Summer Travel

If you have come across the recently published book The Rest is Noise by music critic of The New Yorker Alex Ross, you will recognize the accompanying photo. It's a casual shot of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler at the stage door of the opera house in Graz, Austria in 1906. Salome had already been premiered in Germany (at the Dresden Hofoper) the previous year, but since the Emperor's censors decided that the subject matter of the opera was too scandalous, the Austrian premiere could not take place in Vienna. Graz was brave enough to take it on, and Strauss conducted. Music lovers came from all over the Austro-Hungarian Empire and beyond to witness the newest, most outrageous creation of the enfant terrible Richard Strauss. It was a huge success.

Giacomo Puccini (with his wife) is also in this photo, with his back to the camera. Isn't it staggering to see these three great composers of the early 20th century in one place? Alban Berg was also in attendance. He saw the opera multiple times and even brought a score along so that he could learn more about the orchestration. And notice how small of stature Mahler is; he was a small man who wrote titanic music.

And what does this have to do with me? It just so happens that I will be spending the summer in Graz. I got an offer to coach a class in German Lieder at the AIMS program which takes place there in July and August. I couldn't think of anything I'd care to do more! Last winter I decided to relinquish my position at the Seagle Music Colony. I had spent twelve seasons there and felt it was time for a change. When thoughts of a long, boring, hot summer in Kansas City loomed I felt intuitively that something really interesting would turn up. And it did. I intend to make use of this blog to report on my travels and experiences in Europe this summer, so do check back. I am trading the Adirondacks for the Alps, a summer of doing opera for a summer of doing Lieder. There's a lot I will miss about Schroon Lake, New York --but I think I can get over it.