Christmas Market And Music

Greetings, and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to you!

Another short blog posting!
We visited Vienna a weekend ago, took in the Christmas market, and walked to find some interesting sites.  I wanted to show you something that many people miss, as they either do not follow classical music or know that in the Vienna cemetery the people of Vienna have placed the burial sites of all of their famous composers,  Beethoven to Brahms to the Strauss family and more, they are all there together in once place.  What I did notice and want to mention is that when you are in Vienna you will find that the tourist industry and the city really push Mozart's  name.  You can buy t shirts, mugs, pens, napkins, chocolates, etc., all with Mozart's  name on them.  Mozart's house is a big item to see.  Beethoven lived in several different places in Vienna, but you won't see much about this.  What I did see was a big difference in people's actions towards the two composers.  You will see this in the photos I am including here.

Mozart is buried here

Mozart has just a few flowers at his tombstone.  Beethoven has a blanket of many flowers left by many many people.  Perhaps Vienna is missing something?
Beethoven

I could joke that they are still making up for the poor showing of people at the funeral for Mozart and his procession to the cemetery.  When Beethoven died the people had realized their big mistake on showing respect and the city was shut down for the day.

The two composers were as different as night and day!  Both had a gift, that we don't see often.  Mozart came away from hearing the special music of the Vatican that was protected from being stolen, he wrote it from memory days after.  Beethoven stretched music far beyond what it was, and thank goodness he began to use the brass section and percussion to full advantage.  His 9th Symphony is wonderful to hear, and I got to hear it while being on stage as a performer on trombone.  I can tell you that when the choir stood up behind the orchestra and began singing, the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention.  It was a real thrill.  If you have never heard the 9th Symphony, take a listen.  Stick with it all the way to the end because it gets better and better. Beethoven planned it that way.  Then be glad you heard it, because he never did.  He was completely deaf when he wrote it.
At the grand performance he  was standing by the conductor to guide the tempos of the various movements, and when it was finished he was afraid to face the audience because it might be regarded as a failure.  Beethoven was in ill health and knew it would be one of his last compositions.  The conductor turned him around and he saw the audience standing and applauding like a sports team just won the big game.   We all know that feeling, right?
Maybe this is the reason Beethoven gets all the flowers.
If you are in Vienna, plan a few hours to visit that huge cemetery.
Not to take away from the Christmas Market, here are two photos.
I wish you a safe holiday.  Ciao!
Food, Drinks and More

This Will Become A Watercolor Soon


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