Farewell to Graz

The summer at AIMS came to a smashing conclusion with the Meistersinger Competition finals and concert. Two preliminary rounds had been held earlier in the summer. There were eight finalists left and two alternates, each of whom sang one aria with the orchestra. The event was held in the Helmut-List-Halle, a kind of all-purpose arena built by one of our most generous supporters. The space was formerly a factory of some sort but it has been nicely converted into a performing space. It must seat well over a thousand people and the place was packed for this concert. What we heard was la crème de la 2% milk. I haven't been particularly impressed with the level of singing in the opera studio this summer, but these ten vocalists were very good. I'm glad I was not a judge. Four external judges were brought in, including Ileana Cotrubas, who had an international career in the 60's and 70's. We heard such diverse selections as "Großmächtige Prinzessin" (Zerbinetta's aria), "Dich, teure Halle", "Ah, fors' è lui", and "Abscheulicher, wo eilst du hin" from Fidelio -- some pretty big stuff! The orchestra was, as usual, wonderful. The one orchestral selection on the program was the first Walzerfolge from "Der Rosenkavalier". After the prizes were rewarded (and the audience was polled by ballot for an Audience Favorite) the orchestra launched into a rousing performance of "Stars and Stripes Forever". The revelation of the evening: who knew that "Stars and Stripes" had a harp part? The poor dear was plucking her fingers raw and, of course, you cannot hear one single note of the harp since the brass and percussion are going full blast. She might have been playing "Lady of Spain" for all we knew.

Today, Friday, is the Catholic holiday of Maria Himmelfahrt (Assumption of the Virgin) and virtually everything in town is closed. I knew that there was to be a performance of a Mozart Mass at Maria Trost in the morning, so I decided to make my way up there. It was a 'Hohes Amt', a high mass and the music, Mozart's "Missa Solemnis" was part of the service. I expected the place would be packed; it was standing room only. It's a good thing I arrived 45 minutes early. I haven't witnessed a Roman rite mass in decades. It is in itself grand theater, with processions, scads of altar boys, sumptuously robed clergyman (actually, I think it was a bishop who was officiating), bell ringing, clouds of incense, lots of standing, sitting, kneeling. I enjoyed the spectacle -- and, it was all in German! Then there was the music. The Missa Solemnis is a work of Mozart's I have never heard and it does not rank as one of his strongest works, but still, the mark of his genius is evident throughout with ingenious harmonic invention, masterful use of solo winds, effortlessly conceived melodies and a sense of playfulness even at the most serious moments. Soloists, chorus and orchestra were all excellent. Hearing this mass in the glorious basilica of Maria Trost was truly wonderful; music and architecture blended into one aesthetic unity. After the service I hiked down to the Heim. There was a thunderstorm during the night and again the forest was fragrant with the smell of pine and wood. I shall miss the beautiful city of Graz and all the wonderful things it has to offer. I have been richly blessed in the experience of this summer. Tomorrow I make my way back to the States via Munich and Washington D.C.