Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • SPRING 2018 • PAN PIPES 27 longer exists, the building having been demolished in 1907. For this reason, it was decided in 1980 to exhibit furniture for the Brahms flat here." And what splendid furniture indeed! e "real" Brahms Museum is in Hamburg, Germany. (See Winter 2014 issue of PAN PIPES.) Our penultimate composer museum stop was the Mozarthaus (locally nicknamed "Figarohaus"), which opened in 2006 on the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. Franz had arranged for Constanze — yes, a woman with the same name as Mozart's wife — to meet us. Our Constanze (who is in charge of Events Management and Marketing at Mozarthaus) was the perfect private tour guide through both the permanent and rotating exhibits. Astounding was the poster with a list of "selected" compositions (including Figaro, of course) written during his stay here between 1784-1787. From one window, she pointed to an outside view virtually unchanged since the era of Mozart. In this residence, Wolfgang Amadeus composed eight of his twenty-six piano concerti. It is estimated that he wrote about six sheets of music a day — but not always transcribed them immediately. One handwritten inscription on an autograph facsimile stated that he had composed the music late one night but waited to write it down until several days later while bowling with friends. Mozart had studied with Haydn who recognized his pupil's genius: He told Mozart's father, Leopold "…your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name…" Haydn had heard and loved three Mozart quartets performed here. Aer Mozart completed three more, he atypically dedicated the half dozen, known as the Haydn Quartets, to his composer friend rather than to a nobleman as was customary at that time. Mozart had to do more than just compose: for example, for his Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, he organized his own concert, sold tickets, rented the hall, and hired musicians. He liked performing on his own piano, so he oen took it along to his concerts. Fortunately, he lived on the first floor, and 18th-century pianos were a lot smaller than modern grands. Most of the personal effects of Mozart are in Salzburg, Austria, at his Geburtshaus. Sadly, there was not enough time to enjoy the interactive exhibits at Mozarthaus. Outside, aer a quick peek at the close-by St. Stephen's Cathedral where Mozart's marriage and funeral took place, we drove to the museum in the Johann Strauss Wohnung (Apartment), which was not far from where our river cruise ship was docked. In this apartment, he wrote the e Blue Danube (1867). e museum features some displays on other members of the Strauss musical dynasty — not just the waltz king. I particularly liked seeing the standing desk where he composed and his gilded violin cabinet. As in the displays in the other composer museums, there are display drawers to open, signs that flip up to reveal information, and a listening console. If you purchase a Vienna Card, admission is less at each of the museums, including the Mozarthaus, which is independently owned. Jayne I. Hanlin is an initiate of Alpha Omicron and current member of the St. Louis Alumnae chapter. Mrs. Hanlin, the sister of famed pianist Malcolm Frager, is the co- author of Learning Latin Through Mythology (Cambridge University Press, 1991). A WORLD OF MUSIC At top, an interior view of the Beethoven Eroicahaus. Above, Inside the Beethoven Pasqualatihaus.

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