Category: Vienna

It’s Spendentag!

The cover of the current KLASSIK magazine from radio klassik Stephansdom; download it here.

radio klassik Stephansdom‘s monthly Spendentag will take place tomorrow, September 18, and this month’s theme is Land der Töne, or the “Land of Sounds,” with a day of special programming to accompany the fundraising. I once again suggest that you take out your wallets and send a few euros Vienna-bound. Here are a few details about the day (DeepL gets credit for the translation):

The focus is on the world of Austrian classical music —created by countless geniuses who worked in Austria and performed by the orchestras and soloists that we bring to your ears every day.

On the day of the fundraiser, there will be interviews in the morning with art historian Sabine Haag [former director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum] and young soprano Amelie Hois. Lawyer and former politician Irmgard Griss [former President of the Austrian Supreme Court] will be asking questions about Austria, the land of music … and in the afternoon the Carinthian Singing Community will be visiting the studio live in Vienna! There will be spoken contributions and music from Eva Stubenvoll, the director of the Musikverein Graz, Dr. Michael Nemeth, and many more.

If you listen at the right time, you might even hear a few words from yours truly.

I’ve written before about radio klassik Stephansdom, but it occurs to me that I should probably let you know a little more about what you’ll be supporting. rkS is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week over-the-air radio station in Austria at 107.3 FM in Vienna and 94.2 FM in Graz. Thankfully, it’s also streamable over a variety of methods, including via the web. Its weekly programming features a variety of daily magazines and musical programs (including three full operas every week at 8:00 pm Vienna time) and live masses from the Stephansdom itself every Sunday, along with other spiritually-nourishing programming. The fine Sunday Musica Sacra program (at 1:00 pm Eastern time) bridges the religious and musical offerings, and the daily CD des Tages features the best of recent releases. Get to know the delightfully personable and knowledgable on-air talent here. You can download both the weekly and the opera schedules here. You can also request your favorite recordings to be played on Sunday’s Wunschkonzert here.

Originally supported and funded by the Archdiocese of Vienna (hence the religious programs), the unique radio klassik Stephansdom now depends on the support of its listeners for its continued health. That means you. So brush up your German and make a contribution to radio klassik Stephansdom this Spendentag. Then tune in and enjoy the show.

Bach from Vienna

I was just finishing up work yesterday when I turned on radio klassik Stephansdom and got something I didn’t think I needed. On a special broadcast to recognize the 50th anniversary of the death of Hans Swarowsky, the Vienna radio station presented a restored recording of the conductor’s St. Matthew’s Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach. I treasure my CD of John Eliot Gardner’s recording, but Swarowsky’s 1967 performance with the Wiener Symphoniker and the Wiener Akademie Kammerchor was absolutely stunning. You can listen to it yourself here. (For those of you whose German is a little rusty, just click on “Sendung nachhören.”)

radio klassik Stephansdom’s September Spendentag is coming up in just a few days and you’ll read more about it then, but the very fact that rkS will present a recording like this without commercial or other interruption — all three hours of it — is one of the many things that make rkS special. You needn’t wait until September 18 to donate, either. I wrote more about radio klassik Stephansdom here.

On the streets of Vienna

Philipp Broinger.

When I need to spend a few minutes in Vienna (which is more often than I like to admit), I just pull out my iPhone and look up the latest video from Philipp Broinger, who under the handle of architectphilipp roams the streets of Austria’s capitol to present Vienna’s unique architectural gems and offer anecdotes associated with those gems. Herr Broinger is a personable, likable chap, possessed of a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge about the city and delighted to be sharing it with others. His videos have garnered over 4,000 followers on TikTok and 25,000 followers on Instagram, and no wonder.

Below is one of Herr Broinger’s videos, about the history of music at the Stephansdom; he interviews the Stephansdom organist Konstantin Reymaier. You can follow architectphilipp at either of the TikTok or Instagram channels linked above, and he’s on Facebook too.

@architect.philipp

Exploring the soul of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where history and music harmonize in every corner. From ancient organs to modern melodies, this cathedral has always been a place where sound fills the sacred space. Join me and cathedral organist Konstantin Reymaier on a journey through the cathedral’s rich musical heritage. Photocredits: Dombausekretariat St. Stephan, Wikipedia #stephansdom #wien #vienna #viennanow #architecturelovers #historylovers #organmusic

♬ Originalton – architect.philipp

Last years

Egon Schiele, Sitzende Frau mit hochgezogenem Knie, 1917. © Národní Galerie, Prag. Photo: National Gallery Prague 2024.

Opening tomorrow, March 28, at Vienna’s Leopold Museum, Egon Schiele: Last Years provides a comprehensive overview of Schiele’s work from 1914-1918 — the First World War — following the radically aggressive and discordant work of his earlier career. I’ve always been rather more fond of this late work; one of my favorite Schiele drawings, “Sitzende Frau mit hochgezogenem Knie,” dates from 1917. Unlike the early work, Schiele’s later art consists of rather less sensational landscapes and portraits, but to me they seem to exhibit a more compassionate perspective without sacrificing the sensuality of that early work: the erotics of the body shade into an erotics of the spirit.

The exhibition, per the Leopold Museum’s web site,

weaves together biographical and artistic elements, focusing on the ruptures and transformations in Egon Schiele’s “late works” from 1914 to 1918, a period that has received comparatively little attention until now. During this time, Schiele gradually abandoned the radical formal experiments of 1910 to 1914 and developed a more realistic style characterized by deeper empathy. His linework became calmer, more fluid, and organic, and the figures he depicted gained greater physical fullness. The exhibition also offers new insights into this pivotal period by incorporating contemporary archival materials, such as the previously unpublished diary of Edith Schiele.

The exhibition runs through July 13. There is a digital exhibition here, and the catalogue is available here. A short teaser trailer is below.

My five minutes and 25 seconds of fame

A special birthday gift this past weekend was a shout-out from radio klassik Stephansdom, and needless to say I was flattered and honored. They were also kind enough to accommodate my request for Scott Joplin’s “Reflection Rag” from my wife’s Syncopated Musings CD of a few years back. A tip of my hat, then, to Ursula Magnes, Christoph Wellner, and the rest of the gang at rkS. You can hear both their kind words and the music below.