Long Post...

Sunday, June 14
Leipzig's Music...
...ist sehr schön (is very beautiful). I heard at 9:30 this morning a Sunday morning service at the St. Thomas Church, where they performed Bach's Cantata, BWV 20 (Cantata number 20), some Mendelssohn and some more Max Reger...I'm beginning to feel like I missed something major in my Choral Literature class. Max Reger is all over the place. He lived from 1873 to 1916, and all I really know at this point is he composed very good music for choirs, also organ. I participated in the Lutheran service this morning, and I'm certain I am a fan of traditional liturgy...I just liked it a lot, despite my upbringings, as it was deeply moving...not just because it was Bach's music being played at the Thomaskirche but because it was Theologically correct and uplifting in every way. After the service, I sat down for some Mitteltagessen (lunch) and ordered what I thought was salmon soup with toast...instead I was brought liver dumpling soup. I have to say that it was very good. I'm not a liver and onions fan, but the last I checked I tasted that when I was somewhere in the neighborhood of ten years old. I might try it again... After looking at the menu again, I scolded myself on getting that completely wrong...lebenknödelsuppe (if I remember correctly) HAS to include liver. Leben=life, or when thought about creatively means "liver", knödel has to have something to do with dumplings and suppe = soup, pretty self explanatory. Ah well...new experiences are new adventures, which means I'm living and learning. After Mitteltagessen, I took a walk to the Nikolaikirche (St. Nickolas Church), where Bach also had some responsibilities during his 27 year tenure in Leipzig. There was a brass ensemble rehearsing when I walked in, and I recognized some of the music as some of the US's favorite jazz tunes- When the Saints Go Marching In und Old Time Religion. I'm not sure why they were playing those tunes, as it is the time of the summer when Leipzig engages in the Bach festival... I stayed for a little while to take some pictures of the church and listen to the rehearsal. Some folks clapped after one of the numbers and they were quickly informed that it wasn't a performance. After leaving Die Nikolaikirche, I headed back to the Thomaskirche for a concert of Chorwerke von Mendelssohn und Reger (Choral works of Mendelssohn and Reger). I also heard an organ piece by Reger (are you noticing a Reger pattern here like I am...?). The performers were some professional German soloists (Sopran, Alt, Tenor, und Bass), Gerhard Weinberger as the Organist, the Thomaskantor (Music director at the St. Thomas Church) Gerog Christoph Biller was the conductor, and I was so privileged to hear the Thomanorchor Leipzig (St. Thomas boychoir) combined with the Dresdner Kreuzchor (The Dresden boychoir). Great choirs, great singing, OH! and I failed to mention I heard the Gewandhaus Orchester (The orchestra of the professional concert hall of Leipzig) contributing to all of this great music making. After the concert, I headed back to the hotel. It was getting dark, and I didn't really want to be out late...plus my feet are pretty much killing me. It's quite worth it, however.

More pictures posted on my photobucket page under "Leipzig Day 2."


Monday, June 15
Hotel Checkout and Registration
Today was rather uneventful, but full of events…if that makes sense what-so-ever. I checked out of the Hotel, found the Herder Institute, where the German class is offered, and they told me a lot of information including the whereabouts of my room. After speaking with the registration assistants, I hopped on a couple of trams to the vicinity of my 3-week dwelling and of course got lost looking for the place. They didn’t give me an exact map but only described how to get there. But I found it eventually. Among that information they told me was how to set up an Internet connection…all the instructions were in German and for a Windows machine. Not so good. I asked for instructions concerning a Mac, and naturally it’s different. So no Internet all day… I tried to follow the Windows directions, but I was told I need another procedure to do the job. Hopefully I can have that fixed tomorrow.
And on a better note, I got to see more of Leipzig. I wandered the Hauptbanhoff, the main train station, and it is the largest one in Germany. Not only is it a large train station, but it is a large mall-like area with clothing stores, grocery stores, and cafés. I now know where to go get food and all that I need. I didn’t take pictures today, but there will be more to come.
As it is almost 10:15 and I have to get up early, I shall rest my weary English ears that have been exposed to so much German so that I can be ready for more German tomorrow!

‘wiedersehen! Tschüss!