The 195th birthday of Smetana

 Today, March 2 is the 195th birthday of Bedřich Smetana, a famous compositor from Czech Republic.

 On August 3, 2017, I visited his home country, Prague, Czech Republic, and visited the Museum of Smetana, located along the side of Moldau River , very near the Karel Bridge. The address was the number  1 of the Smetana Street.

 Inside the Museum, only a few Czech women welcomed not many visitors, including I and 3 more Japanese ladies. A Japanese pianist tried to play a piece with an original music notes of Smetana.

 Outside of the Smetana Museum, I found a statue of Smetana under a tree, and over the River, in the street, we can see the Smetana Hotel.

  In the evening, I went to the Czech classical music concert in Smetana Hall.  I like its music so much, it's melancholic in a way, but it sounds sometimes very powerful.

 195 years ago, Czech was not an Independent country, but a part of the Austria-Hungary Empire.
Like Smetana, many Czech people are always proud of being Czech and their dream of the Independence comes true.
 Today, in 2017, when I visited Prague, people there said to me that the economy was fine and they keep their own currency.

New Year's Concert

At the beginning of the year, on the 1st of January, I love to listen to the New Years Concert of the Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra. It is very famous all over the world.
Even in Japan, we can listen to this concert at the same time as in Vienna, and when I was in Helsinki, Finland, in January 2017, I watched the Wiener Phil. New Year's Concert on TV.

The first time when I went to Vienna was in December 1991, when I was living in Paris. The year 1991 was the 200 years after the passing away of Amadeus Mozart and I had an invitation of a concert from a friend who is pianist living in Vienna.
Of course, I discovered the beautiful music of Mozart, and at the same time, the charm of Strauss music which is really very Wiener!

I was again in Vienna in December 2016, the year of 260th anniversary of Mozart's birthday.
 On the first day, I went to the Mozart Concert in a Church,  on the second day, I listened to the Symphony No.9 of Beethoven played by the Wiener Symphony Orchestra at Koncerthous, and on the 3rd day, I watched the Operetta Fledermaus at Folksoper. Every time I listen to the music in Vienna, it sounds like quite light and enjoyable. It makes people happy.

At the end of the yesterday's New Year's concert of  Wiener Phil, it is announced that the next year 2020's conductor will be Mr. Nelsons. Wow, he was the conductor of the Wiener Phil. in Salzburg festival in 2017 where I was exactly listening to.
My dream is that one day I could listen to the real New Year concert in Vienna.

A Happy New Year!!

One more thing : this year 2019 is the 150th anniversary of Austria-Japan diplomatic relations!
Congratulations.

Just one week before the Christmas Eve

Just one week before the Christmas Eve,
I've just finished the decoration of our Christmas tree at home.
Usually, children do this job, but this year, they are busy for preparing the entrance exams of Universities which start in January next year 2019.
So, I was alone setting up our Christmas tree and putting different ornaments on it ;
some I had bought in the Christmas market in Salzburg several years ago,
one special of the White House I had received from one friend having worked in the US Embassy, etc......lots of memories...
When I finished the decoration, I found an e-mail coming from friends in Italy, saying:
We wish you a Merry Christmas!!

On December 8, I was listening to the piano concert for Christmas, and a pianist, Madame Nishikawa played the Spruce of Sibelius. She explained that people believed the fairies living in the spruces.
Spruces are green all the time, even in the winter time, so it symbolize the eternal life.
I spent the New Year's Day of 2017 in Helsinki, Finland where Sibelius comes from.
The temperature was  -18 C and los of snow in a short time, dark until noon, and dark after 1400pm.
The Spruce of Sibelius was harmonizing the landscape and people in Finland.
I loved it.

A spruce candle arranged by Kuniko