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Celebrating the pipe organ, the King of Instruments |
View Austria Day 01 in a larger map
Prime Pipedreamer Barone checks the role, while the group’s luggage prepares to roll.
Boarding our Prima Klima coach, soon to be under way.
The imposing Klosterneuburg Church, representing power and wealth.
Inside Klosterneuburg, the group enjoys our first pipe organ, one of Austria’s finest, by Johannes Freundt (1642).
Jeremy Joseph (from South Africa) demonstrates at the Freundt organ console.
Imbach Parish Church, modest yet marvelous.
A little organ in a lofty room, with supremely satisfying sound.
Pipedreams Tour 2009
Day 1 - May 06 - Arrive in Austria
Vienna – Klosterneuburg – Imbach – Krems
- Today’s Venues, Instruments & Players
Stift Klosterneuburg: Festorgel (Freundt 1642, III-P/36)
– Jeremy Joseph, organist
Imbach (Anonymous ca. 1695, I/7)
– Wolfgang Kogert, organist
Wednesday - The PIPEDREAMS Austria tour officially begins today. Though the main body of the crew will arrive in Vienna this morning after an overnight flight, some dozen of us have come early, by a day or two or three, have shaken off jet-lag, and already become somewhat accustomed to Vienna (where the group will be in residence during the final four days of the trip). Tromping around in the old part of the city, visiting the Alphonse Mucha exhibit at the Belvedere Palace (museum), and last night hearing Beethoven’s “Eroica” with Martin Haselböck’s Wiener Akademie Orchestra (period instruments, fantastic valveless horns and trumpets, a most lyric oboeist) at the Musikverein (one of the world’s most acclaimed concert rooms) was the right way for Lise and I to settle in. But now this morning, we’re off on the train to the airport to meet and greet the incoming crew and get us going. And it’s Lise’s birthday, too.
The ‘bon voyage’ commences Wednesday morning with those already in Vienna converging with the incoming crew from the USA and, lacking one bag, one person (who missed his flight from Los Angeles, and will join us Thursday night) and one other who waited in the wrong terminal!), we piled onto our tour coach and, with Uli our trusted guide, headed out to Klosterneuberg. This magnificent castle and monastery was begun back in 1133 to commemorate a mystical vision had by the Margrave Leopold III who, while hunting, found the bridal veil of his wife, Agnes, that had blown away on their wedding day seven years before. Upon discovering the veil, Leopold also had a vision of the Virgin Mary, and thus determined to erect a church on that site. The considerable structure, by its imposing size, also was to demonstrate the Margrave’s power. Only about a quarter of the original plan was completed, but the existing facility, last rebuilt between 1730 & 1834, is one of the most impressive in Austria.
The organ by Johannes Freund, from 1642, is the the largest and most important 17th century pipe organ in Austria, with a powerful, majesterial voice. an imposing first experience. Jeremy Joseph, a student of Martin Haselböck at the Music University in Vienna, played Muffat, Kerll and Froberger…totally dazzling. For contrast, we followed this with a little 7-stop instrument from 1695 at the parish church in Imbach, largely a reconstruction from the 1960s based on surviving materials. This church, though with a relatively small footprint, is very lofty, and the tiny pipe organ fills it with a clear, vibrant sound…quite exciting. Wolfgang Kogert, who will be our music guide for the entire tour, performed some dance movements from a 17th century Linz Manuscript.
We continue on to a modern Steigenberger Hotel in the picturesque Danube-valley town of Krems (understated elegance), though after 90 minutes of freshening up we continue on to a countryside restaurant for a delicious meal of Austrian food and wine. Then to bed, and welcome rest for those for whom this was the first full day in Europe.