A paradise for culture enthusiasts

Salzburg

In 2005, the famous Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena gave birth to her first son with the even more famous British conductor Sir Simon Rattle (chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra). And she decided she wanted her child to be born in Salzburg. At first sight, this might seem surprising, given the fact that neither of the parents had been born or even lived in Salzburg themselves. Or had any familial ties there. But taking into consideration Salzburg’s pre-eminent rank within the world of classical music, its worldwide reputation as a cultural centre, this decision of a world-class singer becomes more easily understandable. After all, it was in Salzburg that Kozena won the 1995 International Mozart Competition.

Though the internationally renowned, enormously successful (and equally expensive) Salzburg Festival attracts celebrities as well as music lovers from all over the world, it isn’t the only place in Austria for culture enthusiasts to go to. Vienna can easily compete with this. The State Theatre, the State Opera and the Musikverein (a major concert hall), to name but a few, are all world-class venues. It’s for a reason that a whole period in the history of music – and an extremely important one –is named after Vienna: the Viennese Classic. Outstanding composers like Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are intimately connected both to this period and to Vienna.

There might not be a period in the history of music named after Linz (only the Linz Tart and the Linz Symphony in C major, KV 425, by Mozart), but, in the areas of music and theatre, Linz has a lot to offer as well. Not only the Brucknerhaus, a concert house with the excellent Bruckner Orchestra, but also the Upper-Austrian regional theatre with its various venues provide superb productions. And the annual Bruckner Festival attracts outstanding orchestras and solo performers from all over the world. Relative to its size, the range and quality of the city’s cultural institutions and events are astonishing. After decades of planning, heated discussions and a politically motivated popular vote, the opera – or music theatre as it is called here – is now being built, its dedication planned for April 2013. It’s just round the corner from where I live – yet another place sure to attract my music-enthusiast husband.

the Brucknerhaus concert hall

When we moved to Austria in 2002, the low fees at Austrian public music schools simply amazed us. In Germany, fees were at least three times as high. But ever since, public debt has caused subsidies to be cut and fees have been rising, although they are still considerably lower than those we had to pay in Germany ten years ago. Furthermore, a quarter of the fees are refunded to me by my trade union. In the foreseeable future, charges are likely to rise still higher, and it will become more difficult for families to finance their children’s musical education. Let’s hope politicians in Austria will always remember that a considerable part of Austria’s attraction is its musical heritage. And this heritage needs to be maintained.

A brass band in St. Georgen, Tyrol

But classical music isn’t the only thing Austria has to offer. Traditional Austrian folk music, brass bands and dancing groups in traditional costumes also play an enormously important role in the country’s cultural life. The local brass bands might be sneered at by more classically oriented listeners, but they produce musicians of astonishing quality. Last summer I listened to a group of young men, members of a rural brass band, busking in the pedestrian area in the centre of Linz. They were absolutely amazing! I could have listened to them for hours on end. So, it’s not only for world class singers like Magdalena Kozena that this country holds a great attraction, but also for culture enthusiasts like my family. Austria has the potential to be a paradise.