Steven Haynes in Vienna

Back to England!

2006-02-01T22:01:00.000Z

On Monday I returned to England thus concluding my ERASMUS exchange in Vienna. I’ll say my thanks and give a brief summary later, but first I’ll fill you in on my last few days in the Austrian Capital.

Firstly, I have never been as cold in my entire life as I was last week. The temperature in Vienna plummeted to a biting sub 15 degrees Celsius for almost a week! I was looking forward to going home, back to the ‘normal’ weather! I was wearing literally every piece of clothing I had with me. I noticed people stamping their feet when waiting for a bus, not to keep them warm, but to stop the water on their shoes from freezing and sticking them to the ground!!!

Last week, I went to my final opera; a superb production of Don Giovanni (my teacher sneaked into the pit ten minutes before the end – because trombones are only in the last bit, not because he was almost three hours late!), and I depped for my other teacher in the Hofmusikkapelle Orchestra. It was the Mozart Coronation Mass with the Vienna Boys Choir (who were very impressive). I had the words of advice instilled into me in my junior banding days clearly ringing in my ears as I went on to play; ‘don’t mess it up’! I also found out that I'm through to the last eight for the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Soloist competition - so I'm dead chuffed! More info at http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?offset=25&id=2481. The picture is of me performing ‘The Hunting of the Snark’ at a Class Evening last week (it’s modern so I’m allowed to wear a silly hat!).

I have been commissioned by the Brass Herald magazine to write two articles on Vienna; the first is a general one on musical life in the City and the second from a students’ perspective…a good job I did this blog to keep a record of the goings on!

A great anecdote from the last week occurred when Anna (with her quintessential Hertfordshire accent) and Elisabeth (with her Austrian accent) were out having a meal together. An elderly Scottish couple on the next table remarked, ‘Oh, it’s lovely to hear an American accent again!’ Good thing I wasn’t there!

Finally, on the way home I was informed that I would have to pay an excess baggage charge. I had just less than 40kg but it was a city hopper flight so the baggage allowance was only 20kg. Not sure whether that’s the same for all flights but I’m sure I had a bigger allowance on the way out. I was speaking to the assistant in German until he informed me that my luggage incurred a charge of almost £400. At which point the Englishman inside me reared its ugly head and I exclaimed, ‘Oh dear old boy, I hope you’re extracting the Michael’ – or words to similar effect! He then explained that it was because it was a two flight journey and I had to pay a ridiculously extortionate fee including baggage handler costs at Amsterdam! Grrr!

I would summarise my time in Vienna as probably the most beneficial experience of my life, both from a musical perspective and also on a personal level. There are several factors which have contributed significantly to this but still, I honestly feel that everything about the trip was perfect. There isn’t an aspect that I can think of which could have gone any better (except the excess baggage charges!). Right from when this exchange was conceived, Mr Bousfield has taken a keen interest in making sure everything worked out and this, along with his musical influence have been invaluable to me during my stay. I also greatly value Dietmar’s input; he is a phenomenal performer and his teaching has been extremely inspiring, giving me an insight into the Austrian heritage, whilst not detracting from my previous British influences.

Vienna is a beautiful city where it is difficult not to gain from the cultural diversity it has to offer. The support given to me by the Royal Philharmonic Society was so valuable in providing me with the opportunity to see opera performances, listen to concerts and visit museums; totally immersing myself in the Viennese culture.

However, even with this foundation, Vienna would not have been the same experience without my friends. Memories of the time I spent with Chris will stay with/haunt me forever! Anna, Elisabeth and Adrian have been super friends and really helped me to feel at home. My flatmates were excellent, all hard working with a fun side too and it was so nice to see some familiar faces in the form of visitors (John and Vicky and my brother – who has just invited me out for a drink, but I’m resisting the temptation to carry on writing!).

The International Office at the University was always friendly and helpful and the trip into the mountains which they organised remains a wonderful memory.

My accommodation at Gasometer was perfect; facilities, location, staff and sauna! And Vienna simply wouldn’t be the same without the warm reception at the Billabong – I know it’s not very Austrian (Elisabeth!) but a must if you visit the city – just don’t mention my name!

The German course I took before I departed and also the one I enrolled upon whilst I was there, really helped me to further the experience and the practise facilities both at the University and at Gasometer were more than adequate. I feel that my time in Vienna was highly successful musically, but I put this down to the incentives and personal goals I set myself on a regular basis – it would have been very easy to have done very little on a daily basis. With the backing I had though, I would have felt guilty if I had taken even one day off!

So that brings an end to my blog; I hope someone somewhere has gained some benefit or amusement from my writings! If you have, please do show your appreciation by donating to the Steven Haynes Benevolent Fund which currently owes a debt to Mr Haynes (senior) for a £400 excess baggage bill!

I look forward to returning to the RCM on Monday!

Back to work!

2006-01-15T23:49:00.000Z

Right, lots to report on since my last entry so I’ll get going straight away! Oh Happy New Year by the way!

My Dad came out to see me on 21^st December (and also to take some of my things home so to avoid a déjà vu involving excess baggage charges!). He seemed to have a good time here and the locals liked him too. In fact, an Austrian chap took pity on my Dad’s follicular challenged situation in the intense cold and kindly donated him his hat! Sorry Dad!

I spent five days at home over Christmas and saw lots of friends and family, before returning to Vienna for the New Years celebrations (which included a spectacular firework display and a midnight waltz – how Viennese!). The photo is of me and Adrian, who I mentioned in my last entry but without a formal introduction! Adrian is an English guy working here in Air Traffic Control at the airport. He has become a great friend and I hope to keep in touch with him after I have left Vienna. But anyway, that’s not happening for a couple of weeks yet so I’ll hold back the goodbye’s until then!

On 2^nd January, Mr Bousfield invited me to his house in the Vienna Woods for a lesson and some good food. (I hadn’t eaten so well since Christmas Day when sister-in-law Caroline excelled herself once again with her culinary skills – well done bro, you picked a good ‘en there!). We also went walking in the woods, after donning ski outfits and sturdy boots – a good job too, the snow was waist high in some places! I’d never experienced anything quite like it before, the scenery was breathtaking and there were deer and wild boar roaming around freely! And to think he just opens the curtains and sees it every day (although I don’t envy having to shovel the snow from the drive!).

A serious problem here, and one of the highest causes of accidental death, is ‘Dachlawine’. This is when the temperature rises above zero and the snow begins to melt. Imagine a full roof of foot thick snow falling on your head! Ouch! There are signs everywhere warning of the dangers – something I’d never thought of before I came here!

Unfortunately, I had to return home just after New Year to attend my Grandfather’s funeral. I played before the service, which I thought would be a fitting tribute to the support he gave my musical endeavours. On the return flight to Vienna, I tried a flight from Leeds (yes, we do have planes there!), which called off at Amsterdam. A great idea, until fog delays the first flight, you miss the connection and you’re stuck in Amsterdam airport for seven hours! Grrr! I hadn’t practised all day, and with a lesson the day after, drastic times called for drastic measures! I had a half hour wait before my train into the centre of Vienna, so I fearlessly opened my case, withdrew the weapon from within and practised in the middle of Vienna airport, and also on the train ride too, much to the bemusement of the locals! Still, I managed a good hour’s practise, although no one threw any money! Maybe next time I’ll play without the mute and they might pay me to shut up!

The other day a few of us went salsa dancing, which I was terrible at…but to lighten the tone, I saw a great sign the other day which read, ‘Office closed due to staff shortness’. I assume this meant that there were people off ill and not that they’d all shrunk the night before!

I have another recital at St Georges, Hanover Square on 15^th February (after I return to London), which I am busy preparing for and I’m currently writing an article about the Brisbane Excelsior Band for the Brass Herald magazine, so lots to do!

I also had a call from Mr Bousfield yesterday asking me to dep for him in the Hofkapelle Orchestra in a couple of weeks. I nearly weed myself! Then he told me there's no rehearsal and I did wee myself! Can't wait! Looks good on the CV though I guess.

So I’d better get some work done! Until next time!

Christmas Vienna

2005-12-22T18:12:00.000Z

It would be a travesty not to write a blog about Vienna in the run up to Christmas before I head back to England. The City is a most beautiful sight at this time of year with snow, lights, Christmas markets and not a Santa in sight! No joke; they have ‘Christkind’ (or baby Jesus) bringing the presents instead – not sure how he manages with the big sack though!

Last week I saw the Philharmoniker perform the Mozart requiem and also a contemporary concert featuring Ian Bousfield playing in a duet for trombone and violin – very entertaining, although it was strange reading his biography in German!

Last week I had two concerts; the first, ‘An International Christmas’ featured all the exchange students. Chris and I performed a couple of pieces with a pianist, including ‘Cousins’, which the audience really enjoyed. The second concert was another ‘Class Evening’, featuring Dietmar’s students. I played a couple of solo pieces then at the end I played in the trombone ensemble for Elsa's Procession to the Minster. I was really impressed with the other students. They are very musical and the ensemble included alto, tenor, bass and contra bass trombones - what a difference that makes - it's an animal of an instrument!

Chris and Anna both left for home last week. Anna is returning in the New Year but Chris now continues his studies at Birmingham Conservatoire. It’s a shame but I suppose all good things come to an end. It really has been fantastic having him here and has made the time one of the most productive (and amusing!) periods of my life. I look forward to seeing him again very soon. Elisabeth has gone to Rome and Adam and my other flatmates have gone back home so it’s a little lonely at the moment! However, Adrian is obviously still here and I’ve been ‘hanging around’ with some American students (and blatantly picked up some of their lingo too!), which has been great fun.

So, I am now packing things up for my trip home for Christmas. I am looking forward to seeing some old friends and spending time with my family. Then, on 28^th December I plan to come back to Vienna to have a lesson with Mr Bousfield before New Year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Oh and look out for Dietmar on the TV playing in the New Years Day Concert – I’ll be standing outside in the cold since the tickets are like gold dust!

The highlight of Vienna

2005-12-04T11:45:00.000Z

Since my last entry I have indeed experienced the pinnacle of my time here…but more of that later! I managed to get though my recital in London relatively unscathed (my thanks to those who came along) and then had an excellent time in London and Vienna with my brother. Following this, I met up with an old friend and showed him around Bratislava and Vienna, so after a few days of ‘light’ playing, I’m now getting back into the swing of things. The next few weeks are just as busy as the ones just passed, with three auditions and two solo concerts to prepare for. The snow is falling, the Gluwein flowing (lethal stuff!) and the temperature is rarely venturing above freezing!

I saw the Vienna State Opera do La Traviata last week and had four (yes four!) trombone lessons. It’s interesting to observe the different system they have for teaching over here. My experience in London is that you have a lesson every week, in a room in college for an hour. Although this is often similar here too, they have a class system. For example, there are two trombone professors, each with a class, a deputy and a trombone classroom. Lessons are usually in the classroom and at the start of the year you are allocated a class, i.e. the teacher you will study with. If the teacher is too busy, you have a lesson from the deputy and if no one is teaching, the classroom is free for you to practise. Let’s take the other day for example when I had a lesson with Dietmar. Several of his class and the other class sat in and watched my lesson. Having an audience for a lesson is a little daunting at first, but watching someone else’s lesson is a great way to pick up ‘nuggets’ of information. Then, after the lesson had finished, Dietmar left the class, so I was free to practise in there. Shortly after though, he returned and listened, offering his advice momentarily – effectively a two an a half hour lesson – fantastic!

Each class then has a ‘class-evening’ where the students put on a concert. I played in one of the trombone ones last week and will play in the second one next week. It was good to hear all the other students perform and there are some very talented players here. Notably an 18 year old who did the entire Grondahl Concerto. Wow, he made me want to leave the instrument in the case!

Most of the other ERASMUS students go home after Christmas so I imagine the atmosphere will be slightly different. However, there is a Ring Cycle here in January which I am very much looking forward to.

Chris added to an ever growing list of anecdotes last week by venturing into someone’s practise room and asking in a German accent ‘Guten Tag, plis kan I hav zie musik stend!’ ‘Of course’, the girl replied in perfect English, with a perplexed look upon her face!

So, time for the highlight so far…Last week I went to see a Philharmoniker rehearsal in the Musik Verein. At the break I went to the gents and realised that I was standing at the urinal alongside Pierre Boulez! What a claim to fame!

A Brief return trip to Blighty

2005-11-20T11:15:00.000Z

Firstly, apologies for the vast time elapsed since my previous post. The last couple of weeks have been rather busy, with a short trip to England and also, for those who are interested, preparing for a solo recital at St George's Hanover Square. (More details at http://www.stgeorgeshanoversquare.org/Events.htm.) Please note, the recital is this Wednesday, 23rd not 16th as it says on the site!

It was wonderful to return to England briefly and in the five days I was back, I managed to squeeze in a lesson, a masterclass, a rehearsal for my recital and seeing friends in London, an audition, the England game and seeing some old friends in Manchester and a trip home to see my family (oh, and a mouth watering Sunday Roast prepared by my sister-in-law – not a Wiener Schnitzel in sight!). The audition panel in Manchester realised that my attire (consisting of a suit, white shirt and bright red tie) was indeed in preparation for the England Argentina game of which, the first half an hour coincided with the audition. Still, after a quick dash to a friends house (then a quick dash back having realised I left my jacket in the warm up room!), I managed to see the second half…What a game!

Lessons with Dietmar are going really well; the other day, for my lesson at his house, I prepared the Albrechtsberger Alto Trombone Concerto. After hearing me play for a while he wanted to demonstrate how I could improve on what I had just played. His instrument was at work so he disappeared momentarily and returned with a mouthpiece, some masking tape and an old box. After wrapping masking tape around the shank of the mouthpiece, so it would fit in a larger instrument, he opened the box and produced an 1800’s Vienna Philharmonic Sackbut! He then proceeded to demonstrate on this antiquated relic of a trombone, making the most incredible sound – what’s that phrase about workmen and tools? Wow!

I’ve been to see two Berg operas; Wozzeck and Lulu. Both notoriously difficult for trombone, I was incredibly impressed with both of my teachers’ performances. I was even more impressed after learning that it was the first time Mr Bousfield had played Wozzeck with the orchestra and the first time that Dietmar had played Lulu in five years! However, that’s not all…that day Dietmar had a rehearsal for Lohengrin then he taught me and another pupil before dashing off to rehearse Bruckner 9 in the afternoon. Then he admitted that he’d better have a quick look at Lulu before the show since it had been a while since he had seen it! I asked him what it was like to have such a hard day ‘viel spass’ he replied…. ‘lots of fun’!!!!

Chris has started to do some orchestral rehearsals and performances here now, including a trumpet evening last week (See picture – Chris is second from the left). This highlights the different approach that we have taken towards our time here. As I mentioned on a previous blog entry, you really can do whatever you like here. For Chris, he wants to gain experience in playing in ensembles over here and adapting to the rotary valve trumpets. For me, I wanted to spend my time here on solo repertoire and working on technical aspects, although I would like to experience a little of what Chris is doing too!

The Philharmonia Orchestra performed at the Konzerthaus a few evenings ago. It was a very exciting concert with really great brass playing on show. It was enlightening too to hear a London Orchestra again and it really illustrated the differences between the two styles of playing. It was good to see Nigel Black (Head of Brass at the RCM) and also my teacher Byron Fulcher, who visited one of the local hostelries with me, Anna and several of his colleagues after the concert!

Anyway…I must go and practise for my recital and once that is over, I am very much looking forward to spending time with my brother, who is returning to Vienna with me for a few days. Oh, it has just started snowing too…how exciting!

Vienna Holidays

2005-11-03T22:04:00.000Z

The weather is cold but sunny and the people of Vienna really made the most of their two days holiday last week. Unlike our British ‘Bank holidays’ where the large majority of shops and services still operate as normal, a holiday in Vienna seems to involve a complete shut down of just about everything! Fortunately though, the first of these days coincided with the time my friends, John and Vicky, were spending here. There is a great party atmosphere on the preceding evening too so we went out to celebrate with the locals! Then, what better way to spend an Austrian holiday than to go outdoor ice skating and pay a brief visit to Schönbrunn Palace. So off we went; Chris, Mrs. Chris, John, Vicky, Anna, myself and Elisabeth and her boyfriend all had a great time on the ice despite being shown up by some very talented young Austrian ‘Torvill and Dean’s’! There was also a spectacular military display on the streets of the capital with helicopters, tanks and also a few of the new Euro-fighter aeroplanes.

Halloween is also very popular here, and children spend the whole day dressed up in immaculately scary outfits – at least I think they were dressed up!

Lessons with Dietmar and Mr Bousfield are working really well and I feel that my time here to date has been most beneficial. Having seen several operas here now I look forward to hearing Mr Bousfield performing Wozzeck and Lulu over the next couple of weeks. My lessons with Dietmar are now pretty much all in German (until a word crops up I don’t know!), which was rather daunting at first but I’m getting used to it!

We are keeping up international relations with our five-a-side football matches in the park. Last week was England against Austria and produced some excellent football. On display was some marvellous skill from Chris ‘Lampard’ Seddon, some immaculately timed challenges from Steven ‘Terry’ Haynes and decisive goalkeeping from my flatmate Adam ‘Robinson’ Betts. Although the English contingent was characteristically worn out within five minutes, we still battled hard. In fact, at one point in the game, I looked up and noticed at least six passers-by watching from the touch line! After a tough fought game which went on well into the evening (thanks to the floodlit pitch), we decided to call ‘next goal wins’. How distraught we were to see an Austrian counter attack blaze into out half and despite several last ditched attempts to thwart the Austrian striker, he fired it into the back of our goal. Gutted, we were! Until next time!!!

I’ll leave you with a typical Stevenism…the other day we were out in this lovely little bar and I’d just been to the Gents. After coming out, I saw this really pretty girl coming towards me. I was a little ‘jaw dropped’ but nevertheless managed to do the chivalrous thing and hold the door open for her. It wasn’t until she got closer that I realised that I was actually holding open the door of the Gent’s toilet! How embarrassing! So, needless to say…I still haven’t found the love of my life!

Winter looms!

2005-10-25T19:17:00.000+01:00

I now know what people meant when they informed me how cold Austria can be. Last week was rather chilly to say the least, and apparently it can get as low as sub fifteen degrees! It’s a good job there is a sauna in the Gasometer complex!

The past week has been very busy. I went to see two operas (Tosca and Daphne), went on an excursion to the Austrian mountains near Salzburg and had a lesson with Dietmar. I was most impressed with the way in which Dietmar is able to change the character of his sound. In the afternoon I heard him rehearsing Bolero with the Philharmoniker. Then I had a lesson with him, and afterwards he had an Opera to do! He varied his stylistic characteristics and tone colour for each situation – very impressive - and such a busy day too!

The excursion to Ausseerland was an excellent day out. We visited a salt mine, saw some spectacular scenery and had a typically Austrian meal whilst being entertained by local folk musicians (who were very good)! We travelled up to the top of a mountain on a Funicular railway - the scenery was breath taking!

At the Hochschule this week there was an exhibition of German trombones. I was lucky enough to play a few. They are very different to the American instruments with which I am accustomed.

Yesterday I was joined by two of my friends from the RCM; John Kilshaw and Vicky Crowell. It is great to see them and I hope they have a good time here until they return to England on Friday.

Quintessential Vienna

2005-10-16T17:32:00.000+01:00

Firstly, I’m still here! Apologies for the past 10 days of ‘blog fog’. The reason I haven’t posted sooner is simply because this past week has been incredibly hectic. This is how I wanted my time here to be; we have worked hard and played hard too and we have been to see a few great concerts – a fantastic week!

Last Sunday, the three of us (Anna, Chris and I) went to a venue in the city centre which had one of the few live screenings of the Robbie Williams concert from Berlin. I booked the tickets several weeks ago, a good job too because it sold out over two weeks ago. The atmosphere was awesome and the ‘eye candy’ was pretty good too! Robbie was on fine form and he revealed too that next year sees him on a five month tour – I’ll be looking out for tickets!

Of course Wednesday was the long anticipated England against Poland. Chris and I were devastated to learn that there was an ERASMUS welcome meeting with the Lord Mayor at the Rathaus the same evening! We needed a solution, so we decided to go to the meeting suited up; we stayed for the main speeches and left just as soon as the formalities were over. A quick dash to the U-Bahn and we were on our way to the match (still in suits!). We only missed five minutes of the game (and the free food and wine at the Rathaus – gutted!) but it was worth it in the end! The atmosphere in Billabong (our new local) was great since Ireland against Austria was on at the same time. Oh and we won too! Although my heart skipped a beat when Leeds’ David Healy went off injured during the Ireland Austria game. No problems this weekend though with a comfortable 2-1 victory at Burnley. And Wigan beat Newcastle…sorry Dad!

On Thursday evening the three of us went to a concert in the Wiener Waltzer. Plenty of Strauss (waltzes and polkas) and Mozart were on the programme, naturally. It was an excellent concert and the Viennese style was clearly evident. The way in which they play a Strauss Waltz is quite unique, with a gap between the second and third beats that you could drive a bus through! It’s great to hear them played in this style, just how the composer wanted them to sound and with lots of life and energy. There were dancers too and the music was very beautifully phrased; a wonderful insight into Vienna’s musical heritage.

So on to another concert on Friday; the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in the Konzert Haus. An excellent programme consisting Don Juan and Dvorak 8 displayed some excellent brass playing. Another thoroughly enjoyable evening!

We found an ice rink on our way home from the concert which looks like great fun (I can just imagine my Mum’s face as she read that!). One thing that I have discovered is not so great about Vienna is that everyone smokes. What makes this even worse is that there are very few restrictions on smoking and even when there are nobody takes any notice of them. It’s often very smoky in bars and clubs and even in shopping centres! Grrr!

This week I started on a German course since I believe this is an excellent opportunity to learn another language. Although my French is deteriorating rapidly with every new German word I learn! Also, Chris and I have discovered that the best time to practise in College is early in the morning. So this week we did three 8am starts and a 9am start. So…a busy week! The Vienna Philharmonic return from their week in Japan next week so I look forward to hearing them again (Dietmar has a Bolero next weekend).

Bis später!

Week 1

2005-10-06T12:30:00.000+01:00

Although I have been in Vienna for a while now, term only actually started this week. On Monday morning I met the first of the other English ERASMUS students to arrive; Anna Beryl. Anna is a cellist from the RAM and having only ever spoken to her on the phone, waiting at the arrivals gate at Vienna Airport was somewhat daunting! I was relieved however to see a cello case come protruding through the doors followed by Miss Beryl and so fortunately there were no mishaps! After taking Anna to her residence (where I was living over the summer), I headed back to the airport to meet the other English ERASMUS student, and old friend, Chris Seddon. Chris is a trumpeter from Birmingham and it is comforting to have someone here who I know so well (and also he’s incredibly amusing!). After presuming I knew roughly where Chris lived, I took him to the wrong end of the street, not a problem you might think…he lives at house number 27 and we got off the underground at number 175! Following a rather brisk walk to his halls (he had an 11 O’clock deadline to check in!) we decided to get a drink at a local bar. The day had gone well, or so I thought!!! It had, until I proceeded to miss my last train home and found myself walking back to my gas tank! This in itself would not have been too much of an inconvenience had I not gotten myself lost in a very grand Viennese housing estate. Having crossed train lines, stumbled across building sites and meandered through bushes I saw, upon the horizon, the unmistakable outline of my flat. I never thought I’d be so happy to see a gas tower! After setting off at shortly after midnight, I arrived home at 3am!

I could not believe the coincidence of bumping into another old friend at the conservatoire here! Elisabeth Engl is a pianist originally from Austria who studied at the RCM for a year. What a coincidence!

Someone asked me the other day what I miss about England. So here goes (in no particular order!)…my friends, Tetley Tea, my family, fried breakfast, the RCM atmosphere and Fish and Chips (from Annie’s in Wakefield!).

On Saturday morning there was an air raid siren. Very strange, but I’m still here, thankfully!

On a more serious note, I found out that it is usual practise here to rehearse with a pianist on a weekly basis. Each professor at the Hochschule has an assigned accompanist for their students to utilise, whether in a lesson or for private rehearsal purposes. I think this is a fantastic idea.

The tension is at boiling point as this Saturday looms ever closer! What a massive day. England against Austria of course! We have injury woes but I still have faith in Sven’s men! Adam (my flat mate), Chris and I intend to sport our England shirts and venture into the centre of Vienna to watch the game. Hopefully I’ll still be around to write next week! Come on England!

Barcelona!

2005-09-29T19:11:00.000+01:00

I returned from Barcelona on Monday having had a most relaxing weekend. The hotel was luxurious, the food plentiful, the atmosphere crazy, and the scenery quintessentially Spanish. Oh, the gig was OK too! I loved Barcelona; the nightlife was extraordinary. One night we stayed out until 4am: a little jaded, we thought we had done well…oh no, there were literally thousands of people still on the streets partying! They really know how to Bambaramba! It was a big fiesta weekend, so there was a lot going on, including a competition of the local tradition of human tower building! (See picture) The little boy at the top actually fell down, but apparently he was unhurt, he must have nerves of steel! There was a wind ensemble playing outside the magnificent Cathedral too (which unfortunately was being renovated).

Over the weekend, I spoke to Mr Bousfield and arranged a lesson ‘auf Deutsch’! Towards the end of the conversation he commented that my German was fairly good but I needed to lose the Barnsley accent! This lesson was on Tuesday and was most beneficial. I have much to work on!

The practise situation is looking better. I now have a key for the ‘architects room’ at Gasometer which is perfectly adequate (and free!).

Finally, I have another new flatmate. Anitra moved in the other day. She is from Latvia, studying English and German so she obviously asked to live with native English speakers (I don’t suppose you can get more native than a Scouser and a Yorkshireman!).

One more thing…what a terrible result for Leeds at the weekend! At least we’ve made up for it since! At 6th all is not lost!

My New Flat

2005-09-22T23:51:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I had my first lesson with my new teacher. I met him before his morning rehearsal; doing Bruckner 7 with Boulez in the Musik Verein. It was a busy day for him; after my lesson he had to dash off for another rehearsal with the Philharmoniker and then do an opera in the evening! I really enjoyed the lesson. He is a really nice man and an excellent teacher. It was just as I expected; everything aims for a musical goal and he also demonstrated rather than explaining. His English is very good too though!

I moved into my new flat today and met my flatmates. One is a Czech engineer and the other a computing PhD student from Liverpool. They seem like great guys. Tomorrow I head off to Barcelona for the weekend to play but when I return I must sort out the practise situation here. I need to establish a routine because it seems that practise space is limited. I have made a few observations on that note so far…There have been no mirrors in any of the practise rooms I’ve used; I am accustomed to observing embouchure and posture whilst practising (no, not my hair!). Maybe this will be of benefit to my musical development with less studying of technical aspects? Also, you have to pay for the practise rooms here, it’s only €1 per hour but still, it makes you work harder. I often think… “has that practise session been worth €3” (maybe this is just a ‘tight-fisted’ Yorkshireman speaking?!). Finally, students start practising very early here, from 7am! (I thought I was conscientious starting at 9am!)

I was hoping to see FC Barcelona play this weekend since my hotel is right next to the Neu Camp, but alas they are away at Real Betis! Gutted! On a happier note though, a home win against Ipswich this weekend would take the Mighty Leeds United one step closer to the annihilation of Championship rivals, Sheffield United. Confidence is riding high after the sensational Carling Cup win against Rotherham…Come on Leeds!

I have started to use some of the material Scott Hartman gave me whilst I was in Battle Creek. It’s fantastic and I intend to integrate much of it into my daily practise routine. That’s one of the things I like about the exchange so far: It’s entirely your time to do whatever you please. Whether that is going out, practising hard, meeting new people or learning new pieces. It’s like a ‘time out’ to concentrate on what you want to concentrate on.

I like the butter here, and also the Cox’s apples are much bigger; they’re very palatable and I always feel that the taste sensation is short lived with the English size. Anyway, I digress! I shall post further after I return from Spain!

Around Vienna

2005-09-19T16:48:00.000+01:00

Having now settled into life in Vienna I have begun to explore this historical City. I was fortunate to meet up with Johannes Ettlinger – one of Herr Küblböck’s students who is about to embark on a year-long ERASMUS exchange at the RAM. We had a great evening out; Johannes showed me some of the local Viennese student hostelries and we discussed the usual trombonist jargon (mouthpieces, players and the fairer sex!). I look forward to seeing Johannes again when I return to London.

I’ve seen Beethoven’s piano (see picture, right - click to enlarge), sampled the Heurige (new wine) in the Vienna Woods, got lost for two hours in a maze at Schönbrunn Palace (that’s true!), went to see Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest at Berchtesgaden and spent ages trying to find the Musik Verein (then realised that I’d been sat outside it drinking coffee the previous day without realising!). The Opera house is very beautiful, as is Karlskirche (see picture, top left). Much of the Jugendstil style architecture in Vienna was designed by Otto Wagner, a fine example are the Wagner Apartments near the market, which are very colourful and unique amongst the surrounding area (above left). Also in the market, and to lower the tone slightly, I noticed a sign on the toilet door which made me giggle immaturely for several minutes (see picture, right)! I went to Prater, which is a little like Blackpool Pleasure Beach with a big wheel and many rides and other attractions. I’m sure this is a great day out and I intend to return with some fellow students when the opportunity arises. Whilst on the way to find the Mnozil Bar (where Mnozil Brass started), I saw these peculiar method of transportation – über-cool!

The amount of classical music in Vienna is astounding. In shops, churches, in the street, day, night; it’s everywhere! There are some very talented musicians performing every day in the streets and everyone here seems to be actively keen on classical music – it’s a wonderful culture.

I must mention how thankful I am to the Royal Philharmonic Society, whose generous support in the awarding of a bursary from the Julius Isserlis Fund, will enable me to benefit fully from the musical and cultural atmosphere which Vienna has to offer. (Please follow the link, top right, for more information.)

Mini Update

2005-09-15T15:34:00.000+01:00

My playing is now returning after my time off, and psychologically I am refreshed and looking forward to my time here. I had a call from my teacher today and booked a lesson next week so not much time to prepare/remember how to play the trombone! He’s also invited me to the rehearsal he has that morning; Bruckner 7 with the Vienna Phil – not a bad way to start!

Why Vienna?

2005-09-13T17:17:00.000+01:00

Following my initial musical endeavours as choral scholar at Wakefield Cathedral, I found myself progressing through the path taken by many an aspiring musician from my area; Brass Bands. Another trombonist with similar roots is now Co-Principal Trombone with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Ian Bousfield is, without doubt, one of the finest trombonists in the world and to be given the opportunity to hear him play with The Orchestra in person promises to be a most inspiring experience.

Mr Bousfield’s Co-Principal is Dietmar Küblböck and it is with him, whom I am to study during my time in Vienna. Although I have yet to hear Herr Küblböck play, I have been informed that he is highly regarded as a most musical and sensitive artist. His style is an amalgamation of the French and American Schools of playing and I believe this will be of great benefit, not only to my orchestral education, but also to my performances as a soloist.

I have always enjoyed the work of composers such as Beethoven, Mahler and Strauss and I am sure that there is nothing better than hearing these works performed by the Vienna Philharmonic.

Having listened to recordings of the orchestra I noticed a rather different style to that with which I am accustomed. I feel that an insight into this, along with the different approach of the Viennese will significantly broaden my horizons, both musically and personally. A recording which I particularly enjoyed is Mahler’s Third Symphony, with Pierre Boulez. It is evident from this wonderful performance that Vienna has to be one of the foremost places to study brass playing.

My Travels

2005-09-12T16:53:00.000+01:00

Firstly, apologies for the enormous delay since my last Blog entry! I arrived back in Vienna yesterday following my two weeks of travelling. I’ve had a fantastic time! My first stop was Bratislava, however I had to travel by train; there had been a lot of rain the night before so the boat was cancelled due to the high water level of the Danube. Bratislava is a most charming city, much akin to Prague but without the recent influx of tourists. I was writing the article for The Brass Herald whilst I was there, and the setting proved to be most productive. There are some excellent cafes and restaurants in the Old Town overlooking some very pretty architecture. There were several ‘Stag’ parties who had chosen Bratislava as their ‘City of choice’, probably because of the vibrant night life and extremely cheap menus! On my last night I set out to spend as much money as I possibly could on a meal…the bill came…£15!!! Enough said!

Next I went to Liptovsky Mikulas – it’s a ski resort in the Slovakian mountains but has lots of water parks in the summer. I met up with a friend from college: we went up to the top of the mountains and into a series of underground caves. The scenery was incredible but still the most amazing attribute was the night sky – sad I know - but despite being a doomed failure as a Physicist it still interests me. There is no light pollution there – you can probably see about 50 times more stars than in the UK.

I went back to Bratislava for one night then on to Rome – what a great city; I now understand why it attracts almost 20 million visitors a year and has been called ‘Caput Mundi’ (capital of the world). It is a living museum, an archaeological archive of Western culture, whilst still evolving with new architectural wonders and an exciting night life. I visited The Vatican, The Colosseum , St Peter’s Basilica, The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and of course threw the customary coin into the Trevi Fountain! I managed to lower the tone in true Northern style by posing for the picture below – stood on a beautiful fountain in the centre of the city! I met some Mancunian’s in an Irish bar whilst watching the England Wales game (let’s not go there!) - they were great fun, so I stayed at their apartment for a few nights! Following my time in Rome I was supposed to backpack through Italy but I got a call from my Dad. He’d taken my Mum to Gran Canaria for a week. She’s not too well so I figured this was perhaps the last opportunity we’d have to go away as a family. So I flew to Madrid (for three hours – just enough time to have a glass of Rioja and buy a Real shirt!) then onto Gran Canaria. I did some sea fishing there – I didn’t even catch a Tesco trolley but thankfully the other guys onboard caught some very intriguing sea life; rays, eels, octopus and even a turtle! Enough of the Michelangelo jokes, I’d been out of Rome a good week by this point! I had a lovely time, a shame I didn’t get to see more of Italy though.

So after all this fun I’m back in Vienna. I played my trombone for the first time yesterday – let’s just say I’ve got work to do! I move to my halls on 22nd then I’m hoping to go to Barcelona for a couple of days, where I have been invited to play at a school reunion dinner.

Back to Vienna

2005-08-25T13:24:00.000+01:00

I returned to Vienna on 18th August with all my belongings for ‘survival’ until I get the chance to return home and swap my summer clothes for attire more suitable for the perishable winter climate I have been told to expect here. I flew from Stansted with a company called FlyNiki.com, which I believe is owned by the former Formula 1 world racing champion Niki Lauda (along with Lauda Air). I was surprised to learn that I had an excess baggage charge of £120! Although I did have three suitcases, two trombones and a rucksack!

Until 22nd September I will be staying in the Hochschule’s Halls of Residence (see picture - right) on Johannesgasse (www.johannesgasse8.at). The official name for the conservatoire is Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Wien (see picture - top). Then, from 22nd September until I return to London, I will stay at Gasometer.

Gasometer (www.gasometer.org/en/) is a complex containing four former gas tanks built in 1896, which were extensively renovated from 1999 to 2001. Gasometer is no longer a gas storage facility. Instead, it is now a super modern site containing apartments, a student dormitory, offices and a large entertainment centre with a cinema and concert hall (see picture - below).

The Staff here have been most helpful in finding me somewhere to live. I also found out that an old friend of mine from the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, Chris Seddon, a trumpet player from Birmingham Conservatoire, will also be studying here next term. Also, a cellist from the Royal Academy of Music called Anna Beryl will be here next term. I feel much more at ease now I know this.

I head off on my trip to Slovakia tomorrow, so I’ll try to post updates as often as I can.

Trip to America – Part 2

2005-08-24T12:32:00.000+01:00

Battle Creek, Michigan is famous for two reasons – not only is it the home of Kellogg’s cereal it is also host to a band whose members include some of the finest brass players from around the world; The Brass Band of Battle Creek (www.bbbc.net). This band is unique! It’s members coming from Broadway, The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, The New York Metropolitan Opera, The Basie Band and Canadian Brass – an awesome group of players. I was fortunate enough to be invited along for the week to sit in on rehearsals and have a lesson from the principal trombone. They also let me play in a memorial concert – I had a great time; it was wonderful experience.

The main concert they performed was an open air show featuring the American Idol, 1812 Overture with a firework display, music from Stravinsky’s Firebird and some insurmountable jazz playing from the band’s own Chris Jaudes and Wycliffe Gordon. Following this trip I was commissioned by The Brass Herald Magazine (www.thebrassherald.com) to write an article about the band for publication later this year.

Vienna/New York?

2005-08-23T11:26:00.000+01:00

Visiting these two cities in succession really highlighted the differences they offer in terms of food, culture and attitude. They are so very different and having lived in London for two years I feel that it is a city with aspects of both Vienna and New York. It certainly gave me a sense of appreciation of something which I often overlook.

I am in the process of planning a trip to see an RCM friend in Bratislava, Slovakia. After this, I intend to make use of the cheap transport in Europe to see some sights of interest. Currently, the plan is:

- Ferry on the Danube to Bratislava
- Train to Mikulas, Slovakia
- Fly to Rome
- Back-pack North through Italy stopping at Florence, Pisa and Venice before returning to Vienna by train.

This should take around two weeks, but hopefully I can stop at some cyber café’s en route.

Trip to America – Part 1

2005-08-22T18:07:00.000+01:00

Following my trip to Vienna, I returned to my family home in Yorkshire for a day before once again heading to Manchester Airport; this time bound for New York. I appreciate this is slightly off the topic in terms of my sojourn in Vienna, however, since term doesn’t commence over here until early October there is plenty of time for me to talk about all things Viennese.

New York is a city that I had always wanted to visit and so I spent a week there before flying to Michigan to see the Brass Band of Battle Creek.

On the way to New York they oversubscribed my flight so, after looking around and seeing a queue incorporating families and businessmen, I volunteered to travel on a flight via Atlanta. What I didn’t know was that they had upgraded me to first class as compensation! Wow, what an incredible experience - I had a full steak meal with wine followed by cheese and port – and even my own TV and playstation! Having a short relief from student-hood was a welcome change and fortunately they even let me though immigration despite being slightly ‘worse-for-wear’ from the free flowing libations on the plane!

New York was cool. I managed to get around everything I had planned including a few of the clichés; The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, UN Headquarters and Central Park. Having recently read The Da Vinci Code I visited the Opus Dei Headquarters on Lexington Avenue and in the wake of the London bombs I decided to experience Ground Zero. (I use ‘experience’ since I found this site quite a moving experience.) I also managed a few bonus trips including dining at the revolving restaurant atop of the Marriot Hotel at Times Square, seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on Broadway and also Destiny’s Child at Madison Square Garden (along with 20,000 screaming fans!).

The Austrian Police Story….

2005-08-21T15:32:00.000+01:00

My only previous encounter with Austria was a school trip several years ago when we spent the day in Salzburg. Having decided to study in Vienna (for reasons which I will discuss in a future post), I thought it would be useful to visit the City for a week so to acquaint myself with it’s geography, culture and most importantly, find somewhere to live!

I returned from this trip almost four weeks ago. I had a fantastic time sightseeing and doing all the touristy stuff (which again, I will explain in a later ‘blog’) – I soon got bored of looking for accommodation though and ended up doing the not so Viennese thing of drinking Latte in Starbucks whilst reading Harry Potter!

Coming home was eventful! I had my trombone case examined. Rather unusually, the Airport Authorities in Vienna Airport seem not to check ‘bulky items’ in the manner with which I was accustomed; X-ray. Instead, the security guy rubbed a cloth around the inside of the case, and then tested this cloth in a machine. Red light! And so he tried again...same! After he’s made a quick phone call I ask him what the problem is... a trace of TNT explosives in my case! I thought this was highly amusing until a huge, mean police officer turns up with a machine gun! He takes out the trombone and leaves with my case, passport and boarding pass. So I'm left standing in the middle of Vienna airport, holding a trombone at 5 in the morning - bricking it, frankly! He soon came back though and it was fine after he X-rayed it! Phew!

Welcome!

2005-08-20T23:07:00.000+01:00

Hello, and welcome to my ‘blog’! Having now settled in Vienna as a resident of this beautiful city, I have begun to allocate time in order to regularly update this Web Log. It is a new experience for me but most definitely an exciting one. Hopefully I can give some insight into my time here, which may be of benefit or, failing that, a source of amusement!

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance and any feedback or comments would be greatly appreciated.

I’ll keep the blogs short and sweet – so I’ll submit a new post tomorrow with the story of my encounters with the Austrian Police!

Until then…!