A Poem, Composed.
Friday, July 16, 2010
“WHY IS HE DEAD?”
Herr Beethoven’s question might as well be
put to the Bard – excepting Time and Place –
who worries us to notice Nature’s grace
then pause at naming, lest we fail to see
perhaps young Magdalena as would he
at Cothen, then in ‘Clavierbuchlein’ trace
his subject through such contrapuntal space
portrayed in Leipzig’s solitary tree.
That trunk with branches, rooted deeply where
its leaves – as many thousand subjects – met
their fugal demonstration on the square;
Demanding Countersubjects fully set
toward harmonic realization there:
as Freedom breathes, here too Sebastian yet.
RSPGardner
Leipzig / July 2010
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Taking The Saxon Pass
Over the past weekend, many of the participants had the opportunity to venture out from our home to the many destinations available through the Saxon pass. The pass is meant for groups traveling in the Saxony area and Dr. Binford, Dr. Allen, and Louise all suggested their use on the various trips organized. Trips were planned to Wittenberg (by an adamant History teacher!), Weimar, Dresden (a number of day-trips to Dresden), Köthen, Naumburg, and Merseburg. As the writer of the blog, I will explain my experiences through our many travels.
 (This was helpful graffiti!)  (We were told to "Turn right at the 'Thug.'")
On Friday, I was lucky enough to sign on to the Wittenberg trip, the place where Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Schloßkirche in town. The “old” part of town is a single street, but it is loaded with history - the Stadtkirche, the Luther Museum, and the Schloßkirche. The Luther Museum, where we arguably spent the most time, is three stories high and includes interpretations of Luther’s importance throughout history.
 (The candles in the Stadtkirche.)  (Flowers just outside the Stadtkirche.)
 (Obviously very thirsty!)
Both churches were ornate and overwhelming on the inside, and we found ourselves avoiding the sweltering heat by staying inside the cool ambiance of old churches. At the Schoßkirche especially, we were able to sit inside. The church has a huge plaque of the 95 Theses, and for two Euros, we were able to climb the church’s tower for a lovely view of the quaint little town.
 (The group in front of the 95 Theses site.)
 (Candles in the Schloßkirche.)
 (The group in front of a red cow in Dresden.)  (The Catholic church, standing on the edge of the Elbe.)
 (Bob, Louise, and Al in the Palace)
 (Soaking our tired feet in the fountain!)  (The Frauenkirche, where we saw the classical music concert.)
 (Dresden skyline, dusk.)
 (The church where we witnessed the Hilliard ensemble.)  (Friedrich Nietzsche's entourage!)
 (I leaped in front of about six people for this photo.)
In all cases I fell asleep on the trains back to Leipzig, worn out from the extensive travel across the Saxony area. Hopefully the pictures have been helpful, and with any luck, I will have another post soon about our time with Peter Wollny and our second week in Leipzig.
 (And me, because I'm always behind the lens and never in front of it.) Compositions /
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Excursions: Pictures From Week Two
Monday, July 12, 2010
Here are the pictures, as promised!
A big group of us at the Museum!
Another group outside of the Museum.
The statue of Goethe, the poet.
The St. Thomas Church, where we saw the organ examination.
The swiftest way to travel!
Some of our staff watching the fußbol game, including Louise, Dr. Hilde, and Michael Marissen.
A number of our participants eating dinner and watching the semifinals.
 
The Auerbach's Keller, where we ate dinner on Tuesday.
Michael, Bonnie, and Louise next to a statue in downtown Leipzig.
Our own official Deutschland mascot!
Everyone, including Michael Marissen, after our session on Thursday morning!
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In The Cosmopolitan City
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Bach for Teachers participants have been very busy this whole institution, and the last three days have been no exception. Each morning, we’ve crowded into a nearby conference room to hear a lecture series by Michael Marissen on Bach and his Music. The lessons have spilled over into our other activities, and we have found ourselves discussing Bach while at meals, on public transportation, or just when we have a free moment to reflect.
During our break in the lecture (that time when we can recharge our batteries with a healthy dose of coffee and/or mineral water), conversation always focuses on how to spend our afternoons and this weekend. There is a plethora of activities (and places to eat) that are both interesting and exciting in and around Leipzig! Just in the past couple of days, the participants have found themselves at the Stasi Museum, the Coffee-Baum, the Zoo, the St. Nicholas Church, the St. Thomas Church, the Hauptbahnhof, and many more.
Tuesday evening, the group met in the Auerbachs Keller, a restaurant located underground right in the center of town. Famous for its place in Goethe’s Faust and for the statues on the ground floor of Mephistopheles and Faust. According to our guide from the first day, anyone who rubs the foot of Faust is bound to return to Leipzig. (Of course, we all rubbed the foot!)
Wednesday afternoon featured a free tour of the old city museum, however, the tour was in German, and many of us snuck off on our own to explore the museum’s many treasures, including a miniature model of the entire city of Leipzig.
Wednesday evening found the bulk of our group situated in front of huge flat screen televisions at three neighboring restaurants that seemed to spill over into each other. Although Germany was not able to secure a World Cup 2010 finals spot, we were thankful to have witnessed the effort in such a beautiful location. One participant was so dressed up for the game, German natives were actually asking to have their picture taken with him!
Sometime during the first half, a couple of us disappeared to watch the opening concert of the International Bach competition that would be occurring over the next of a days, bringing in students from around the world to compete on piano, harpsichord, and violin. While we were not able to secure seats, we were still grateful to hear the Brandenburg Concerto #5 played in the intimate space.
Thursday afternoon and evening found the most diversity for the participants. The group I was with took the time to visit the Stasi museum, which provided a shocking look of the paranoid society of just a couple a decades ago. Armed with an English audio guide, we wandered around the museum pondering relics and documents. At night, A number of people and I went to piano round one of the Bach competition, quietly noting which competitors we would have to return to see.
Unfortunately, this post is just going to be all text until I can find myself a better Internet connection. Rest assured, the next post will probably be just photos from the past week, chronicling the past couple of days in a way that descriptions cannot do.
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Relocation To Leipzig!
Monday, July 5, 2010
The Bach For Teachers participants have been on the move lately, after Thursday morning’s session on the use of J.S. Bach’s music in films through the twentieth century. We had off on Friday for a three day weekend, and we scattered ourselves to the four winds, taking trains and rented cars to various cities including Paris, Munich, Erfurt, Amsterdam, Baden-Baden, Dresden, Leipzig, and other locations in across the countries of Germany, the Netherlands, France, Poland and Switzerland.
 Now the program has relocated to the cultural center of the Saxony region, Leipzig, where we met up with Dr. Michael Marissen, who is leading the lectures this whole week. The lecture series follows a wide range of topics, and are expanding the participants perspective on the music of Bach. They also have been experiencing the culture and many activities of this much larger city.
 This afternoon (after various crusades for lunch!) we attended a tour of downtown Leipzig, stopping at various monuments and historic buildings, including the Mendelssohn House, the St. Nicholas Church and the St. Thomas Church. The latter being the church where J.S. Bach worked during his lifetime. Our tours ended with an organ examination recital there, consisting of works by Buxtaude, J.S. Bach, Max Meyer, and Oliver Messiassan.
 Many of the group has decided to go to bed early to rest their tired feet and to wait for tomorrow’s festivities (and another chance to discuss Bach with Michael Marissen!)
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