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A classical music journey to Austria
Happy 4th of July! Today is a national holiday in America, commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States, on 4 July 1776. As a non-American living in London during the lockdown, I have no plans to celebrate the Independence Day (well, I might listen to some country music). Nonetheless, I have a very good reason to celebrate today. Around the world, most of the music festivals scheduled to take place this summer have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not however the case with the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival (Kammermusikfest Lockenhaus) which is taking place from 2 to 11 July. Since I am not able…
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Vienna: Music, Psychotherapy & Coffee
Last year, I took part in the Guardian’s competition ‘10 great Greek islands: readers’ travel tips’. I was so excited when I saw my tip ‘Hiking in Amorgos, Cyclades’ published that I did not realize that it’d been the winning tip. A few months later, I decided to spend the prize, a £200 hotel voucher, on a weekend break in Vienna. The Austrian capital has recently been named the best city in the world to live in – for the tenth year running. According to the annual Mercer Quality of Living survey, Vienna topped the list of 231 cities around the world. The ranking was based on a number of…
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Vienna: Search for Meaning & the Mozart Effect
I recently visited Vienna for the fourth time in my life. During a previous visit, I went to the Opera and saw Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Nabucco’. This time, I opted for a rather more low-key concert with music by Wofgang Amadeus Mozart. The concert took place in St Peter’s Church (Peterskirche), a beautiful baroque church situated in the heart of Vienna, not far from the famous St Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom). Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it provides the perfect backdrop for the music of the famous Austrian composer (concerts start at 8 am; tickets from 29 euros). I also visited the apartment where Mozart lived between 1784 and…