Last Tuesday we had a course fair in the evening where we could go and talk with our teachers about their subjects and what was to be expected for each class we were interested in. (Since I know which classes I'd like to take, and though I did talk to a few teachers, I honestly just went for the free food. It was wonderful.)
On Wednesday I went on an Art History tour at the Kunsthistorisches Museum led by one of my professors who I hope to be taking a class from this semester. She explained the differences in paintings by eras and styles and showed how one could be "invited into a painting" by the angle, light, and use of space. Also she explained things about color representation that I had never noticed before. It was very educational, and I really enjoyed it!
Here I am inside the museum!
Wednesday evening I went out to a club with some friends, as I had never done that sort of thing before, and socialized with the "young people" of Vienna. Some spoke English, but it was hard to hold a conversation over the noisy karaoke. Most of the pop songs were in English, so lots of the IES students were singing along, and a good time was had by all!
Thursday evening there was supposed to be ice skating, but since I had been told it was canceled, some of my friends and I decided to have a night in and played card games for hours. I haven't been ice skating yet, but apparently there's an ice skating path instead of a traditional ice rink that you skate along, so I'll be sure to explain it in more detail once I get the chance to go!
Wednesday and Thursday nights there were also Performance Workshop auditions for those of us who would be taking that class for an "ensemble" during the semester. This included vocalists and all sorts of instrumentalists, and everyone who was auditioning was required to attend. It was great to hear everyone audition, and I'm looking forward to seeing who I will be placed with in a small chamber ensemble this semester!
On Friday afternoon my roommate and I bought "combination tickets" to tour both the Mozart Haus (the apartment where he wrote the Marriage of Figaro) and the Haus der Musik (similar to the Experience Music Project in Seattle - a hands-on look at music of all sorts). The Mozart Haus was incredibly educational, and it was done completely by audio guides. No pictures were allowed, but here's one of the outside.
Mozart Haus
The Haus der Musik had all sorts of interactive activities. On the upper floors there were rooms dedicated to each major European composer and a station where you could conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. On lower floors there were activities like creating your own waltz by rolling two dice or by spelling out your name with musical phrases or even making your own CD mix to buy at the front desk. There were exhibits on sound waves and vocal techniques, and they even had a room where you could experience what it sounded like when you were in the womb. I went with three other girls in the music program and we ran around like 5-year-olds trying everything out. It was some of the most fun I've had in my first week here!
Experimenting with the create-your-own waltz with my roommate!
Re-defining the meaning of "conducting class."
I got to conduct the Vienna Phil - and they went at MY tempo! SO COOL!!!
On Saturday there was a scheduled IES Bus Tour of Vienna that you had to sign up for in advance, along with a lecture that began before the tour at 10:30 in the morning. I attended both and got a great deal of history on Austria and the surrounding area - AND the weather was beautiful! We got a great overlook of the city from a nearby "mountain" (though, to a Colorado girl it looked more like a substantial hill) and we also toured the outer ring of the city. The following pictures are some of the things we got to see. Can you name the monuments? (Answers will come in the next blog post.) Enjoy!
This last one is a panoramic view of the city.
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