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Dyer Blog Post #5

Frei to do our own bidding

I really enjoyed Freiburg, as I feel it had many elements of all the different locations we had been to already in Germany. It had the accessibility of Munich, the look and atmosphere of Nuremberg, and the food of Frankfurt. Yet while having many of the parts of everywhere else that I enjoyed, it held its own personality and different aspects that made it Freiburg and not just everywhere else in Germany. First off, the “rivers” it had throughout the sidewalks were a very nice aesthetic and it was cool watching kids play in it and those pet boats they had flow with the water. I also really enjoyed the shops they had throughout time, the market square ones and the mainstream ones. Freiburg provided plenty of souvenirs for me and the energy they give off is amazing. The tour of the Heliotrope and Vauban opened my eyes to the true power (heh) and potential of Solar and other forms of Natural energy. Seeing real life examples of the work did much more than reading about it in class, so I enjoyed that part. I believe one day it would be possible and feasible in the US. It is a direction we should go and after some test areas to prove how it really works and that it in fact works, we can actually get a better energy system in the USA. Final thoughts on the trip were very positive. It was an unforgettable experience as a whole and I really feel like I have gained new perspective. The schedule worked well, I just thinking giving more time for trains would have been better and we talked about having prices on the itinerary. I liked the amount of free time that we had, as it allowed us to really do what we wanted and not felt confided to what a large group constantly wanted to do. My recommendations would be to save up more money than you feel you need to, and honestly take the time to truly appreciate where you are and what you are doing. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I cannot thank anyone who supported me enough. 

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Keehn Germany Post 5

Alphorns 1. I learned about the evolution of the look and design of the alphorn. I learned how truly native to Switzerland they really were, and how the trees all throughout the country are perfect for constructing the instrument. The most interesting tidbit I learned was the name "alphorn" was actually given to it by tourists of the area rather than the creators, which I think is a nice nod to the people they allow to explore their country. 2. The specific wood the man used was interesting because of how limited the quantity was, so that lead to complete preciseness so no wood was wasted. And it was cool to see how much of a mesh the by hand construction and the engineered/machined construction there was. 3. It was loads different because I had to play with an actual alphorn mouthpiece, as I got used to the trombone mouthpiece. Also being out in the mountains I got to hear the echo of the horn as it was meant to be heard, so that was a great experience. 4. I didn't see as much live music in Switzerland as I did in Germany, so that was a weird shock to me. The one time we did there was a band that did have an alphorn, which truly you won't see anywhere else. Besides that, I didn't really have too many encounters with music in Switzerland. 5. As stated, tourists are responsible for naming the alphorn and spreading its existence around the rest of the world. Tourists defined the alphorn as THE instrument of Switzerland, so it's cool to see how much outside sources give positive impacts toward music like this.

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Keehn Germany Post 4

Mozart 1. No, Mozart does not have any living descendants. Both of his son's passed without bearing any children I believe. 2. The letter I remember distinctly was a letter from Mozart to his wife, talking about his travels and his undying love to his family, particularly his wife. They show a loving family and a man who really showed love and care for those he did care for. 3. The letters sort of humanize Mozart, as we mostly just view him as a musical genius. These letters give him a human quality that most other writings about or stories of him just don't. 4. My favorite piece was Eine Kleine, as for a while it has always been my favorite and most recognizable piece from Mozart. I enjoy covers of various songs because I love hearing new interpretations of the songs, and to hear how they played it in a quartet was amazing. 5. The biggest difference is the respect given, as we had many disrespectful tourists (breaking bottles, filming in the middle of it, sleeping through the first half then leaving) during the Mozart Concert, and during the orchestra and opera we had silence and total attention. You can see why Mozart wanted to leave yes, because he felt his music can be more, but in my opinion that is arrogance. Just because something isn't established doesn't mean it can't be, so why didn't he try and start something up? Instead he did what more sports stars are doing nowadays and just up and left for a place with actual support where he maybe couldn't fully shine cause he was surrounded by the other talent.

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Dyer Blog Post 4

Sickness and Bad Wifi Made this Late Sorry Dyer Post 4 Switzerland to me was a very proper Germany with some varied cultural norms. I saw a lot more fountains of tap or fountain water for public consumption than I had seen in Germany. I also heard a lot more languages (French for example) that most of the workers spoke, which I was scared of cause of my already limited barrier of languages. Another big difference is the price of everything, though it was not AS bad as I would have thought. I was able to afford a souvenir and multiple meals, something I was scared of it being able to get. The streets were very different as well, as I couldn't find the street in most cases compared to the sidewalk. As for Einstein, it heavily changed my opinion, as I was able to see Einstein as a human for the most part as I found out more about his social life. He also exemplifies my ideals on "never confuse education with intelligence." I've never been the best pen and paper student, but I thrive on my adaptability in practical and real life situations and seeing a real example of someone else being successful like that gives me confidence. Living in the alps was amazing. Being surrounded by such large structures and mountains made the entire place surreal. And going up as high as we did still helped me conquer a fear of heights as I kept looking down to see how small everything was.

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Dyer Blog Post 3

Salzburg

Differences between Germany and Austria that I noticed the most are the accents, the touristy feel, and the space. I felt Salzburg was a very touristy area compared to anywhere in Germany, and I felt more closed in and less open space throughout Salzburg and Werfen. The accents weren’t a huge deal to adjust to, you still could hear a difference however. The loose schedule worked better in my opinion because we had a chance to do what we really wanted, rather than be stuck doing something with a group. The dinner had an impact because I never have really been to a dinner like that before so it was nice to experience that, plus the concert was cool to see how various tourists act at such an event. I don’t think this gives me a different impression on Mozart in all honesty, I still think of him to be a genius and if anything visiting his birth home only helped give me more reason to think that.

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Keehn Germany Blog Post 3

Tannhäuser Keehn Blog Post 3 1. Two of Wagner's biggest complaints were economic status controlling seating, and some people having a lack of view/sitting across from each other. You see this today in social status and how much money one has controlling everything in society. We can see Wagner's approach at movie theaters, but not many other places. 2. The avant garde was an interesting approach. Part of me would've rathered seen a more original take, but the modernist in me enjoyed the color scheme changes within the opera and a more of a symbolism approach. 3. They both were kinda psychotic, but dreamers. They both had obscure but new ways to see the world and their lives, so they probably hit it off well discussing the most random shit imaginable. 4. Best voices were Elizabeth and Wolfram by far. I enjoyed Tannhäuser's voice more than most of us it seems. The Venus slime was... interesting but I couldn't really see it that well. My only complaint would be that seating us wasn't done better. Not location wise cause I know about prices, but I had one of the 20 dollar seats for all 3 acts and I know part of my money went to people who stayed in those more expensive seats all 3 acts. I feel a more organized and swap approach would work next time so we all get a different perspective and don't screw people out of money for a view they didn't get to see. (Like Wagner wanted).

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Dyer Blog Post 2

Münching on some good food I loved Nuremburg, I thought it was beautiful and it felt safe. With free time I explored around the town and got to see the differences between that and Frankfurt. Some experiences I haven't experienced in America are random beach volleyball setups and a beer garden on a bridge. So far the best thing I've done is München is walk around and explore to take in everything. The opera and everything has been great, but just walking around, seeing the churches, and just looking around has been the most exciting for me. Similarities are the sense of tourism, as München and Nürnburg had a giant sense of tourism while Frankfurt really didn't. And I loved how King Ludwig II was a dreamer and a visionary, and when he had his sights set on something he made sure it was done. I felt more of a presence when at Dachau than at the NPRG. Standing where Hitler and figures of power had a strong feeling, but it was nothing as eerie as standing at concentration camp, especially the crematorium. It left a large impact and has changed my perception on the actual concentration camps. My outlook on WW2 and Germany stays intact, but I feel a lot more knowledgeable on the actual events going on there.

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Keehn Germany Post #2

Wagner House and German Museum 1. To try and be different, the most fascinating instrument I saw today were the various pianos with different scenery depicted as you opened them up. This fascinates me because thinking about how they're played, maybe this was used as inspiration before a performance. 2. Music and science collided with their x-ray, as they were able use it to figure out history and the interior of various instruments. It did interest me as a scientist, and we saw culture by discovering the various methods they were constructed and the preciseness in some of the etchings. As the exhilarating historian I am, it did peak my interest to see the evolution of instruments into what they are today. 3. It hasn't altered my perception at all. Wagner was an ass, but a genius in his work. His family made their choices, and those involved with the nazi party deserved to be punished more than him. Hitler was a failed artist, so the artist in me wants to say he was more fascinated in the works at first rather than the anti-semitism surrounded by his name. 4. We have been places where Hitler and many others have stood, sat, etc, so it wasn't a big feeling that I felt eerie about. Wagner's grave the same, and there was no urging desire to piss on it. We make such a big deal about where these powerful and famous people have been and I got a larger feel from Dachau's crematorium, so that should say more about anything.

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Blog Post Keehn, Germany 1

The Beethoven House and Concert 1. My expectations were an area enriched with the history of Beethoven, and those expectations were met. Seeing all the different documents and instruments still around. 2. It was intriguing listening to both because they were his pieces performed on a restored instrument he played on (or a piece from around his time) and it's different than a piano today. The piece I didn't know I paid attention to see similarities in style as the one I knew. 3. Hearing it live just has a different feel. You can hear it from all angles and feel the vibrations off the piano and it felt like you were truly immersed in the piece. The interpretation was slightly faster than Beethoven's and it made for an interesting rhythm that I enjoyed. 4. It sounds different based on the vibration and ability to control the pressure on the strings, from my interpretation. 5. I believe it shouldn't because the time is different and instruments evolved and changed. Everyone has a different playing style, music is open to interpretation, so we can play as we want.

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Blog Post #1 - Für Dyer

Ich bin ein Berliner im Frankfurt So far I have really enjoyed my experience. I have been amazed with all of the views and places we have been. One thing I have noticed that is different culturally is how punctual and precise Germans like to be. I like this aspect because it leaves no questions about what you are paying for and what time we need to go places. The only thing I dislike is the lack of belief in Air Conditioning, but I can get through that. Rüdesheim was absolutely breathtaking, it really opened my eyes to the beauty of the country and was a good opening to the trip. Köln was amazing and currently the experience I have the most memories of so far, as the Sports Museum was super interactive, the chocolate museum was awesome, and then me and a few others broke off to eat and we all got to get a lot closer. I grew to love Frankfurt as time went on, and really enjoyed the atmosphere it provided. The Beethovenhaus was also interesting, but the best part of it was the concert, and that made the trip worth it for me.

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Blog Post #20

Final Blog Post For The End of Time

The event I am the most excited for would have to be the Alphorn Concert, as we actually played the alphorn and it was the instrument I was most interested in learning about. The story of what the alphorn is used for and how it’s used today even in modern times was fascinating to me. I am looking forward to probably all of these in their own right as they will be first experiences like the opera for me, but the alphorn still probably ranks atop. 

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Listening Post #5

All Pines are Glad This is the Last One

1) The article has us expecting a large adventure, which acts nothing like a symphony at all. It is written as one large uninterrupted flow of music, and it goes through what would be considered a “typical” day through the alps. Each instrument represents a different aspect or being through this day. Strauss has the listener go through the ups and the downs however, starting with bright tones from horns, clarinets, while going through the struggles of a storm and descent with the trombone and descending intervals. 

2. This horn player, Thomas Joestlein, talks about the main features of the symphony like instrument count. We are to expect 12 horns, which he states many are off stage, a heckle phone, “countless” strings, which he mentions is a gargantuan amount. He states Strauss perfected the way the symphony was meant to be written. He says Strauss wrote this to represent nothing short of the Alps. He also mentions that there will be Cow Bells, shepherd calls, and melodies that must have been played on the alphorn.

3. 

4. 

Nacht (Night) - 0:43

Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise) - 4:17

Der Anstieg (The Ascent) - 6:00

Eintritt in den Wald (Entry into the Forest) - 8:21

Wanderung neben dem Bache (Wandering by the Brook) 13:56

Am Wasserfall (At the Waterfall) - 14:48

Erscheinung (Apparition) - 15:02

Auf blumigen Wiesen (On Flowering Meadows) - 15:51

Auf der Alm (On the Alpine Pasture) - 16:52

Durch Dickicht und Gestrüpp auf Irrwegen (Through Thickets and Undergrowth on the Wrong Path) - 19:30

Auf dem Gletscher (On the Glacier) - 21:03

Gefahrvolle Augenblicke (Dangerous Moments) - 22:23

Auf dem Gipfel (On the Summit) - 23:55

Vision (Vision) - 29:42

Nebel steigen auf (Mists Rise) - 33:40

Die Sonne verdüstert sich allmählich (The Sun Gradually Becomes Obscured)

Elegie (Elegy) - 34:53

Stille vor dem Sturm (Calm Before the Storm) - 36:05

Gewitter und Sturm, Abstieg (Thunder and Tempest, Descent) - 40:20

Sonnenuntergang (Sunset) - 44:21

Ausklang (Quiet Settlles) - 46:55

Nacht (Night) - 54:28

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Blog Post #19

Beep Once If You Horn

On Friday, I was part of the mass of people who played the alphorn. I was surrounded by 4 various backgrounds of instrument playing, one of which being an oboe player (I had played the oboe for one year in my youth) and I was aided in my struggles to find the right mouthpiece. I was given a smaller one since I had played the Oboe once and I struggled, so I switched to I believe a trombone piece and I fared better. From there, being one as tone deaf as my mother likes to say (she says I won’t be the next Mozart sadly), I had to try and use my physics knowledge to get me through using the mouthpiece. I knew how to match tones with changing the frequency my “buzzes” gave off, and it got me through the mouthpiece portion. Playing the actual alphorn was a struggle, as I have surprisingly weak lungs when I am blowing out air. I barely eclipsed the 5 second note mark, but had an easy time playing the range of tones. Overall, I enjoyed the opportunity to try and play this interesting instrument, as before that any real experience playing instruments I had was a year of the recorder and a year of the oboe. I certainly won’t forget this. 

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Finishing Blog Post #18

Sorry I Was So Out Of Breath From Playing the Alphorn It Took Me Until Now To Write This

2. To certain ears, the alphorn can create some very haunting notes that just don’t sound right when pieced together. I hear it slightly when listening to this piece and I agree it has a weird effect to the overall piece. This happens because the alphorn has a limited range of notes and tones it can play so it’s range is vastly different than a stringed instrument (can be heard in the 11th Harmonic).

3. After Napoleon was overthrown, being under French rule for 8 years, the country was left in turmoil and regions were vastly divided.

4. It is played by the English Horn, by being given an alphorn melody with an echo which is from an oboe off stage. It has a similar sound but very different depth of the notes that an alphorn usually gives. The same effect happens with the Wagner piece.

5. It has more meaning now that we know the story behind it, and know the piece was specifically played by and made for the alphorn.

6. To me it sounds as if the French Horn is playing the alphorn melody. It demonstrates what a day in the field of pasture would be like, as it has a calming tone you could easily immerse yourself with, maybe even lay in the grass.

7. The French Horn definitely has a better imitation. It provides a much deeper depth (similar to an alphorn) and can play in that similar range, whereas the english horn just cannot reach those depths or tones. 

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Blog Post #18

History of the Alphorn

1) Three sources the author uses to show the history of the alphorn are pictures, pieces of music, and old drawings/sketchings that are found. 

(To Be Finished up later)

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Fun Moonlight Sonata Remix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGDCd5LMEmw

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Blog Post #17

Alphorn Galore

I do not have much previous knowledge about alphorns in all honesty. I know its a European instrument, I know it is very old, and I know it is a long horn. When I think of alphorns being played what typically comes to mind is a middle aged man playing it atop the mountain while wearing lederhosen. Remembering from either commercials or previous experiences hearing it, I imagine the sound to be a drawn out mid-pitched horn sound. 

After reading the article, I understand the history of the alphorn a bit more. Based on what I do know, it makes sense that it would be used for communicating over large distances for farmers. A revival of alphorn music in the modern era has caused a rift for avid alphorners, those who would prefer traditional playing and those who would prefer this new style. 

I knew I had seen the alphorn before, and rewatching a Ricola commercial helped respark my memory. This commercial references the original use of the alphorn, using a loud noise to communicate through the mountains and hills. 

The second video was a large gathering of alphorn players in order to play tunes, no matter how limited the instrument may be in doing so. Seeing how loud the instrument truly is and what kind of music all of these together can make stood out to me the most. 

The third video showed a very light way of playing the alphorn. It was very upbeat and showed how well it would mesh with other instruments. The girl playing it showed tremendous ability to play it, and proved how difficult it would be to master such a instrument. 

The fourth video showed what the article was talking about with a more modern twist, as it showed a more unique way of demonstrating it’s music. They used it to perform a bit of a song that you could dance to, and again showed how well it is used when partnering it with other instruments.

The final video, by the same band, they again use it in a unique way. Even though the horn is limited in what it could play, that didn’t stop how the band was able to use it and kept up a great rhythm. These videos really showed the vast uses and history of the alphorn.