Dresden and Leipzig, the two largest cities in the German state of Saxony (Sachsen), have very different-looking opera houses. The Semper Opera in Dresden (on the left) has three U-shaped balconies and is highly ornate on the inside, with endless paintings and decorations. It looks as though it was built Read More …
The current Leipzig Opera House was built during the 1950s after several architectural competitions and considerable uncertainty about what an opera house should look like in the new Socialist State of the Workers and Farmers. It came out looking quite Spartan and egalitarian, but the acoustics are good and you Read More …
Even now, after thirty years of German unification, it still feels eerie to ride in a train as it barrels through the town of Gerstungen without even slowing down. Gerstungen used to be the border stop between East and West Germany, and every train had at least a one-hour stop Read More …
The Gewandhaus is a large modern concert hall on Augustusplatz in Leipzig, directly opposite the opera house. It is the home of the famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, which also plays regularly at the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas’s Church) and in the opera house itself. The orchestra was founded in 1743, and over Read More …
To the right of the Opera House in this photo you can see the tallest building in Leipzig, the former University Tower from the year 1971. With an architectural height of 142 meters (not counting the ‘tip’ which gets up to 153 meters), it was for several years the tallest Read More …
At several places in downtown Leipzig there used to be text-panels with information about the dramatic events of October and November 1989. This one in front of the opera house described the “Day of Decision” on 9 October 1989: “After the peace prayers in four Leipzig churches, more than 70,000 Read More …
The composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) spent 27 years in Leipzig as cantor at St. Thomas’s School and as the city’s Director of Music. Here some children are playing their instruments at the foot of his statue. The building behind him is St. Thomas’s Church. This bust of Bach is Read More …
The German dramatist, poet and historian Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) spent the summer of 1785 in a farmhouse in what was then the village of Gohlis, near Leipzig. At that time, Schiller presumably had a better view from his bedroom window than I did when I visited in 2005. Of course Read More …
Twice so far I have been lucky enough to be in Leipzig on one of those Saturday afternoons when they offer a tour of the opera house. These tours are listed on their website, where you can also book tickets. The cost as of 2018 is € 10.00. The tour Read More …