Leipzig: The town of Bach, Mendelssohn and Schumann

Thursday April 30th 2009:

The next morning we arose early and took a train to Leipzig, home of Bach, Mendelssohn and Schumann. We arrived early afternoon and made our way to the hotel. After depositing our bags, Professor Andy told us a brief history about Leipzig. This east-German city had a rich history of art, WWII destruction and soviet rule. It was significantly smaller than Berlin, and had a really cute, pedestrian friendly town feel. Dr. Waggoner remarked about how much the town had been rebuilt since even just eight years ago. After a “currywurst” from the stand (literally bratwurst smothered in Ketchup and curry powder) we walked on over to the famous “Bach Church”. This church is where Bach worked, composed, and was ultimately buried. As you walk from the cobblestone streets into the church, it is as if you stepped back into time. The church is quite light, with white walls and wooden beams instead of the stone in many of the cathedrals. Soon after we walked in the room was filled with beautiful music. We looked up and realized that there was a Cantata rehearsal up on the music level. A boys choir was accompanied by a small orchestra and an organ, the atmosphere was just too perfect. Speechless, all we could do was sit down and take it in.


After the church and a group picture with the Bach statue, we walked over to “Mendelssohn Haus” a museum in Felix Mendelssohn’s house. Mendelssohn composed during the “Romantic Era” as many musicologists call it. Although Mendelssohn composed several hundred years after Bach, he was a classicist at heart and after discovering some of Bach’s music, became completely enthralled with it. Bach was less than well known at that time, in fact his genius and innovation was completely buried within the rubble of history. Mendelssohn rescued much of Bach’s original manuscripts from the fish market, and thanks to Felix we now know Bach’s name, and his landmark creation of tonal music and counterpoint. He also conducted Bach’s “St. Matthew’s passion” almost 100 years after its last performance. This resurrected work is a cornerstone of western music, and perhaps one of the best pieces ever written.

Apart from Mendelssohn’s resurrection of Bach, he also made some great personal contributions to western music. Much of his music has an intense emotional or programmatic quality (an ideal of the era), while still not venturing too far out of recognizable form. His “songs without words” and “Scottish Symphony” are some of my personal favorites of his. Interestingly enough, his grandfather Moses Mendelssohn was a well-known Jewish philosopher who thought that the Jews should integrate more into society. Mendelssohn himself had mixed feelings about his Jewish heritage and later added the last name “Bartholdy” to distance himself from his grandfather. His house was large (being from a prominent family at that time), and filled with relics from his childhood, his manuscripts and family furniture.



After looking around the house we enjoyed the sun in the garden for a minute, we headed to a café in which both Schumann and Mendelssohn were said to have frequented. It was a lovely café, and we enjoyed our teas, coffees and decadent deserts. After the café we turned the corner and went to the “Biergarten” which is literally a small street with restaurants and outdoor seats blended together. We stopped at one of them for another group meal. One thing I loved about Germany was no one seemed to look at me cross-eyed when I handed them my dietary card. The waitress talked with the chef and I was able to order almost anything off the main menu. I had a very filling meal of curry, rice and chicken, with a lovely glass of wine and a bowl of strawberries for desert. Taking a mental step back from the table, I saw that my European dreams had come true. I was sitting with musicians I had gotten to know over the semester, and our theory professor seemed to be engaged in the conversations, genuinely enjoying our company. We were all relaxed, enjoying great food in the middle of a pedestrian cobblestone street in Leipzig, the home of Bach, Mendelssohn and Schumann. I realized I had learned to relax, enjoy life, and most importantly-the importance of relationships and connecting with people