Traveling Back-- Tracing the Root of Music

Where? 

Austria—Salzburg & Vienna

Why? 

Music has always been part of my life. I love singing and started to play piano since I was five. I was in a couple of different choirs for my entire high school and middle school years. Me and my choir mates together participated in many Chinese national competitions and shows. I really enjoy the time I spent on music. As I put more of my attention on choir and schoolwork, I stopped taking piano lessons and seldom played after I got in high school. That is just one of the reasons that I stopped playing piano. The biggest barrier that got in the way was myself. When I was a kid, it is hard for me to concentrate and sit in front of a piano practicing for four hours. I guess the boring practice finally defeated my love for music. After a few years, I got in to University. Through the music theory course that I’m currently taking, I have the chance to know so many inspiring pianists and music composers. I was fascinated by their stories, especially Mozart. I fell for Mozart’s talent. He made me realize my passion for music is still there and is getting stronger and stronger. I eagerly want to know more about him—to feel what he feels and see what he sees. As a result, I choose Vienna and Salzburg—the two places filled with Mozart’s footprint, to be the destination of my trip.

With who?

Mona

Mona is my best friend since middle school. We have been in the same choir for five years. She also plays piano and love singing. We know each other very well and share a lot of secretes. One of the things that we haven’t done is going on a trip together. Since we both are music fans, going to Austria will be such a great experience for both of us. I would love to share my passion with her.

When?

December 26 2015- January 2 2016

*Note: It will be a Five and a half days trip since the plain will be arrived in the afternoon on December 27 and will take off in the morning on January 2.

I choose this time period for two reasons. First, it will be during the winter break. Because that will be the last winter break for me as a University student, I want it to be meaningful. In addition, I want to attend the famous New Year’s Eve Concert at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. I saw this famous concert on TV almost every year since I was little. I’m really looking forward to see the live performance.

Purpose of the trip:

• I can know more about Mozart from his point of view.
• To actually feel the grand history of music.
• Reignite my passion for piano.
• Enjoying quality time with my best friend who share the same interest with me.

What to bring?

Schengen Visa

＊Visitors must apply for Schengen Visa to be able to travel in Europe

Here is the link of general information and procedure to apply a Schengen Visa http://www.consulfrance-toronto.org/spip.php?article389

The weather

The temperature in Vienna region will be around negative three degrees to positive two degrees at December to January

Plan

Tour Overview:

Dec.27: Arrival at Salzburg in the afternoon.

ØSalzburg Marionette Theatre  —The Magic Flute

Dec.28: Salzburg

Ø  Mozarts Geburtshaus

Ø  Stiftskitche St Peter 

Ø  Mozarts Wohnhaus

Dec. 29: Salzburg

Ø  Schloss Mirabell

Ø  Festung Hohensalzburg

Dec. 30: Vienna

Ø  Gloriette

Ø Schloss Schönbrunn Garden

Dec.31: Vienna

Ø  Alte Donau

Ø  Hofburg

Ø  Mozart Denkmal

Ø  Glodener Saal

Jan. 1: Vienna

Ø  Stephansdom

Ø  Wiener Zentralfriedhof

Jan. 2: Leaving, come back to Canada 

Day One(December 27) Arrive at Salzburg in the afternoon

Ø Check in

The first thing we need to do it to check in. The hotel that we will be in is called Hotel Ganslhof. We choose this hotel because it is the best recommended hotel in booking.com. Most importantly, it has the nearest distance between all transportation stations.

Ø Salzburg Marionette Theatre

In the night, we are planning to go to the Salzburg Marionette Theatre to watch the opera—The Magic Flute, with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The opera was the culmination of a period of increasing involvement by Mozart with Schikaneder's theatrical troupe, which since 1789 had been the resident company at the Theater auf der Wieden. We will have the chance to listen Mozart’s music the first time in his birth town and experience what he went through. It will be a very different experience for us. 

Day Two (Dec 28): Salzburg

Ø   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He showed prodigious ability in his early childhood. Mozart composed over 600 epic pieces for opera, choir, piano and orchestra. His influence on subsequent Western art music is profound.

Day Three (Dec. 29): Salzburg

Ø  Schloss Mirabell –Mirabell  Palace

Mirabell Palace is a historical building in Vienna. Several scenes from The Sound of Music were recorded here. Maria and the children sing 'Do-Re-Mi' while dancing around the horse fountain and using the steps as a musical scale. When Mona and I were little, we both watched the Sound of Music and got attached to the songs in it. This movie taught us that music is very powerful and is a source of happiness in life. To be able to see the scenes from the movie will remind us of our childhood memory and our true heart.

Ø  Festung Hohensalzburg, Kloster Nonnberg

Hohensalzburg Castle is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. It was constructed in 1077. Its interior construction is very delicate. Down to the hillside of the castle is Kloster Nonnberg.  Through Maria Augusta Kutschera, later Maria Augusta von Trapp, who was a postulant in the abbey after World War I and whose life was the basis for the film The Sound of Music, the abbey has acquired international fame.

Day Four (Dec. 30): Vienna –Arrive at Vienna in the afternoon

Ø Check in

The Praterstern Apartment is just 300 metres from the Praterstern Train and Underground Station, which offers direct connections to Vienna’s city centre and the airport.

  

Ø  Gloriette

A gloriette (little room) is a building in a garden erected on a site that is elevated with respect to the surroundings. It was built in 1775. The structural execution and shape of gloriette can vary greatly, often in the form of a pavilion or tempietto, more or less open on the sides.

Ø  Schloss Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence located in Vienna, Austria. The 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs.

In 1762, six-years-old Mozart took his first step towards an international career by performing for Empress Maria Theresia in Schönbrunn Palace and deeply impressed the Empress. At such a young age, Mozart already composed a lot of great pieces and showed the world the essence of music. As a music theory learner, I understand how hard it is to compose a decent piece. It required tons of dedication and love for the music. Mozart's spirit amazed me and I feel very lucky that I can be influenced by him. 

There will be several concerts featuring the music of Mozart within Orangerie, Schönbrunn Palace. I’m going to book a package called Rendezvous with Mozart, including dinner and a concert ticket.

By listening to these people playing Mozat's music, I feel blessed that his incredible works have been passed through centuries. It reminds me what a great composer he was.

Hofburg Redoutensaal

Day Five (Dec.31): Vienna

Ø  Alte Donau

Vienna is the largest city on the Danube, where the Danube floodplain is called the Lobau, though the Innere Stadt is situated away from the main flow of the Danube. Many great pieces was composed based on the Danube. 

Ø  Hofburg Palace 

Hofburg Palace is the former imperial palace in the centre of Vienna. Part of the palace forms the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria. The Palace was built in the 13^th century and has housed some of the most powerful people in European and Austrian history. One of the inside opera house is called the Redouten Halls. It was built in 1705 under Emperor Joseph I, grand baroque operas were performed in the Redouten Halls. Several Mozart’s smaller operas were performed here.

       At a public masquerade ball in the Redouten Hall one Carnival Monday on March 3rd 1783,        Mozart performed „Masquerade“ during an intermission- a pantomime piece with music that he had    written himself. Seems like I can understand why Mozart would perform in such a place. The          Redouten Hall is filled with glamour. It must be such an honor to enjoy music in here. 

Ø  Burggarten—Mozart Denkmal

Beside Hofburg Palace, there is a sculpture park called Burggarten. Inside the park, there is an sculpture of Mozart. This sculpture has been used for one of the scene in Mozart’s famous opera—Don Giovanni. Mona and I would like to take a photo together with Mozart’s sculpture as a memorable moment of our trip.

Ø  Glodener Saal Wiener Musikvereins

Musikverein is Vienna's oldest and most modern concert halls, one of the famous concert halls in the world. It is the home to the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. It holds a lot of concerts every year. But the most famous one is on the New Year’s Day. We will be very lucky if we can book the tickets for New Year’s Eve Concert because demand is really high. We have to draw the tickets by lot over their website at the beginning of each year. We would be honored to enjoy a live elegant concert in one of the world’s top concert hall. I hope that through the playing of classical music, I can further develop my enthusiasm for music.

Day Six (Jan. 1): Vienna

Ø  Stephansdom—St. Stephen's Cathedral

The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen's Cathedral has borne witness to many important events in Habsburg and Austrian history and has, with its multi-coloured tile roof, become one of the city's most recognizable symbols.

A memorial tablet (near location SJC on the Plan below) gives a detailed account of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's relationship with the cathedral, including the fact that he had been appointed an adjunct music director here shortly before his death. This was his parish church when he lived at the "Figaro House" and he was married here, two of his children were baptised here, and his funeral was held in the Chapel of the Cross (at location PES) inside.

Ø  Wiener Zentralfriedhof

The Zentralfriedhof (German for "Central Cemetery") is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, largest by number of interred in Europe and most famous cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries.

Vienna is a city of music since time immemorial, and the municipality expressed gratitude to composers by granting them monumental tombs. There is a cenotaph honours Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I want to pay my respect to this great composer and thanks him for bringing such influence into the music world. By looking at his tomb, I finally realized that people can come and go, but, music never sleeps.

Day Seven (Jan. 2): Leaving, come back to Canada

Today will be our departure day. However, this will not be the end. This Trip will be the beginning of my music adventure on a whole other level. I’m so honored that I will be able to experience what Mozart has gone through. I hope that I will be able to fulfill the purpose of my trip and most importantly, forever keep my passion for music.