If ever the word “genius” applied to a person, it certainly applied to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From the late 18th to mid 19th centuries Vienna was the music capital of Europe, and Mozart could not have been born at a better time. He lived in many different apartments in Vienna, depending on his finances at the time, but the one we visited was his last. The rooms were empty, but there were stories you could read about him and what took place in each room…….where he sat and wrote his incredible music, where he dined, where he and his wife slept and where he played with his children. This is the house where he died, a very young many. To this day exactly what he died from is not certain…..some think he was poisoned by a rival. If you have never seen the movie “Armadeus” I highly recommend it. It is one of Jac and my favorites. The photo at the bottom left shows the outside of the building he lived in. The photo next to it of the street scene is the view he saw every day. It’s amazing that so little has changed.
Another genius of his day was Sigmund Freud. The upper left photo is the house he and his family lived in from 1891 until 1938 until they were forced to leave for London to escape from the Nazi. Again, all but one room was empty….the waiting room. In some rooms there were photos of the rooms from the past so you could get a feeling of how it was.
Last but not least, we visited the “Spanish Riding School”, where you can see the famous Lipizzaner stallions. The horses are trained from the age of three. The horses had just come back from their “vacation”, so we were able to buy a ticket to see them. There are timed tours and many are sold out quickly. We were unable to see them preform as the first show took place after we had left Vienna, but we were able to visit with them in their stables. You are not allowed to photograph the stallions in the stables…..I guess they are afraid the flashes will spook them. We were able to take photos of the interior of the “Winter Riding School”. In one of the photos you can see red seats under the arch…..that is wear the “royals” sat. The place is immaculate, and you can buy DVDs of the shows in the gift shop……standing in this great arena, you can easily imagine what it all looks like. I was wondering how and who is responsible for cleaning those gigantic chandeliers! Vienna is a magnificent city steeped in history, and there is always something to see and discover………………………………
Louis:
Thank you so much for your kindness in sharing your trip with us. I feel as though I have just “been” 🙂 Dear hubby and I plan to get back over to Europe before Christmas (hopefully) or May at the latest – and this is just a shot in the arm to get the planning in high gear. I know it takes time to post these pictures and wanted you to know they are appreciated. And as I head off to Church this morning in my border print top AND border print skirt in chili pepper red, I thank you for that too! (aka TheOwl)
Yes, you and Jac really packed it in! If I had to pick one composer to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be Mozart. It’s as if no human wrote his music. The Music of the Spheres….Thanks to Jac for giving a strong heads up for seeing the Mozart Haus with its audio tour, which hadn’t been particularly on my list. We have tickets for a Mozart concert at the Sala Terrena, which is billed as being in the Mozart Haus, but it is another house entirely. The first opera we will attend is Mozart’s comic opera “Abduction from the Seraglio”, which will be performed in the Volksoper. You and Jac must come back, Louis, during the opera and concert season when it will also be COOLER! The stallions morning training and practice and after that a trip to the barn are definitely on my agenda. OG will be at the military history museum! I’ll be interested in hearing what if any design inspiration you have from Vienna. One of course that does not involve tight corsets and miles of crinoline. And of course I’m looking forward to the sneaks for your 10 Sept. show!
You’re making Vienna very appealing. It’s amazing how much you were able to do in such a brief visit!
I remember the Lipizzzaner stallions and the wonderful show that we saw in Vienna years ago…..that is what I remember most about Vienna….. the show was marvelous….. Glad your trip was successful and I am anxiously waiting to hear what is coming up next in your line…… we are in suspense…..