The QuainT Charm of Salzburg

Iwas in transit in austria before taking another train to Venice, Italy. I decided to go to a city I have yet to visit. Thankfully, salzburg was along the way of my planned route.

I’ve heard good things about the city and its connection to the musical “sound of Music” (of course!). It felt like a good idea to drop by and explore a new destination that calls out to me.

Quaint and charming

A S I w as only transiting through Salzburg en route to Venice, I didn’t have much time in the city. ho wever, I at least had one full day to catch a glimpse of it. I’ve been to Vienna before; my immediate impression was that Salzburg wasn’t like the capital. It had a more laidback atmosphere (it must be the mountain setting) compared to the big city. This fact alone made me like Salzburg already. I didn’t stay in the old town, but I was near one of the city’s main attractions, the Mirabell Palace. If you’ve seen the movie Sound of Music, you’ll immediately recognize the Mirabell Palace’s façade and some of its halls. The palace underwent a remodeling in the 1720s to fit a Baroque architectural aesthetic. It was later restored to a Neoclassical design in the 1810s.

Inside you’ll find the Marble h a ll, a beautiful room where functions and concerts take place. As much as I’d like to see more of the palace, access is limited to visitors to a few rooms. Not too far from Mirabell Palace is the lovely and centuries old altstadt or old town. The latter is a UN e S CO World h e ritage Site where I could spend hours meandering through its narrow streets. The area is home to many shops, restaurants, and cafes where visitors can take a break. At Residenzplatz, you can visit some of the city’s museums such as the Salzburg Museum and the DomQuartier. The quaint buildings lining each street will make you pause and wonder if you’ve traveled back in time. Salzburg isn’t just famous for its mountainous setting or its association with the “Sound of Music,” it’s also the birthplace of one of the most famous composers and musicians, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Visit his house to learn more about the virtuoso and get a peek into his formative years.

Once you emerge from the narrow lanes and beautiful buildings, you’ll find yourself in one of the city’s quaint squares. h e re you’ll get to sample local food sold at the stalls, buy a souvenir, or some fresh fruit. At the center of these squares, you’ll often spot a towering and fetching church. The Salzburg Cathedral’s more than 70m high twin towers, marble statues, and beautiful white façade are features you can’t ignore. Its cavernous interior, frescoes, and intricate details lining the walls will draw your eyes to the front, side, and to the ceiling. St. Peter’s Church is another noteworthy addition to your itinerary. It dates to 1143 and is an integral part of the city’s culture and history. Inside you’ll see St. Rupert’s rock-hewn tomb, monuments, religious paintings and frescoes, and monuments.

I made my way up to the h ohensalzburg Fortress to not only get bird’s eye views of the city, but to learn more about its history. The fortress dates to 1077 but most of the structures you’ll see are from the 1500s. The fortress contains defensive gateways, a courtyard, the Church of St. George, and the Princes’ Apartments. I took my time exploring the attractions and enjoying the views of the city below. I imagined royalty and Prince-Archbishops roaming the same courtyard, entering the church, and looking out at the same views as I did. I took one last look at the towers and domes of the city’s most famous churches and walked back down to the old town.

Salzburg’s historic center is one of the most well-preserved in e urope. Add the fetching baroque architecture all over the city with the mountains as a backdrop, you’ll find yourself in a place that you wouldn’t want to leave. Salzburg isn’t a big and imposing metropolis, it’s small enough to immerse yourself in, even if you don’t get to stay long. A day or so allows you to see the main attractions such as Mirabell Palace, hohensalzburg Fortress, Residenzplatz, Salzburg Cathedral, and the old town. A day is insufficient to really get to know a place, but if that’s all you have, Salzburg can satisfy your wanderlust.

48th InternatIonal BamBoo organ FestIval showcases lIve concerts

The International Bamboo Organ Festival will welcome again the general public at St. Joseph’s Parish Church (300 seats) to attend the live concerts for the 48th year in a row. The festival opens this February 23 with a Gala performance for the sustaining members and sponsors of the I nternational Bamboo Organ Festival with a repeat performance on February 24 and 25 featuring “Baroque Music from eu rope and Latin America.” eudenice Palaruan will conduct an ensemble composed of the Collegium Vocale Manila (formerly Villancico Vocal en semble), the Manila Baroque en semble, and soloists Raphael Leone, piccolo (Austria), Carolyn Kleiner-Cheng, harpsichord, and Armando Salarza, organ.

O n Saturday, February 25 at 5:00 p.m., David Kendall, Ph.D., visiting professor of music at UST, will give a lecture on “Music in the Philippines during the Spanish er a,” preceding the concert that follows at 8:00 p.m.

The yearly Festival Mass will be held on Sunday, February 26, at 4:00 p.m. at the San ez ekiel Moreno Oratory (SeMO) located along the C5 e x tension in Pulanglupa, Las Piñas (Villar Sipag Compound). Presiding the celebration will be Fr. Sam A gcaracar, SVD, rector of the SVD Seminary in Tagaytay concelebrating with Msgr. Bobby Olaguer, parish priest of St. Joseph’s Parish in L as Piñas. Organists are Luc Ponet (Belgium) and Armando Salarza together with the Las Piñas Boys Choir d irected by Rey Joseph Peña. at St. Scholastica’s College Chapel (240 seats) for the performance of excerpts from the St. Matthew’s Passion by J.S. Bach. This masterwork will be heard for the first time i n Manila, performed by the Collegium Vocale Manila and the Manila Baroque ensemble under the competent direction of Beverly ShangkuanC heng. The first part will present music for the holy week with the Las Piñas Boys Choir and Armando Salarza at the organ. Tickets are available at SM Tickets

Our guest organist of this year will be Luc Ponet, visiting the festival for the 6th time since 2001. T hose who would like to hear the Bamboo Organ and the variety of sounds it can produce have to attend this recital scheduled for Monday, February 27. he w ill have two more organ recitals; one in San Beda Manila (February 25) and in Betis, Pampanga (March 2).

The closing concert will be on March 2 at 8:00 p.m. at SeMO (800 seats) and on March 4 at 8:00 p.m.

(www.smtickets.com) or you can call the Bamboo Organ office at 88257190 / 8820-0795 and look for Ms. Beth Dela Cruz. We advise the public to reserve or to purchase their tickets in advance. Seats are limited at St. Joseph’s Parish Church and at St. Scholastica. You can also visit our new web site at www.bamboo-organ.com for the latest news and updates about the festival, and don’t forget to follow our Facebook