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Sarajevo (again): Cossack choir

30/6/2014

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Just before midnight on the 28th/29th, a second free concert began, this one on the Latin Bridge. It was part of Sarajevo's "Heart of Europe" celebration, with several musical (and one theatrical) groups performing. Programs were hard to come by (as in general for the centennial), so I don't know who this Cossack group is. Any help on identifying them would be most appreciated.

Cossack choir on Sarajevo's Latin Bridge from Mark Nuckols on Vimeo.

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Sarajevo: 100 Years Later

28/6/2014

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It's been a busy, long-awaited day for me--and nothing has turned out as expected. Partly because preparations for the centennial have not been well coordinated--perhaps because, while everyone considers the centennial worth commemorating, there are so many different takes on it--should we blame the assassin for WWI, or the Austrians, the Germans? Peace groups have arranged some events, the city of Sarajevo others, the East-West forum here in Sarajevo others. Karl von Habsburg, the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian dynasty, spoke briefly last night from the bridge closest to the spot of the assassination--and that (as best I've been able to determine) amidst various sound checks for tonight's musical performances at the Latin Bridge. In the picture at left, a member of a peace organization places a wreath at the spot from which Gavrilo Princip fired the fatal shots.
    A hundred or so visitors gathered at the site of the assassination around 10 AM, the approximate time of the assassination, to...? No ceremony, but there was a car identical to the one used by Francis Ferdinand and his wife on their visit. The actual vehicle is in the Historical Museum in Vienna. A number of bystanders complained that that one should have been on display; other commented that Vienna no longer has much love for the Habsburgs and that the arrangements would have been difficult and expensive--so it goes for controversial history. So, as if expecting ceremonies that were never in the plans, people stood around and improvised, taking selfies in front of the car and commenting on the lack of organization. A young couple appeared as the archduke and his wife (below) while a man in a modern Austrian uniform stood on the riding board as if protecting them with his body (somewhat true to history).

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The real highlight of the day was the performance of the Vienna Philharmonic at the Town Hall, which is now re-opened after destruction during the Balkan Wars in 1995. The VIP-only event was broadcast live to a spot just across the river. Here is a clip from their final performance of the evening, "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. With its theme of universal brotherhood, it was fitting music for a day of reconciliation.

Ode to Joy - Vienna Philharmonic - Sarajevo - 28 June 2014 from Mark Nuckols on Vimeo.

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Sarajevo: Gearing up for the Anniversary

27/6/2014

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Tomorrow, June 28, will be the hundredth anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. Disagreement among Bosnians and Serbs about how to commemorate the event (the latter tend to regard the assassin, Gavrilo Princip, as a hero) has discouraged participation from major heads of state, who prefer to avoid the controversy. Although I've been planning this trip for over a year, I've found it difficult to get specific information on centennial events.

Now that I'm here, I can offer something in the way of preparations. Hence, the following pics...



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Pécs, Hungary: Gateway to the Balkans

27/6/2014

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With its two mosques, one synagogue and several Catholic and Orthodox churches, this town is a good foretaste of Sarajevo, to which I'm headed after Prague, Slovakia and an overnight stay in Budapest. In the south of Hungary, where the elevation begins to rise towards, and where there is a significant Croat population, it is a good transition to the Balkans. At the same time, it maintains a very Hungarian and a wine-making tradition.

Right now I have a huge backlog of experiences to write about, but please look out for updates on Sarajevo--the 100th anniversary of the event that sparked WWI!
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Guľašpartia!

25/6/2014

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It's a tradition in Slovakia, not just Hungary. Since I lived in Martin, SK over
20 years ago, I've visited the choir many times, but this is the first time I've
been back for a goulash party, the sort of gathering that served as my goodbye
after a year of singing with them back in 1992. The weather this time was cool
for the first day of spring, but despite threatening skies, only a few
drops fell on us. 
    Much of the membership has changed: the current director is a Lutheran pastor whose husband, also a pastor, is playing the gajdy or Slovak bagpipes in this
clip. The bearded guy with the hat is Laco, the owner of the cottage, a good buddy who's been active in the choir since well before I joined in 1991.

More Fun with Slovak Bagpipes from Mark Nuckols on Vimeo.

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Konopiště, Home of Francis Ferdinand

21/6/2014

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A relaxing day-trip from Prague is a comfortable rail ride to the town of Benešov. Stroll the grounds of Archduke Francis Ferdinand's chateau.

I visited the site once before, in 1996. This year the landmark features a special display, "Together in Life and Death," with realia and memorabilia from the lives of the Archduke and his wife, Sophie Chotek. Gavrilo Princip got off two shots and managed to kill them both--on their wedding anniversary, June 28. I'll be in Sarajevo on the centennial, so please look for updates.
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Central Prague--not just for Tourists!

19/6/2014

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Just when I was afraid Prague had become too touristy. A couple of hours after checking in to a hostel in the Lesser Side district, one of the major sight-seeing destinations, I happened upon this group of revelers singing a traditional Czech song. They stepped out from the pub "At the Tomcat's" to perform "Všude bylo ticho..." "Everywhere was quiet, like in church, only music was playing merrily... the moon was witness to our love & kisses."

MVI 0494[1] from Mark Nuckols on Vimeo.

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"The World of Yesterday--Today" Tour Begins!

18/6/2014

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This trip is largely devoted to an understanding of Viennese Jewish writer Stefan Zweig's autobiography The World of Yesterday, an account of Europe, particularly Central Europe, before it came apart at the seams with the outbreak of World War I. Appropriately, my JFK-Prague flight offered Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel, a film loosely inspired by Zweig's writings (and whose imagery includes several Central European landmarks which I'll visit).

The film closes with the lines "To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it. But I will say, he certainly sustained the illusion with a marvelous grace," which can refer to Zweig as well as to the films lead character, Monsieur Gustave H.
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Venice 1995 - Travels with the Choir

11/6/2014

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Mark in front of St. Mark's. This is from a trip with the Slovak chorus Hron in spring 1995. We sang as part of an exchange with an Italian choir in Trent, then visited another group in Croatia, stopping in Venice on the way. That trip is the source of the map on my homepage and in the first blog post at the bottom of this page. I'll be making a similar solo journey starting next week, including a goulash party/reunion with another chorus I sang in and other contacts with old musician friends. Updates coming!

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    Musical & Literary Wanderings of a Galloping Gypsy

    Mark Eliot Nuckols is a travel writer from Silver Beach Virginia who is also a musician and teacher.

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