments

We enjoyed many musical moments on our trip. This one is in Vienna, with a light program of Mozart and Strauss. Some were orchestral, and there were two fine opera singers. Duncan leaned over to me and commented "She's got a lovely pair of lungs". Even though we couldn't understand the words they drew us in to the songs just beautifully!

Some of the Strauss waltzes were performed in a demi-ballet fashion by these ballet dancers. I guess it made up for the room. Being a chamber music concert it was in a chamber but some of the Americans in our party were disappointed it wasn't in an opera house. Still, it had beautiful chandeliers.

We went to a huge wine cellar for a Hungarian Night in Budapest. A talented quartet, including a man on a clavier (like taking the felt hammers out of a piano) played a wide range of music including some soleful Hungarian tunes. Well they really have had a dreadful history. The soup and salad was nice but the main was very large - I couldn't finish my chocolate pancake for dessert.

As with a lot of these tourist performances there is the "get audience participation" sector. You'd really think that since Duncan volunteered me he would have had the camera ready. I'm moving so fast (and skilfully) that I'm just a blur!!

Another day, another country. Here we are in an Austrian Coach house, and a small orchestra and two dances with more Strauss. The audience participation was not me, but one of our cruise members who we called Elvis. Elvis is not dead. He is taking Avalon cruises and is always mucking the timetable about!

But the best musical adventures were in Prague. One night we went to a short Chamber Music Concert which featured some popular works - Mozart's Serenade in G major and Divertimento in D major, and then Dvorak Songs my Mother taught me, Humoreska, Largo from the new world and some Slavonic dances. They gave an encore of a Strauss waltz in pizzicato - is that the Chitchat? It was held in a Art Nouveau Chamber which was just lovely.

The real triumph was a night at the opera. Prague's Opera House was the only one not bombed in the war. They perform Operas or ballets there 5 nights a week. We saw Turandot. Our seats were in the front row middle. We leant over the balustrade to watch the orchestra of at least 70 come in - 5 double basses, 8 cellists, a harpist..... and right in front of us the viola players. The lead viola player had very bad BO, fortunately we couldn't smell it when we weren't leaning over the edge. Then the conductor arrived - he was obviously used to playing with the viola player, and enveloped us in a beautiful cologne. All this before the opera began!! The cast was at least 100, and it ran like clockwork - 40min act and twenty mins intermission. No clapping until the end of the act. Splendid sets and costumes. Fine singing - the chorus was a little ragged in the first song - maybe tired from doing the Barber of Seville the night before. Sur Titles in English and Czech. I dont know how I will cope with seeing non-professional opera again, knowing how good it could be.

Yes, Music is certainly alive and well in Europe. And I was grateful that I had the understanding of it to get the most out of this experience.