The Mozart Concert last night was impressive. The music was performed beautifully by a string quintet (bass, cello, viola, and two violins) and a lively soprano, tenor duo. They performed for about 1.5 hours in an intimate candlelight environment in St. Peter Stiftskeller Baroque Hall.
The concert included highlights of Mozart’s operas and arias, including “duettos” from “Don Giovanni”, “The Marriage of Figaro”, and “The Magic Flute”. The string quintet performed movements from Mozart’s instrumental works like “A Little Night Music”.
I shared a dinner table with six people – two sets of mothers and daughters – one from Canada and one from Ohio, and a couple from Hamburg, Germany. They were good company and we enjoyed the music and talented performers. The three-course meal was delicious but not fancy. The monastery must benefit nicely by hosting the dinner concerts. The forte of the evening was the environment and listening to Mozart’s music being played so flawlessly.
Salzburg is a fantastic European city! Wish I were spending more time here. The best way to see the city during the daytime is by foot or bicycle. At night the pace is much slower and it’s very beautiful when the large old buildings along the river light up!
The best time to enjoy Salzburg is at dusk when the sky softens and the atmosphere is soft and relaxed. The weather today was overcast and cool – a welcome change from the heat in Budapest. The dinner concert began at 8:00 pm and I passed through the Old Town maze early enough to avoid a rush.
At about 6:45 I was sitting in an outdoor café near St. Peter Monastery when the cathedral bells began tolling and continued non-stop for 10 minutes. It was so beautiful and really clarified why Central Europe is such a special place!
I feel fortunate to be able to get out of my comfort zone to visit foreign countries and enjoy life from a fresh perspective. Will probably get into the casual swing of European life just as it’s time to return to Oregon.
Leaving for Vienna early tomorrow morning and then to Ceské Budějovice and Český Krumlov in the southern part of the Czech Republic. The final (maybe) stop is Prague.