The 3rd Exhibition: 2009.9.18 - 2010.1.3
Belvedere Palace
Considered a master piece of Baroque architect u re in Vienna, the palace was Prince Eugene's detached summer estate. Prince Eugene, a French-born 17th century military commander, was considered by Napoleon as being one of the 7 military geniuses of the world. After Prince Eugene's death, the palace was sold to Maria Theresa of the house of Habsburg in 1752.
Carriage Trip
During the 17th -18th centuries, musicians studying or seeking better employment (from court aristocrats, etc) traveled all over Europe. One of them, Mozart, started traveling throughout Europe at the age of 6 and spent one third of his life doing so. However, traveling was not easy as riding on the uneven roads were extremely uncomfortable. There was also the threat of robber attacks at night, and carriages overturning due to their wheels breaking.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
A gothic cathedral in Vienna. Called "the soul of Vienna", it is a major symbol of the city and is called "Steffl" by the locals as a nick name. The area where the cathedral is located was registered as a world heritage site by Unesco in 2001. It is also known as the cathedral where Mozart and his wife Constanze Webers's wedding and funeral took place.
Karlskirche Church
A Baroque church prized as an architecturalgem . It was buil by Charles VI , the influential father of Maria Theresa, in 1713 asahope to end the Black Plague in Vienna . I t was named after St . Charles Borromeo, a healer of plague sufferers who lived during the 16th century.
Musicians and Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa, also known as the mother of Marie Antoinette, was a successor to the noted Habsburg family, and worked on industrial reconstruction and reform of the educational system. Bringing noted musicians such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and others to Vienna, she made it Europe's music capital. She was such a fan of Haydn's music, that he wrote a symphony and named it after her. She also invited 6 year old Mozart, praised for his musical genius, to play in front of the emperor's family. Famously, the 14th imperial princess Marie Antoinette, future princess of France, was proposed to by Mozart when she helped him up when he fell down.
Vienna State Opera
The leading opera house in Europe. It was opened in 1869 as the royal opera house with " Don Giovanni " by Mozart a sit sfirst performance. During World War I I it was destroyed by bombing and took 10 years to reconstruct . It reopened with "Fidelio" conducted by Bohm in November, 1955 .Mahler, R・Strauss, Bohm, Karajan, Maazel, etc were all installed as general managers. Also, for many decades, the opera house has been the venue of the renowned Vienna Opera Ball.
String Quartet
A string quartet is chamber music usually played with two violins, a viola, and a cello. Haydn, called the father of the string quartet, composed 68 string quartet pieces. Furthermore, Mozart, influenced by him, also left many compositions such as the masterpiece "Haydn Quartets". Haydn and Mozart deepened their musical fellowship by performing together. After that, many musicians including Beethoven, Schubert, etc left many pieces in this genre, and many more pieces have been composed and enjoyed ever since.
Street Scene
At the end of the 18th century, Vienna prospered as Europe's music capital. This status was maintained by the upper class, suchas well educate daristocrats , bourgeoisies, etc. On weekends and holidays, they gathered outdoors to socialize. Because of this, markets that emerged supported the locals and made the city quite lively.
People in the Desert
Due to the nature of desert environments, it is very difficult to grow grains there. Because of this, people were forced to lead a nomadic lifestyle herding sheep. Livestock became a source of life, food, clothing, shelter, and trade for the people who depended on them.
Opera Ball
Known as the city of art and music, Vienna was also known for its balls. Especially in the wintertime, many balls are held. Above all, in February on Thursday, the Opera Ball is held at the Vienna State Opera. It is known as the most formal ball in European high society. Thousands of ambassadors and well-known social elite participate.