Viennese audiences, throughout the establishment of their city as a cultural and musical center, have not only been known for their artistic expertise, but also for their fickleness. A deep-seated reliance on musical and cultural traditions informed much of the

J. S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion, “Kommt ihr Töchter helft mir klagen” One of the most wonderful experiences while traveling in Europe is the ability to visit monuments, castles, churches and civic buildings, and the spaces within the urban or

Have you ever heard of Enrico Carella and Massimiliano Marchetti? There is really no reason why these names should be particularly memorable, except for the fact that these two knuckleheads deliberately set fire to one of the most famous opera

Giovanni Gabrieli, In ecclesiis I vividly remember my first visit to Venice. Mind you, I came prepared, at least in the literary sense, as I had eagerly plowed through various portrayals of the city in novels ranging from Lady Chatterley’s

Every year on 7 December something magical happens in the Italian city of Milan. For one, the city celebrates its patron saint Ambrose (340-397). A revered archbishop, he is widely recognized as one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures who

Guillaume Dufay, Nuper rosarum flores For almost 600 years, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower) has dominated the cityscape of Florence. Build on the site of an earlier cathedral dedicated to Saint

Brahms Fest und Gedenkspruche, Op. 109 Strauss II Die Fledermaus (excerpts) Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4 (version for string orchestra) Emperor Franz Josef I came to power after the revolution of 1848 – a time which saw the

Ravel’s composition ‘La Valse’, written at the close of World War I, can be seen as a parable of the violent death of 19th century Vienna – with “the waltz, long a symbol of gay Vienna, becoming in the composer’s