Vienna 2018-03-02

My trip to the Albertina on day 2. Pre-lunch. I have to admit I was underwhelmed by the collection, despite some of the lovely works on paper, until I discovered the Matisse to Picasso exhibition that I visited after lunch. I meant to go back to see them again and the watercolor show, but time ran out. I hate it when things are behind glass - it's so hard to get non-glare photos. Hence the weird angle of a couple images. What's a mother to do? Full-size images here. Enjoy. :)

En route - the Stephansdom

The Albertina

Dunno who this is - one of several men on horses throughout
Vienna. Apparently Archduke Albrecht. Who knew?

See? Glare.

Vienna 2018-03-01 Musikverein evening concert

Some shots today from the amazing concert at the Musikverein, Vienna's main concert hall. The orchestra was not the Vienna Phil as I thought when I ordered the ticket, but the Vienna Symphony, a.k.a. Wiener Symphoniker, which Jan's friend, Carlo, told me the thought was just as good when he and I met for a quick tour of the Kunst Historisches Museum the day before.

The men were wearing tails, not only tuxes, and the orchestra took the A from the concertmaster, not the oboe. Not a Brahms fan, I have never heard Brahms played like they did with his 2nd symphony on the 2nd half of the concert. The 2nd movement moved me to tears it was so beautiful. Not clear from the Wikipedia article whether the symphony was premiered in the Musikverein, but I'll bet it was. Those Viennese have Brahms in their blood.

They started with a transcription of Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte (a little slow in my opinion), and Lalo's Symphonie espagnole (who knew there were 5 movements? I joined the audience applauding after the 3rd mvt., much to my chagrin).

View from my seat

The ceiling

Fuzzy picture as I tried to get the flutists

Standing room "seats" behind the orchestra