The Magic of Salzburg

The view from where we watched the sunset

Salzburg. I am not even sure where to start when it comes to reflecting on Salzburg. From the moment we got off the train I fell in love with this beautiful little city. Our train got in around 3:30 and made it to the hostel and were checked in at about 4:40. Jennica and I decided that we wanted to see the sunset, as the weather report said that this was supposed to be the only sunny day, but when we looked up what time the sun was supposed to set it said 5:00. We ran up to our room and dropped our bags off, then went running out the door, in search of the closest and highest point we could find. Ahead of the stood the tallest hill we could find within walking distance, so we started running towards it. We got lost a few times trying to find a path that led up it, but once we found one we went up the stairs and the cobble-stone hills as fast as we could. We made it to a little lookout point and stopped to watch the sunset. Watching the sun set behind the Alps, with the top of the city in front of us, made this one of the most magical sunset I’ve ever seen. 

The concert hall where the morning concerts were held

And the magic of Salzburg never wore off. Every day a new beautiful part of the city seemed to emerge. From the inside of beautiful churches, to adventures up the hillside, to all of the amazing Mozart Week concerts we attened, the magic never wore off but rather seemed to grow each day. Each and every one of the concerts that we attended while in Salzburg were incredible. Being able to see one of Mozart’s masses in the church where Mozart was baptized, and where he preferred to attended church, was a truly amazing experience. Attending the opera The Marriage of Figaro and being able to see the entire opera without any cuts, a rare occurrence, was a great privilege. I believe that it was one of the longest, if not the longest, concert that I have ever attended, but being able to listen to every note of the opera that Mozart wrote was a very special experience, and one that I feel very lucky to have witnessed.
On two of the days we attended mid-morning concerts, both of which consisted of smaller chamber ensembles. The first of the morning concerts that we saw was unique because two different chamber groups joined together. In the morning concert the next day the performers performed on period instruments rather than modern instruments. This means that we were able to hear the pieces played the same way that Mozart would have heard them. Both of these morning concerts were unique in their own ways, and in each the music was moving and beautiful. Another one of the concerts that we attended while in Salzburg was the Vienna Philharmonic. At first we thought it was a bit ironic that we were seeing the Vienna philharmonic in Salzburg rather than in Vienna, however their Mozart set was amazing. They performed his Symphony in B-flat major, his third French horn concerto, and his piano concerto no 20. Both the symphony and the soloists were absolutely incredible.

Always smiling in Salzburg

Nearly every concert that we attended during Mozart Week had some aspect of it that made it unique and different from the majority of other performances of these same pieces. Each and every performance that we have attended while on this trip have each been amazing, and it has been a privilege to see each of them, however, the ones that we saw during our time in Salzburg were even more of a privilege to be able to attend because of the things that made them so unique and special. The variety of Mozart’s music that we got to see while in Salzburg also made it even more special. From an opera, to full symphonies, to concertos, to chamber ensembles, to a dinner concert, we saw it all. Being able to see such a variety of Mozart’s music made his incredible talent to compose even more apparent. He was not good at only writing one genre or for one specific orchestration, but rather the music that he wrote for each type of ensemble that he wrote for was equally incredible. The time that we spent in Salzburg was special and magical in every way, and having to say goodbye to such a memorable and incredible little city was no easy task.