![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/koeln778-300x264.jpg\" "\\"Cologne")
The next four days were going to be a mad dash to the finish.\u00a0 We had one afternoon to explore Cologne.\u00a0 If there is one place one must go when visiting Cologne, it is the cathedral whose gothic spires dominate the city.<\/p>\nThe next four days were going to be a mad dash to the finish.\u00a0 We had one afternoon to explore Cologne.\u00a0 If there is one place one must go when visiting Cologne, it is the cathedral whose gothic spires dominate the city.<\/p>\n
When Corzoo raised his valve in a professor-ly way on our way to the cathedral, I knew we were going to get a history lesson, and likely a very good one.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know,\u201d Corzoo said eagerly \u201cthat the proper name of this cathedral is Hohe Domkirsche St. Peter und St. Maria<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t,\u201d I replied.\u00a0 \u201cWhat else do you have stored in that noggin of yours that you can share with us about this place?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey started building the cathedral in the year 1248 \u2013 that\u2019s 763 years ago!\u00a0 But they didn\u2019t finish it until the 1800\u2019s.\u00a0 Work just didn\u2019t happen for about 400 years.\u00a0 Then in the 19th<\/sup> century, there was a resurgence of interest in the Middle Ages and people wanted to finish it according to the original designs.\u00a0 So they formed an organization that raised money, and got it finished.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s to those with vision and willpower!\u201d\u00a0 I exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd what is this I hear about a box of sacred remains in there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be the reliquary.<\/em>\u201d Corzoo said.\u00a0 \u201cI imagine that I should help you brush up on the definition, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be most helpful, Corzoo,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n \u201cA reliquary is a container of some sort \u2013 in this case, a little shrine – that holds relics.\u00a0 And a relic can be the remains of a saint, or part of the remains of the saint – or a lock of hair, or something that a saint wore or used.\u00a0 This reliquary is said to hold the remains of the Magi \u2013 the three wise men that visited Jesus after his birth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd did you know,\u201d it was my turn to show off my knowledge \u201cwhich day Western Christianity celebrates the visit of the Magi \u2013 the Three Kings, as they are often called?\u201d<\/p>\n Dave and Corzoo shook their heads.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be January 6th<\/sup>!\u201d\u00a0 And I told them how I myself was expecting a momentous arrival on that day of next year.\u00a0 What a lovely coincidence.<\/p>\n We walked through the front doors of the cathedral \u2013 the largest cathedral fa\u00e7ade in the world \u2013 we proceeded through slowly, trying to absorb as much as possible.\u00a0 It was magnificent and overwhelming to say the least.\u00a0 As we walked away from the cathedral, the sound of the bells summed up the visual impression the place had on us.\u00a0\u00a0 The long, slow peals were profound, ancient, and fundamental<\/em> in their sound.\u00a0 A sound meant to awaken a sleeping spirit!<\/p>\n Since I always like to counter potentially overwhelming things with simpler things while traveling, we took a look at one of the Romanesque churches of Cologne \u2013 we chose St. Andreas.<\/p>\n Then we went to the Museum Ludwig, which has one of the best collections of modern art in Europe.\u00a0 We loved the German Expressionist collection and particularly enjoyed discovering Max Beckman, with whom none of us had previously been acquainted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do the people look so weird in these paintings?\u201d Corzoo asked.\u00a0 \u201cThey look distorted, and none of them smile.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExpressionists weren\u2019t out to recreate reality in their paintings.\u201d Dave said.\u00a0 \u201cThey were much more interested in evoking a mood, and it didn\u2019t matter so much that the objects didn\u2019t look like they do in real life.\u00a0 And beauty in the traditional sense was not the main objective.\u201d<\/p>\n Corzoo was taking all of the images in.\u00a0 \u201cIs this sort of like what Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern did with music?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, exactly!\u201d we replied.\u00a0 These were the main composers of what is known as the Second Viennese School.\u00a0 These composers probably felt like nothing new could be done with tonality that hadn\u2019t already been done, and they were ready to abandon traditional tonal centers and expand into a completely new musical language.\u00a0 They did things differently!<\/p>\n \u201cLike in Pierrot Lunaire,\u201d I said. \u201cwhere Schoenberg uses sprechstimme <\/em>instead of the traditional way of singing.\u00a0 The singer\u2019s notes drift on pitches, just like when we speak.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think that is just the coolest effect ever!\u201d exclaimed Corzoo.\u00a0 He launched into an impromptu imitation of sprechstimme<\/a>. <\/em>\u201cDes Mondlichs bleiche bluten\u2026\u201d It was especially creepy-sounding in the large, echoing gallery we were in.<\/p>\n \u201cShhhhh!\u00a0 Corzoo!\u201d I said, as a few other museum-goers looked our direction to see what in the world was going on.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it fits the mood of the room, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d he asked with a bit too much glee as he gestured towards some of the haunting images that surrounded us.<\/p>\n Later on that evening Corzoo was doing some research on Max Beckman since we liked him the best that day.<\/p>\n I went over and looked at what he had found.\u00a0 Sure enough – there was a self-portrait of Beckman holding a little instrument that looked remarkably like Corzoo.<\/p>\n \u201cHe looks like he\u2019s about to launch into some Berg \u2013 maybe a tough lick from Wozzeck<\/em>!\u201d Dave said, referring to Berg\u2019s most famous opera – an opera that happens to have infamously tricky horn parts.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever lick is coming up, it has a short life left.\u00a0 KaPOW!\u201d Corzoo jumped with delight as he did a karate kick and punch.<\/p>\n The next day we were off to London, a favorite city of mine.\u00a0 Unfortunately, we once again had a mere couple of hours free in which we could explore.<\/p>\n We were staying close to Kensington Palace and I discovered that they served tea every afternoon in the Orangery. \u00a0Can you guess where we ended up?\u00a0 Yes!\u00a0 Having tea.\u00a0 There was a wait to be seated but it was worth it.\u00a0 The scones were the best I\u2019d ever eaten \u2013 not these dried up things one most often finds in the States.\u00a0 The cream \u2013 yum!\u00a0 The tea \u2013 perfection, of course.<\/p>\n \u201cToo bad this isn\u2019t the final night.\u201d said Corzoo.\u00a0 \u201cWe could hear Elgar\u2019s Pomp and Circumstance<\/em> and Parry\u2019s Jerusalem<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe would have had to camp out for days to get a ticket!\u201d I said.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t mind one single bit!\u201d said Corzoo.<\/p>\n We went inside the cavernous and famous Royal Albert Hall and looked around while Dave was warming up for rehearsal.\u00a0 It sort of reminded us of a circus venue \u2013 circular and massive with its large open concrete floor that was used for standing room.<\/p>\n Corzoo and I headed back to the hotel during the concert.\u00a0 It was sold out, and besides, we had some practicing to do.\u00a0 In a mere few days it was back to work for me, so I had to be in shape.<\/p>\n The next day \u2013 Paris!\u00a0 What a tragedy to be in such a beautiful city for just a few hours.\u00a0 I wanted to show Corzoo the Tuileries, the Cluny Museum, the Pantheon, Sacre Couer, Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, and a dozen other places in this beautiful city.\u00a0 But alas, we settled for walking the Champs-Elysees and getting some divine macaroons from Laduree.\u00a0 One could spend an afternoon in worse ways, I suppose!<\/p>\n \u201cCorzoo \u2013 you did it!\u201d I exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cYour extraordinary adventuring skills have earned you a photo in front of the Arc de Triomphe!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot for a millisecond!\u201d I exclaimed.\u00a0 Not only did I not regret being cajoled into bringing Corzoo, I rather enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes.<\/p>\n We took off for Philadelphia the next morning after having one last Parisian croissant.<\/p>\n Au revoir, Paris e Europe!\u00a0 We\u2019ll be back someday.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The next four days were going to be a mad dash to the finish.\u00a0 We had one afternoon to explore Cologne.\u00a0 If there is one place one must go when visiting Cologne, it is the cathedral whose gothic spires dominate … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/220px-The_Scream.jpg\" "\\"The")
\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d I added.\u00a0 \u201cTake Edvard Munch\u2019s The Scream<\/em>, for instance.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t give you a warm and fuzzy feeling exactly.\u00a0 But it isn\u2019t supposed to.\u00a0 You\u2019re supposed to be able to see and feel a scream<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/200px-Max_Beckmanns_Self-portrait_with_Horn_1938-1940.jpg\" "\\"Max")
\u201cLook at what I found!\u201d he exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a painting of Max Beckman and \u2013 me<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/RoyalAlbertHall-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Royal")
After a short rest, we were off to Royal Albert Hall, the location of the Proms.\u00a0 The Proms are what you might call a Big Deal<\/em> and definitely a Scene<\/em>.\u00a0 The feel of these concerts which last over several weeks throughout each summer is more like a rock concert than a typical classical concert.\u00a0 The way you get a ticket for the Proms is the exact opposite of what you would do to get a ticket for, say, the Vienna Opera Ball.\u00a0 Tickets for seats are chosen by lottery, and Prommers, as they are called, line up for hours in advance for the opportunity of buying a standing room seat.\u00a0 Now, the most interesting part is that standing room tickets, rather than being in the back, or way at the tippy-top, are right up front on the ground floor.\u00a0 It is a large space that can hold around a thousand standing concert-goers!\u00a0 Because of all of this, the Proms has been called the most democratic of music festivals.\u00a0 Every one gets a fair chance at attending \u2013 you just may have to show how much you want it by your time commitment and your perseverance!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/300px-Proms-albert-hall-04.jpg\" "\\"Inside")
The last night of the Proms is televised by the BBC and is full of tradition.\u00a0 British flags are waved and the mood is celebratory.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/ArcDeTriomphe-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Arc")
\u201cI\u2019ll come back one day to see and learn more,\u201d he said as he struck a pose in front of that giant monument.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t regret bringing me along, do you?\u201d he said, already knowing the answer.<\/p>\n