Category Archives: music

Gounod “Funeral March of a Marionette”

Posted on 08/05/2015 by Marcellina

I haven’t vanished in an alpine crevasse, I’ve simply been busy singing! The business has been part rehearsals, part teaching, and part working on some things for the future. The rehearsals have led me to a small musical discovery, in … Continue reading →

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A Special Grave in the Jewish Cemetery

Posted on 30/10/2013 by Marcellina

While I was at the Westfriedhof, scouting out an appropriate bench to photograph and include with the story below, I visited the grave of Yury Shklyar, which I do every once in a while. (I know, it’s weird. I like … Continue reading →

Posted in Innsbruck, lives of others, memory, music, opera, singing | 3 Comments

You Have To Hear Yourself With The Ears Of Your Enemies.

Posted on 17/09/2013 by Marcellina

(Photo from EddaMoser.com ) Even if you have never heard of the German soprano Edda Moser (and that’s OK;  I don’t really keep track of sopranos myself, and I’m in the business), if you are a singer you really should … Continue reading →

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Kulturblogging: Hildegard Knef

Posted on 30/05/2013 by Marcellina

When you spend more than a couple of years in another country, you may begin to realize how much the people around you, while possibly being very much like you, grew up on different pop culture. The American entertainment industry … Continue reading →

Posted in America, assimilation, culture, Germany, lives of others, music, singing | 2 Comments

Poetry Blogging: Ilse Weber

Posted on 31/05/2012 by Marcellina

“After Auschwitz, writing poetry is no longer possible.” — Theodor Adorno “The truth is, Adorno couldn’t write poetry before Auschwitz either.” — journalist and publicist Johannes Gross. I am paraphrasing the Adorno quote somewhat for clarity. In fact, the word-for-word … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, history, literature, lives of others, memory, music, singing | 4 Comments

Happy 100th, Nana

Posted on 10/02/2012 by Marcellina

What sibling drama has just happened here? The little girl on the left is my grandmother, with her older sister Helen and her little brother Frank. Just a few years later, Helen died, and then a baby sister Marie, and … Continue reading →

Posted in lives of others, memory, music | 4 Comments

>Renft

Posted on 10/02/2011 by Marcellina

> A recent blogpost elswhere about “Krautrock” (classic rock music from Germany) got me thinking about a post I had wanted a certain music critic friend to write. He never got around to it so I guess I’ll have to … Continue reading →

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>Hilde Zach 1942-2011

Posted on 17/01/2011 by Marcellina

> The former mayor of Innsbruck was a special kind of politician. First, she loved Innsbruck (it was said that the city was her “only child”). In her eight years in office, I never heard a single bad word said … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, culture, current events, lives of others, music, politics | 3 Comments

>Die Ahnen

Posted on 31/10/2010 by Marcellina

>On the left is my maternal great-grandmother, who died of illness when my grandmother was still a young girl. Next to her is her own mother, and her father is in the back, sitting against the wall. The parents were … Continue reading →

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>Mein Freund Der Baum Ist Tod

Posted on 19/04/2009 by Marcellina

> An enormous old tree across the street had been taken down early this morning. It had probably succumbed from the construction work on the underground garage, or maybe city life had just taken its toll on it. Telling my … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, music | 1 Comment