Leipzig Part 1

I'm now staying in a fabulous Ramada hotel in Leipzig, the city of Bach. It was here that he worked for 27 years until his death in 1750. In his first 5-6 years here he wrote about 3 cycles worth of cantatas! That means 25-27 Sundays' worth of music per year (if I mixed up the numbers, please let me know!) There is conveniently a Bach competition going on this week. I went to one of the events last night, expecting some novice wannabes in their early 20's sludging through Bach. Turns out, they were absolutely stunning. I got to hear 5 singers (20 min. of music each). They did 2 Bach pieces, a Teleman, and some others, and they represented Iceland, Norway, and Slovakia. The venue was at the Grossi museum, a free museum that displays a large variety of old, gorgeous instruments. For 5 Euro I got to sit in a room with a piano, a harpsichord (or something similar) and an organ, and listen to phenomenal vocal pieces. I had brought my journal as a back up plan--I hate being bored--but didn't even need it. I'll go to Dresden on Saturday for the day, then hurry back that night to catch the concert put on by the winners, including Cello, Vocals, and Organ. Yesterday I also toured the Stasi museum, that has kept the small Stasi offices in tact since 1989. The stories were chilling, and I marveled that this sense of fear gripped the city for so long. We've also had lectures every morning, so this week I've learned about the musicians leading up to Bach here in Leipzig, and a bit about Bach and his legacy through his kids. I'm so happy to be on this trip.