Yesterday we saw the homes of Mendelssohn and Schumann! I had never been in Mendelssohn's house before, as it was closed for renovations in 2014. It was a very comprehensive museum and a fascinating look at the life of Mendelssohn! Felix Mendelssohn was an all-around outstanding guy; among many achievements he was the youngest conductor of the Gewandhausorchester (26!), a skilled composer, painted beautifully, and he was a caring friend. He wrote letters to many people because he knew they brought joy to the recipients- unlike many composers we hear about, he sounds like he would be a great person to know! Mendelssohn also sparked a revival of Bach's music in the town of Bach. It is interesting to think about how much we revere Bach as the father of it all today, while in his time he was kapellmeister of the local church. In comparison, Mozart is similarly revered today but he was very popular in his own time as well. Thanks to Mendelssohn and his successors we appreciate Bach as much as he deserves!
We also walked over to the Schumann house. The Schumanns lived there from 1840-1844, and hosted many musical salon gatherings of musicians we know and love today!
After the museums Collin and I went up to the top of the building our tour guide called the "wisdom tooth," and found some others from our group up there! The view was incredible, and we lucked out with a sunny day!
Last night we saw the Gewandhausorchester from seats behind the orchestra- I was so excited to see Ricardo Chailly conduct the orchestra as if I were sitting in with them! They sounded absolutely incredible and I loved seeing all of Chailly's expressions while he conducted. There was a moment in one of the pieces where the high brass sounded like diamonds, their sound was so clear and sparkling!
Today we're headed to Berlin and I can't wait to see the Berlin Philharmonic tonight!
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