June, 2005 - Nr. 6
Vienna Connection
Hi, not much time to write, but I’m squeezing a little
something in. Life has definitely been quite chaotic lately, but definitely
exciting. June is here and it’s the month that I’ve kind of been fearing,
yet have funnily been excited about! May passed by in a fizz, and it had my
head spinning wondering where in the world it went, and why I didn’t seem to
go along with it...I think I’m still standing scratching my head wondering
if May even existed, but it must have, because I was at a whole lot of
rehearsals and went to Germany, so May must have been there!
I got to spend 3 days last week in the wonderful metropolis of Gütersloh, Germany...before you all say what? when? huh? Gütersloh is somewhere in Nordrheinwestfalen, between Hannover and Münster. I was involved in a concert there, where there was a program of Schubert, and Schönberg, as well as a piece by Webern and another by Messiaen. Beautiful music actually, although the Schönbergs were freaking me right out when I first saw them...one of them was not only very very rhythmically difficult, but also in Hebrew!!! So, after this concert, my Hebrew’s definitely improved!!! It was a good concert, Air Berlin was quite comfortable, and everything was on time and working perfectly...yes I could feel, this is indeed Germany!
I have my first rehearsal at the Theatre for Fledermaus tomorrow, my costumes are beautiful and so much fun...In the second Act, my character Rosalinde pretends to be a Hungarian countess to dupe her husband into proving that he’s not only a womanizer but should also be serving his fraud sentence in prison, instead of being at a party hitting on strange masked women! My costume is going to be such a hoot, I had my fitting last week and I have this big hoop skirt that you could serve breakfast on! I think that the rest of the cast is going to have to stand at least 2 feet away from me in every direction at all times or else risk getting walloped by my skirt! Sigh, clothing as weaponry...how romantic!
Saturday I leave for Bologna Italy for a week where I get to sing in the Mozart Requiem with conducting giant Claudio Abbado! Such an amazing work of music, with such an amazing man, in the capital of food...can life be any better? And since I’m singing chorus, I can fully enjoy Bologna and see what it has to offer...see what all this Pasta Bolognese business is all about! (although, will be staying away from mystery cold cuts...)
Vienna is gorgeous right now, and so full of life it’s growing a second life! There are lots of art festivals, music festivals, classical, pop, memorial events going on...over Pfingsten (Pentecost), which is of course a national holiday here, they were celebrating the 50 years of the Staatsvertrag (the contract signed after the second world war celebrating the new beginning) and there was a huge festival and open air concert out at the Belvedere palace. I was lucky enough to be involved in this concert, got to spend the whole day there and even landed on European TV quite a bit! (was recognized by 4 people afterwards!) The whole show was apparently broadcast in many countries throughout Europe, and it featured many very famous musicians, dancers, singers, actors, and poets from all types of music. It was truly a day to remember. I think a friend of mine got it on tape and promised that we could watch it sometime!
Anyhow, it’s been busy, and will continue to be all summer until I get back to Toronto, which I’m much looking forward to. Until then, sending lots of warm wishes from sunny sweltering Vienna!
Caroline :)
Comments to: ckuehn@echoworld.com
