DAY 99 - Vienna: The City of MUSIC (Part 2)

June 26 - My Favorite Composers all Died Here

Vienna is the capital and largest city in Austria.  Until the beginning of the 20th century,  Vienna was the largest German-speaking city in the world.

The Ringstraße  is a circular road surrounding the Inner City district of  and is one of its main sights. It is typical of the historical style of the 1860s to 1890s.

  Apart from being regarded as the City of Music because of its musical legacy, Vienna is also said to be The City of Dreams because it was home to the world's first psycho-analyst - Sigmund Freud.  Vienna attracts 5 million visitors a year.

     Vienna was the residential city to the Habsburgs, who also ruled over the Holy Roman Empire and therefore the Roman Catholic church. This is why Vienna attracted so many orders that built monasteries and churches.   St. Stephan's Cathedral was built in the 12th century and is the "heart" of Vienna.

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Vienna's main cathedral and landmark for centuries

What a gorgeous organ - I sure wish I could hear an organ concert here.

 

Special Stars on the pavement for Musicians.  Here are a few that we saw.

  

Giuseppe Verdi

Fritz Kreisler

Gustav Mahler

 There were probably many others throughout the city just waiting to be discovered.

Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg is the location of the Schatzkammer(treasury), holding the imperial jewels of the Habsburg dynasty.

Vienna City Park

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The statue of Athena in front of the Austrian Parliment

 (oh....and that's Shari there in front.)

Yoo Hoo....Can you hear me?

Then I just had to go to the south of town to the Central Cemetery of Vienna where all my favorite composers are buried.  The gravestones are just beautiful.  It is a large cemetery and the composers are all together, which made it easy for Rich to take a video of me with them.  I didn't rehearse - I just did it on the spot and I was crazy (like I always am). Just click on the colored lettering below the picture.- ENJOY!
                                             

Vienna Composers: "Would they Roll Over in Their Graves?"

Brahms - Who doesn't know Brahm's Lullaby?

The "Waltz King" of the 19th century - Strauss

How many Beethoven pieces have I played or accompanied?  MANY!

Schubert - a favorite composer of Lieder

OK...here is my favorite - Wolfgang A. Mozart

What a great time we had in Vienna, but if you thought there was music here, wait til you see what lies in store for us in Salzburg.  That's next  for Day 100.  We're almost 1/2 way through for our Adventures in Europe Couch-surfing.