 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Gardini
Date: 2006-04-28 19:03
For my 50th. birthday we are going to Europe to see Sabine Meyer and Giora Feidman. What a great wife I have, she bought me a Selmer 37 last year for my birthday. We are going to Gstaad to see Sabine play, then Prague and Berlin. Does anyone have any other suggestions of music/musicians/good food to look for in any of these places.
I hear that they have four of Mozart's "private hairs" at Bertranka in Prague. I'll leave it at that.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris Chaloner
Date: 2006-04-28 19:18
I believe Prague is the only place where you can still hear Mozart operas in the opera house that he performed them in. Fantastic city. I remember excellent stew with dumplings, accompanied by even better beer.
Chris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: rgames
Date: 2006-04-28 19:26
There's a really good musical instruments museum in Berlin, I believe adjacent to the concert hall where the Berlin Philharmonic performs. It's great for clarinetists because it has a large collection of very early "clarinet-type" instruments, including clarions, basset horns, etc. If I remember correctly, it also has an exhibit showing the steps in the manufacture of a modern day clarinet, starting with the raw wood, adding shape and bore, then tone holes, etc.
Highly recommended.
rgames
____________________________
Richard G. Ames
Composer - Arranger - Producer
www.rgamesmusic.com
Post Edited (2006-04-28 19:29)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: k_leister
Date: 2006-04-28 20:40
There is a very good music store in Berlin that is run by a clarinetist. They have lots of instruments (Oehler and Boehm) that are worth trying. And they know a lot of stuff, too....
I'm not sure if I should post its name here since it may violate the Bboard rules. But if you would like to know where it is, drop me an email and I will send you some directions.
Gute Fahrt!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Alphie
Date: 2006-04-28 22:37
At the National (Estates) Theatre in Prague, Anton Stadler is believed to have played the very first performance of the Mozart concerto on Oct. 16th 1791.
Alphie
Post Edited (2006-04-29 11:28)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-04-29 00:32
Also see the Museum of Music in Prague. LOTS of really cool old instruments, many of them experimental. Throw in a sopranino in G, bassoon-looking bass in the key of A, quarter-tone double clarinet, and more, and the clarinet section alone is worth visiting.
Saw Marriage of Figaro in the Estates Theater (Don Giovanni's premiere spot). Box seats were ridiculously inexpensive ($30 US IIRC. Standing room can be had for about $1) and well worth it.
The food is excellent... be sure you do your currency math though. A $6 roast pork and potato dinner with $1.50 beer will be located right next door to a $15 turkey sandwich and $5 hot chocolate, for people that don't understand the exchange rates. Just about anything in Prague can be found at local and tourist pricing. I can point to two great places to eat on a map, but don't remember the names offhand (both in Mala Strana, walking distance from Pension Dientzenhofer). There's also a cool-looking (still kicking myself for forgetting to go in) musical instrument store on Pohorolec north of the palace, across the street from an equally cool toy store.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: crnichols
Date: 2006-04-29 10:35
I've been here for fifteen months, and it never ends...there's always something to see. There's a musical instrument museum in every city, tons of clarinet makers, there are so many concerts, some of them absolutely incredible and historic sights to see everywhere! Prague and Berlin are two of my favorite cities that I've visited, so you've made some good choices in my opinion. Make sure you bring a good camera and lots of memory cards or film, looking across the Moldau at the Prague Castle is one of the most beautiful things I've ever done... I have to disagree with Alex regarding the the productions at the Estates Theatre in Prague of Mozart operas. During the summer, they are ok, nothing to write home about, and in my opinion overpriced. I attended a production of Don Giovanni there, I viewed it as a sort of musical tourist trap and there are tons of them all over the city. I think they may have increased the prices either for the season, or because of what's happening with the EU. Alex is also right about knowing the currency, I have to add one thing...familiarize yourself with when and what locals eat. Here in Germany, a Schnitzel at 12 pm, and a Schnitzel at 5 pm are very different prices...as Germans traditional eat the Schnitzel at noon and cold meat and cheese platters in the evening. Also, Chinese food at an Imbiss (fast food stand) is always a steal and often quite good. Anyways, a little bit of preparation can make your European Vacation as affordable as it is fun. And then you can spend all that money you saved on Henle Urtext editions or something in Germany...
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: larryb
Date: 2006-04-29 20:34
The real Imbiss specialties in Berlin are Currywurst (beef sausage with a ketchupy curry sauce) and Donner (turkish grilled lamb sandwich). Both are dirt cheap, best washed down with a good beer. The Donner may be one of the best street foods in the world. My favorite Currywurst is served under the Friedrichstrasse S-Bahn station - on the street just to the side of the entrance.
Also, a nice treat in Berlin is the "beer garden" by the river behind the Haus der Kultur in the Tiergarten. Great place to spend a few lazy hours soaking up some sun, nibbling a bratwurst, and sipping a decent Pils. Very local crowd. Sometime in October it's also the finish line for the annual Spree crew regata. Sehr gemuetlich.
If you want to return the favor to your wife, take her to VAU for dinner - but be prepared to put your Selmer 37 on eBay if you do.
By the way, the Institut fuer Musikforschung had a major exhibit on the history of the clarinet back in 2005. The catalog is probably still for sale at the book shop.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-04-30 04:01
I would check if Louis Sclavis has a concert in one of those cities while you are there. Every clarinet player and especially bass clarinet player should hear him if possible.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
