Tour of Germany and the Enclaves Autumn 2015 No. 14: Vienna Philharmonic at the Cologne Philharmonie

Impressed by the passionate performance of Beethoven No.7 and No.8 by Vienna Philharmonic & Blomstedt!

The purpose of an important trip

今回のドイツ旅行、そもそものきっかけは、10月28日にケルンにウィーン・フィルが、そして11月1日にベルリン・フィルがドイツ西部に演奏旅行に来るので、これに行きたいと思ったこと。

The 28th of October has finally arrived. Here’s the subject for the day!

To Cologne after five years.

After sightseeing in the Rhine Valley, we got caught in the traffic jam as usual (Bonn area was very bad), but we managed to arrive at Cologne before sunset. I took a hotel in front of the cathedral. I thought there must be a parking lot near the cathedral, so I headed to the cathedral without thinking, and found a parking lot without any problem. Parked here to the hotel. After checking in, I went out to the city. There was still some time before the concert.

So, I came to Cologne after 5 years. Speaking of Cologne, the first thing is the cathedral. It’s so big that it’s hard to fit in.

And I knew this! Kölsch.

It’s better to order a small glass of Kölsch to get the right atmosphere. It was delicious. I like it especially among beers. We also had a light meal here, as we didn’t have much time before the concert.

The Cologne Philharmonic is so beautiful!

Then we went to the concert hall. The place is right next to the Cologne Cathedral. The hotel is around here, and the pub where we drank Kölsch is also around here. Esprit where I bought a scarf is also around here. It was almost no distance to travel.

The scene before the opening. (From Vienna Philharmonic’s Facebook page). I saw many Japanese people. I wonder if they were aiming for the concert. I also saw a few people who seemed to be international students (music students) in the area.

So, I went inside. I think it was about an hour before the show. However, I couldn’t enter the hall yet. It seems to start 30 minutes before the show. I’ll wait in the foyer until then. By the way, the foyer was wide and very beautiful.

Then, at 7:30pm, we finally went inside the hall. It was very beautiful and impressive. It might be the most beautiful hall I’ve ever seen. So cool! However, photography is not allowed inside? So I’m quoting from the official Facebook page of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Here’s another shot, taken from another website. This shot was taken just around the entrance to the hall, so it’s close to the first sight you see when you enter.

The program is Beethoven Symphony No.7 and No.8.

And then it was time for the show to start at 8pm. The hall was almost full. After the members of the Vienna Philharmonic entered the hall, they tuned up. And the entrance of Maestro « Blomstedt ». He was greeted with loud applause. Then the baton was lowered.

本日のThe program is Beethoven Symphony No.7 and No.8.。前半は8番から。そして、20分の休憩を挟んで7番を演奏。

No.8 is a symphony which is a little bit minor because No.7 (the music made famous by Nodame drama) and No.9 (the well-known chorus) before and after No.8 are too famous, but I think that No.8 is quite popular among classical music lovers and orchestra experienced people. I also like this symphony relatively among Beethoven’s symphonies because it is light and fun. But unfortunately, I have not met with the opportunity to play this music yet.

On the other hand, No.7, which I played in the latter half of the concert, is a very famous and popular piece. I have played it three times (Hr, 1stVn, 2ndVn). I have played it 3 times (Hr, 1stVn, 2ndVn), so I might know more details than other classical music.

These two songs are such a personal contrast.

さて、ブロムシュテット＆ウィーン・フィルですが、噂通り相性は抜群。ひとつひとつ丁寧な表現をしているのに演奏がアツいのです！ホールの響きは普通な感じでしたが、そんなハンディなど関係なく聴衆を惹きつける演奏をしていました。テンポによらず音がひとつひとつ美しく飛んできて響くのが本当にすごかったです。理想的な演奏でした。

And the show was over. There was a huge applause. I think almost everyone gave a standing ovation. It was a very convincing and passionate performance. I was very moved. Thank you Maestro! Vienna Philharmonic!

On the way back to the hotel after the wonderful concert, I saw Mr. Küchl, who is a composer, walking in front of me. He was walking with his wife (I think she was Japanese?). I think she was Japanese. This was also a touching happening.

ホールからホテルまでは徒歩数分。部屋に戻りシャワーを浴びて就寝。この日も素晴らしい一日となりました。（続く）