Der Grazer Schlossberg

Last night I was in the mood for some walking and decided to climb the city's most recognizable landmark. The Schlossberg, which means castle mountain, is a "small" (by mountain standards anyway) dolomite crag that juts precipitously up through the earth right in the heart of downtown Graz and is indeed crowned by an ancient castle. I entered the trail system from the northeast side of the Schloss. It is bordered by a large city park and features a short but exhausting series of steep switchbacks surrounded by dense primarily deciduous foliage. If it weren't for the paved hand-rail-edged trail and occasional park bench I might have thought I was back in Ithaca climbing through a steep gorge.

When I reached the top, panting and sweating (man that felt good!), I was greeted by amazing views of the city and its surrounding mountains as they faded away into the distant sunset. I was a little surprised by how much smog there seemed to be. Still the view was lovely and the cool breeze made the air feel fresh.

Once you get to the top of the Schlossberg there are numerous cafes, historical buildings and displays, gardens, statues, and lots of people. If you keep wandering around the edge of the summit you end up with an almost 360 degree view of the city from above.

Here is an aerial view of that funky looking art museum I mentioned in an earlier post...

A few days ago when I told some of my colleagues how strange I thought this building was, one of the horn players remarked, "Yeah, and from above it looks like a spleen." There is certainly something uncannily organic about its form--thus the "friendly alien" nickname I guess. The building's architect Sir. Peter Cook is also the main guy in charge of designing the stadium for the 2012 Olympics in London...it will be interesting to compare the two.

And here is a view of the Graz Rathause--the main city government building...

In the 1950s the town council thought this building was too old fashioned and gaudy and wanted to replace it with something more modern. They began removing and destroying some of the statues that lined its facade in preparation for the demolition, but decided to put the idea to a town vote before following through with the final act. Fortunately the citizens of Graz voted against its demise and the lovely building remains to this day...minus some of its original statues.

Last night when I was looking down on the scene (and maybe you can see some of the crowd in the picture above) there was a choir singing in the Rathause square. I was surprised how well the sound of their voices carried and it was a pleasant addition to the evening's ambiance.

The feature most characteristic of the Schlossberg is it's Uhrturm, (clock tower). The tower's existence was first described in 1265 and though it's now one of the oldest buildings in Graz it remains functional to this day, housing a working clockwork mechanism dating from 1712 and three bells that chime out the passage of the hours: the "poor sinners bell" (1450), the large hour bell (1382), and the fire alarm bell (1645).

It's difficult to get a sense of its scale here, but the clock's face is huge. Nevertheless, the chiming of the bells every 15 minutes is surprisingly soft and mellow...like an unobtrusive and gentle reminder to the folks of the city that time is flowing, but that one needn't worry about it too much.

After visiting the Uhrturm I wandered through its surrounding gardens playing with the up-close setting on my camera. I'm actually pretty proud of this one...

Exiting the Schlossberg on its western flank, a winding and uneven stone stairway delivered me to a spot near the center of the old town. A couple of weeks ago a race was held to see how quickly someone could ascend this precipitous series of steps and the winner achieved a time of one minute 30 seconds! This is not only impressive because of the distance and grade covered, but is also a challenging test of coordination and balance. The twists and turns to the top are not equally spaced and the occasional stray rock edge jutting up from the surface of many steps could easily send someone tumbling.

Within the mountain is a series of tunnels and caves (you can see the entrance to one in middle-right-hand side of the picture) that during WWII served as an air-raid shelter for Grazers. Today the mountain's innards house an elevator to the top (1 ride for 50 cents), and a fairyland kiddie ride that one long-time AIMSer described as "It's a Small World on acid." I must say I'm quite curious about that last one!

The Party

Last night's party was an event to remember. AIMS reserved 2 double-long busses (the kind with accordion hinges in the middle that allow them to bend for turns) to serve as transport to the Schloss for about 120 singers, all the faculty, and 70 orchestra members. It wasn't the most luxurious ride--most people had to stand for the half an hour it took to get from our dorm to the palace gates--but everyone seemed distracted enough--either by showing off a fancy gown and up-do, or marveling at all the fancy gowns and up-dos--to tolerate all the bumps and sways without complaint. We must have been quite a sight for any drivers and pedestrians we passed: a bus full of ball gowns and tuxedos--not something you see every day.

Upon arriving at the entrance to Schlosses Eggenberg. Everyone eagerly hopped off onto the gravel (even those in heels) and proceeded through the big iron gates which opened onto a long walkway leading to the palace courtyard. As I moved along with the glamorous crowd I had to watch where I was stepping for fear of catching someone's frilly dress bottom underneath my toe.

It was a surprisingly long and gravelly walk for a bunch of girls in stilettos and I'll bet that if it weren't for the sight of the lovely palace slowly emerging from behind the trees there would have been a lot of complaining!

When we reached the courtyard we were greeted by the wild trumpeting of several peacocks, their tails spread wide into shimmering displays of genetic fitness. I never quite managed to catch a good photograph of one in full fan, but captured some shots of this guy standing atop a stone post to preen before his next show. Though temporarily on break from the spotlight he seemed no less pleased to be attracting the attentions of a large flock of almost equally bejeweled foreign admirers and stood atop his perch with a haughtily pleased self consciousness, seemingly reveling in our wondering stares.

Everyone milled around in the courtyard for the next few minutes vying for photos with the peacocks--and each other--and wandering up and around the hilly gardens that flanked the Schloss.

At no particular time people made their meandering way past the giant stone sentries, through the palace's front archway, and into the lovely enclosed courtyard that was to play host to our next few hours of revelry.

We were welcomed by the jubilant sounds of a brass quintet made up of some of the other AIMS orchestra members performing a few standard Renaissance favorites from high up in one of the upper balconies. Die Bankelsangerlieder--that old gig fallback--never sounded so good!

The other two trumpeters, Jordan and Gabriel (great name for a trumpeter, eh?) are former graduates of Northwestern and we all got the opportunity to come here in the same way: when AIMS's regular players bailed out, an email was sent to the NU trumpet studio inquiring as to whether any of us would be interested in coming out for the summer. While most of the orchestra had to audition, the three of us were accepted only based on the strength of our resumes...and the fact that we were associated with NU (which, I may have already said too many times, has a reputation for producing great trumpet players). I guess that's pretty awesome on the one hand, but on the other, it's one reason I was so nervous about the state of my chops: I was worried they'd think I faked a resume or something and kick me out the first time they heard me play.

Ahh...listen to that lovely music...

As with many of the old stone streets in Graz, the courtyard cobbles were aligned with their sharp edges pointing up and filled in with a thick edging of dirt and moss. It was a real chore for anyone in high heels to stumble across such precarious paving. I might as well admit to you at this point that, yes, I was one of those unfortunate souls trying to survive the night in heels...ugh!

After a few more minutes of strutting around (and trying not to catch a heel in the floor) everyone slowly made their way upstairs and into the Planetary Room. According to Wikipedia, the paintings in this incredible hall depict "the four elements, the 12 signs of the western zodiac, and of course the seven "planets" (planetes asteres: wandering stars) known to antiquity". As an astronomy buff I was looking forward to attempting to identify all of these features, but when faced with the enigmatic and allegorical paintings found myself struggling to make sense of all but two or three. Nothing was labeled and to be sure of any of these depictions I'd have to come back for one of the guided tours, but I'm fairly sure I could identify Neptune...

...as well as the God Apollo driving his fiery chariot across the sky was appropriately featured in the large central ceiling panel flanked on all sides by the orbiting planets.

I'm also fairly certain I found Venus and Mercury, but due to the room being lit exclusively by candles and whatever daylight was filtering in through the windows, I was not able to get very many decent photographs. Still, even without specific details easily discernible in these photos, I'm hoping you can get a sense of how arrestingly luscious the room was...a literal feast for the eyes.

The pace of the evening was languid and disinclined toward any semblance of efficiency, but eventually everyone made it into the Planetensaall for a couple gracious and romantic speeches about the cultural, developmental, and professional opportunities AIMS offers so many talented musicians and singers. Present were representatives from the government of Graz and the American embassy, as well as some of the donors who have been responsible for providing financial support to the festival for many years. We were told what a privilege it was for us to have the palace and Planetary Room opened to us tonight--that festivals are rarely held here these days due to the delicate and precious nature of the artwork and antiques within. Schlosses Eggenberg has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site--one of only eight within Austria.

The speeches were preceded by a rousing string performance of a Tango by South American composor Astor Piazolla and followed by goose-bump-inducing choral performances of the Austrian National Anthem and America. Man...there are some really great singers here!

With all the formalities out of the way there was a mad dash back through the doors of the hall to the table where wine, beer, bubbly water (disgusting in my opinion), and an opulent spread of meat-heavy hors d'oeuvres (it would be a real struggle being a vegetarian in Austria) was served with fruity highlights and some sort of sweet olive...sweet olives? anyone heard of such a thing?

I wandered around for a while admiring, chatting, and eating, but soon got a little crowd weary and made my way downstairs to see what more exploring could be done before the light disappeared from the sky and the busses returned to take us back to the Studentheim. Here are a few of the photos I took in an attempt to capture the mood of the evening and the loveliness of the location...

I wandered around outside for a while--underneath gigantic old trees where many of the peacocks had roosted for the night within the very topmost branches. It was hard to picture the birds hefting those massive tails up so high...I wish I'd been around to see such a flight!

At about 9:15 people started making their way out from the party and down the now-illuminated walkway back to our meeting spot with the busses. At this point the crowds were a little rambunctious and tipsy. I'm rather conservative and kept my consumption down to a single glass of white wine, but in general there had been quite a lot of imbibing among the rest of the participants--which is what tends to happen when it's offered without limit and for no cost. On the noisy bus ride home, I continued my shameless people watching and giggled a little upon noticing the occasional clandestine and suggestive brushes of the fingers that take place at the onset of new summer romances. I found myself pining a little for the attentions of my boyfriend and eagerly awaited meeting up with him on skype when I got back to my room. He's been in London this week and I couldn't wait to see him and hear about his own European adventures.

It was certainly a memorable night for all involved.

Going to a Party!

Does that say palace? Well then...guess I'd better don my fanciest attire (which, as most of you who know me may guess, isn't really all that fancy), and head off to the grande partay (please say those last two words with an accent).

I'm about to get on a bus crowded with a bunch of dressed-to-the-hilt singers and kinda-cleaned-up orchestra members that will take me here...

...where I'll be invited to consume some fancy food and drink and schmooze with important Grazers in here...

Whew! I'm a little nervous...maybe I'll leave out some of the schmoozing. But hey, that's like...a real live ballroom! (...ok I'd better stop before I disgust you all with my googley-eyed valley-girl speak).

Ta ta!

Die Elisabethschule

Rehearsals for the first AIMS Orchestra concert of the summer began this morning. After my Deutsch Klasse I snagged a nearby classroom to get the chops going for the day and was relieved to discover things are still basically feeling alright. I do have one sore spot on the left side of my upper lip where one of my teeth digs into the soft red tissue on the inside, but I'm trying to be smart about things and not overdo it. Fortunately for me we only rehearsed Zarathustra today so I've got a bit more time to get strong and psyched up for Fanfare for the Common Man.

Most classes and rehearsals take place at a middle school, die Elisabethschule, located a couple blocks south of the dorm. The first day I was here I asked one of the faculty to give me directions and was told, "turn right out of the dorm, follow Elisabethstrasse for a couple of blocks--past a city park--and then look for a big building with lots of colors."

Indeed...it was hard to miss!

I wish my middle school had been this nifty! The front doors are at least twice my height and are made of a thick heavy wood accented with bolted curls of wrought iron. It takes a surprising amount of heft to open them. The back entrance that leads from the main building to the gym where the orchestra rehearses has character as well, but in a lopsided cartoonish sort of way. And check out the awesome chain link fence that surrounds the playground...

Our rehearsal room is just what you'd expect out of a typical grade-school gym, as well as being perfectly configured to act as a very efficient oven...even in the middle of the morning. After our rehearsal ended everyone had sweat-soaked clothing and red faces. Fortunately the stage crew spent some time removing a few of the window grills before we met again after lunch. With the grills gone it was then possible to get some relatively fresh air circulating through the room and mediate the worst of our suffering.

The school, as well as the street on which it sits, is named after Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837-1898) who married into the Habsburg royal family at the age of 15 and is known affectionately by her people as Sisi. She was an icon of beauty in her time, pursued by fashion and gossip magazines magazines as rabidly as Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston are today (poor girl), and according to my Deutsch Lehrerin (teacher), was one of the first people to be recognized historically as likely suffering from anorexia--maintaining a 20 inch waistline and emaciated frame by following a strict diet and exercise regimen. A reproduction of the painting at right hangs in my Deutsch classroom.

Alright, I'm just finishing up dinner (and a single tablespoon sized desert of nutella...mmmmm!) and then it's off to practice for me. Here's a very Austrian way to say goodbye: Tschüss!

First Sights of Graz

Now that the first big AIMS-trumpet-stress-moment is out of the way I'm feeling a bit more inclined to talk about some other aspects of being here. I've taken a couple quick trips down into the "old town" (only about a 1/2 hour walk or a 5 min Srassenbahn ride from the Studentenheim) with other AIMS-ers--just quick little run-throughs of the city to get a feel for it's layout and some ideas about things to explore more in depth later.

One of my favorite things about the old town is how lavishly the facades of buildings are decorated. Here in 3D stonework...

...here in paint...

...and here, some more recently rendered street art that those of you who have seen the excellent documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop might have an appreciation for...

As can be seen from the famed Kunsthaus Graz (or "our friendly alien" as the locals call it) as well as the nearby floating island, the city is a surprising mix of the very old juxtaposed against the very modern...

And inside one of Graz's lovely inner courtyards is just about the coolest staircase you can imagine. Not only is it an old stone spiral, it's a double spiral--the mirror images meeting periodically as each twisting circuit climbs the tower. It's tiny, cramped, and all but impossible to photograph, but here are some of my attempts...

I hope to show you a lot more in the days to come, but for now I've got to get myself some dinner. Orchestra folders should be ready within the hour and the other trumpeters have expressed interest in taking the time tonight to run through our parts for intonation. Take a minute, if you can, to listen to the beginnings of Zarathustra and Copland's Fanfare and you'll see why the sectional is a very good idea. And yes, all of that at the beginning of the Strauss is 4 trumpets in unison...intonation!! So anyway, back to dinner...must be well nourished if I'm going to play tonight.