Vienna
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Ignaz Bösendorfer *VII 28 1796 — The Life You Give
Ignaz Bösendorfer, born July 28, 1796, in Vienna, Austria, is the builder of pianos and founder of the firm that bears his name. Bösendorfer served an apprenticeship with the Viennese piano maker Joseph Brodmann. After Franz Liszt began using Bösendorfer’s instruments, his company gained international fame, and Bösendorfer was formally recognized by the Austrian emperor…
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Johann Strauss II *X 25 1825 The Life You Give
Johann Strauss II, born October 25, 1825, Vienna, Austria, “the Waltz King,” is the composer famous for his Viennese waltzes and operettas. Strauss was the eldest son of the composer Johann Strauss I. Because his father wished him to follow a nonmusical profession, he started his career as a bank clerk. He studied the violin…
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Twentieth Century Vienna Fruits
In the wake of such influential studies as Allan Janik and Stephen Toulmin’s Wittgenstein’s Vienna (1973) and Carl Schorske’s Fin-de-siècle Vienna: Politics and Culture (1979), scholars from diverse fields have come to recognize that in the years from about 1890 to 1918 the imperial city of Vienna comprised a unique historico-cultural nexus. The fact that…
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“Fidelio”, Ludwig van Beethoven’s only Opera, premiered on this day in 1805
Celebrate with us, listening to this masterpiece on November 20 at 11pm EST in the Opera, Blood, and Tears Club, on Clubhouse. CHARACTERS FLORESTAN, a Spanish Nobleman……………………………TenorLEONORE, his wife, in male attire as FIDELIO…….………….SopranoDON FERNANDO, Prime Minister of Spain…………………….BassPIZARRO, Governor of the prison and enemy to FLORESTAN….BassROCCO, chief jailer……………………………………………….BassMARCELLINA, daughter of ROCCO…………………………….SopranoJACQUINO, assistant to ROCCO…………………………………TenorSoldiers,…
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Dissecting Hospitality — the guest always sits with a drink at hand
In 1988 I visited the magnificent city of Vienna for the very first time. For the following twelve years I sat in about ten of their traditional Coffeehouses, most of which have been in operation at least 80 years, some over a century. Café Hawelka was my most frequent choice. It was opened in 1939…
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Two hundred and twenty-four years ago, Schubert
Today I continue to celebrate life in details but also in the joy that adds two men to the spirit of celebratory thankfulness — music. Besides the birthday of Philip Glass, there is plenty of reason for celebrating two hundred and twenty-four years today. Franz Peter Schubert, the young man who composed the “Winterreise” (Winter…
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I’m back in Vienna!
Storytelling à la Norway, in the words of Henrik Ibsen. “Peer Gynt” his five-act play, set to the music of the incomparable Edward Grieg, interpreted as an expressive evening of ballet and movement, is loosely based on the Norwegian fairy tale. Beautiful music and sounds Poetic pictures Surrealism … It pleasantly points out that, while…
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Today I am in Vienna!
Today I will be in the most magnificent city on this planet. The Metropolitan Opera in New York is playing operas I am not interested in, so I will not be here. Today, mind and ears will be in Vienna. To my wonderful friends in Vienna, do not try to meet me, for I will…
Sila Blume 