Wednesday, May 19 - Vienna, Austria
A trip to Vienna is a pilgrimage for many musicians; and performing in the famed Musikverein, or even just being in the audience, is a religious experience. The hall looks and sounds like heaven, and it is impossible not to crane your neck before every performance to look at the gilded pillars and painted ceilings. The concerts were sold out with all 1600 seats filled on both nights. The audience loved Gil Shaham's performance of Brahms's Violin Concerto and Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony on the first night's concert. Messiaen's Les Offrandes oubliée and Bruckner's mighty Seventh Symphony comprised the second night, followed by an encore of Wagner's Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin. American Ambassador to Austria W.L. Lyons Brown and his wife Alice Cary attended the second performance and greeted Maestro Eschenbach afterward.
There was no lack of music-related things for people to do during the day in Vienna. Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales, on his first tour with The Philadelphia Orchestra, visited Musikhaus Doblinger to shop for sheet music. Some in the group visited the Zentral Friedhof (Central Cemetery) to see the graves of Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, von Suppe, and Zemlinsky, among others. Principal Percussion Chris Deviney, who makes a hobby of doing gravestone rubbings, made two visits to the cemetery to add to the collection of rubbings he did in Paris. Some lucky person will be able to acquire one of these rubbings at the Orchestra's next Perfect Harmony fundraiser.
You never know which famous musicians you will meet in Vienna. Most notably, Music Director Christoph Eschenbach met up with former Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Riccardo Muti, who was in town to conduct Carmina Burana with the Vienna Philharmonic. The meeting took place as Maestro Eschenbach was leaving a meeting and Maestro Muti was leaving a rehearsal. Some Philadelphia Orchestra musicians also had a chance to renew their acquaintance with Muti. Also spotted walking down the street outside the Musikverein was Emanuel Ax, in town for a recital, who passed along best wishes for the Orchestra's performance that night.
It would be impossible to write about Vienna and not describe the culinary delights of Sacher torte and apple strudel, among other delectable treats, best accompanied by strong Viennese coffee. After all, we all need to keep up our energy!
Katherine Blodgett,
Director of Public/Media Relations
Orchestra
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