Day 6 Architecture and Fortepiano

Today we went on a walking tour with architecture in mind. As part of our class, we are looking at all aspects of the mid to late 1700s, or during the Enlightenment. When you know what to look for, architecture can be fascinating. Most of the buildings in central Vienna were built between the 1600 and 1800s, depending on their function and their importance during any given century. Most buildings have an off-white or pale yellow color. Apparently the royal colors of the Habsburgs were black and yellow, so most buildings in the area followed suit. In general, most buildings related to the 1700s have a strong ground floor with horizontal lines holding up a more intricately decorated upper floors. The actual second floor of a building would be considered the "first floor" of the Viennese because it was where most apartments begun. The ground floor was for shops and it was noisy and dingy. The upper floors would have been for the poorer people because they had to climb more stairs and it would be hotter. Most buildings are 4-5 stories. We also came across several apartments where Mozart stayed throughout his ten year residence in Vienna.

 Frescos on the ceiling of an aristocrat's palace.

 Funny statue in the same palace.

 Inside the church of St. Peter.

 A plaque that reads (roughly): "Mozart lived in this house in 1781 and composed his Abduction from the Seraglio."

 Various classical style buildings.

Another plaque that reads (roughly): "In the second week of October, 1762, Mozart was introduced to Vienna for the first time (at the age of 6!), the city that would become his home and destiny."

 A plaque on the University wall that says Franz Schubert was a student here.

 The Jesuit University Church.

 Across the street, the hall where Josef Haydn premiered his Creation.

 Inside the University Church.

 Looking up to the organ.

 The ceiling. This was hand painted in 3-D to look like the ceiling went up into a dome. It only looks realistic from one spot when you enter the church. It's really just a painting!!

Yet another of Mozart's dwellings. This one is now a cafe, the place where he stayed the longest.

Churches abound in Vienna, mostly of the Catholic faith. We entered St. Peter's and the Jesuit University churches. Both are amazing. Being of Protestant faith and background, I'm used to seeing the simple, plain white, New England-style churches. So the intricacies of the statues and gold leaf overlays are stunning.

We went back to see the Fortepiano played by Richard Fuller. He explained the history and the technique of the playing this instrument. It was fascinating. I asked him why the keyboard colors were opposite-- I had my own theory, and he validated it! He agrees that the central European countries had less access to ivory than Great Britain and France did, so they only used the ivory on the flats and sharps. He took the keyboard apart to show us how it works.  A few of us got to play it after he was done! It's similar to typing on a computer keyboard...that's how light it is. The keys are very short and the action is quick. Apparently this model was the one Mozart liked the best because of the specific action. The keys were also very slippery. The sound was surprisingly big!

After our walk through the city, I was ready to collapse. I came back to hotel and slept for a long time. Everything caught up to me. Not only have we been on our feet all day every day, but it's mentally draining at times as well. There is so much to take in and so much information! It also takes a bit of brain power to order food in German!!

By the way, I highly recommend the book, The Spell of the Vienna Woods by Paul Hofmann. It's a memoir of the author's time in Wienerwald, or the Vienna Woods, a dense forest, relatively close the the city where many artists, writers, and composers walked for inspiration.  The last sentence: "Nazi rule was to end in infamy and ashes within a few years; Schubert's music is immortal; and the Vienna Woods have survived." I will write about the woods in the next blog.