GBL 1260/COR 4460 Independent Research Travel Itinerary
McKenna Carboy
Fall 2022/Winter 2023
I traveled to the sites that are highlighted in Yellow, the rest of the sites I could not attend
Rationale
Finding sites to visit in relation to composers’ attitudes toward politics was very difficult to accomplish. I have spent upwards of 8 hours researching multiple sites in relation to various composers throughout Salzburg, Vienna, Venice, and Milan. Most sites that I originally found we are already visiting as a class; therefore, I had to research deeper connections regarding political composers and compositions. Additionally, most sites that I have researched are too far away from the hotels that we’re staying at in each city. While working on this itinerary, I have planned the logistics and specific details of visiting each site including calling the institutions by which sites are run and attempting to explain that I am an English-speaker planning on visiting. I have not had any luck with calling the institutions due to my lack of understanding in both the German and Italian languages. I am somewhat knowledgeable of the German language; however, I had difficulty calling the institutions and accurately explaining how I plan to visit. Therefore, this itinerary is a rough draft, and I will continue working on the scheduling of the sites listed above throughout the month of December 2022.
With the allowance of my professors, I am planning to attend the opera of Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ at the Salzburg Marionette Theater on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023. The opera lasts approximately an hour and five minutes, but I will need to be there no later than 3:30 pm for admission since the opera starts at 4:00 pm. My attendance at this opera may interfere with our TBD class time scheduled on January 4th, so I will need to check with my professors before buying any tickets. Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ is considered by some to have political beliefs including humanism, rationalism, and skepticism towards traditional authorities. Therefore, in my itinerary, I convey credible research concluding Mozart’s involvement in Freemasonry and political ideologies woven throughout ‘The Magic Flute’. If I cannot attend the opera, I have listed two other sites to visit instead. The first site is The Little Magic Flute House which is located within the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. The Little Magic Flute House is allegedly where Mozart’s confidant, Emanuel Schikaneder, locked him in the tiny house to help Mozart finish writing ‘The Magic Flute’. However, visiting The Little Magic Flute House seems to be challenging as there is contradicting information on whether it’s open to the public, has tours offered in English, and how much it will cost to visit. I will need the help of my professors to determine whether I can visit this site. If I cannot attend ‘The Magic Flute’ opera and the touring of The Little Magic Flute House, I have decided to visit the Bibliotheca Mozartiana that is located within the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. The Bibliotheca Mozartiana is a specialized library of Mozart that has works in all languages including original manuscripts, early prints, etc. According to credible research, the original manuscript of ‘The Magic Flute’ is arguably political in relation to Mozart’s involvement in Freemasonry. The original manuscript of ‘The Magic Flute’ is said to be displayed in the Bibliotheca Mozartiana; however, I will need the help of my professors to call the museum before making any concrete plans to visit. If I do visit the Bibliotheca Mozartiana, I will also need the help of my professors in scheduling a visit as their website states that it’s open to the public but pre-registration is required.
In Vienna, Austria, I plan to visit Austria’s National Library on Wednesday, January 11th, 2023, between the hours of 10 am to 6 pm. I could not find information as to whether tours are offered in English and whether I can only visit exhibits in relation to Beethoven. Therefore, I will need the help of my professors to determine if visiting Austria’s National Library is logistical. Austria’s National Library displays Beethoven’s autograph manuscripts including ‘The Ninth Symphony’ which was a political piece in that Beethoven expresses the will for freedom and democratic longing of the people by using the ‘Ode to Joy’ written by Friedrich Schiller. ‘The Ode to Joy’ expresses that in a new age the old ways will no longer divide people and that “all men shall become brothers”. According to credible sources, ‘The Ninth Symphony’ is Beethoven’s most political composition which has been used at Olympic ceremonies, during the fall of the Berlin wall, and as the anthem of the European Union.
If allowed by the Richard Wagner Association of Venice, I plan to visit the Richard Wagner Museum on Tuesday, January 17th, 2023, which is located on the main island of Venice, Italy. The only way to visit is by scheduled appointments in which I will need the help of my professors to plan a tour in the English language. Richard Wagner was a German-born composer that lived and died in Venice. The Wagner Museum is also called ‘Ca’ Vendramin Calergi’ which is the apartment where Wagner died. The museum includes a tour inside Wagner’s old apartment and displays Wagner’s works through exhibitions and publications. Wagner was very antisemitic and wrote ‘Das Judentum in der Musik’ which was an essay that claimed Jews were incapable of true musical creativity. In the essay, Wagner condemns the music of the synagogue and Jewish composers such as Mendelssohn and Giacomo Meyerbeer. According to credible sources, ‘Das Judentum in der Musik’ was used by Nazis to validate notions of eliminationist anti-Semitic policy. If I cannot visit The Wagner Museum, I plan to visit the San Michele cemetery which is located on the island of San Michele in Venice, Italy. Buried on the island of San Michele is Igor Stravinsky who composed an opera including the story of ‘Oedipus Rex’ written by Sophocles. Stravinsky’s opera and the story of ‘Oedipus Rex’ convey the theme of fate vs. free will in relation to rulers of the land and the governance of countries. Stravinsky’s opera about ‘Oedipus Rex’ follows the story of King Oedipus of Thebes who killed his own father, Laius, and married his own mother, Jocasta. According to credible sources, ‘Oedipus Rex’ serves as a political thriller conveying the relationship between individuals and the state. Further research and understanding of ‘Oedipus Rex’ will lead to stronger connections regarding the link between Stravinsky’s opera conveying the story of ‘Oedipus Rex’ and its relation to politics.
In Milan, Italy I plan to visit the San Marco Church on Thursday, January 19th, 2023. Giuseppe Verdi composed ‘Messa da Requiem’ for Alessandro Manzoni’s funeral which was performed in the Church of San Marco in Milan, Italy. Manzoni was a philosopher who believed in the unification and liberation of Italy and had many political workings like Verdi. Verdi was also very political in the unification and liberation of Italy. According to credible sources, Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Va pensiero,’ Nabucco, is proclaimed as Italy’s unofficial national anthem which was performed at the 150th anniversary of Italy’s reunification. The line "O mia patria, sì bella e perduta" ("Oh my country, so beautiful and lost") within Verdi’s ‘Messa da Requiem’ is a politically charged line that was valued during the unification and liberation of Italy.
I am extremely excited to visit the places listed on my itinerary; however, I know that I will not be able to visit some sites due to logistical issues, which I will need to discuss with my professors. My total cost for sites on the itinerary is yet to be determined since I will need to consult with my professors about which sites I can visit. Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ opera in Salzburg, Austria is very expensive, but I am willing to pay out of my own pocket money because I believe seeing the opera will be beneficial to my research. I tried my absolute best to plan out everything ensuring that there were strong links between the sites I plan to visit and my research question; however, I will have to consult my professors to confirm the logistics of my itinerary.
No comments:
Post a Comment