In the City of Mozart

If there were any historical figure who could move me to tears, there’s only one.  Mozart.

Many of you know that I was groomed to be a serious musician from a very young age.  I worked hard; I later enrolled at Boston Conservatory.  And while it didn’t turn into a full-time career, music has always been a huge part of my life.

To me, Mozart is everything.

I mean, there’s a fairly decent chance that at least one of my kids will end up with the middle name Amadeus.  Not even joking.

So I was looking forward to exploring Salzburg, Mozart’s home city, and exploring the two main sights: Mozart’s birthplace and the Mozart Residence, the house in which he grew up.

Mozart’s birthplace is now home to a museum with lots of artifacts — including handwritten letters, scores, and LOCKS OF HIS HAIR.  Seriously.

Mozart’s residence was quieter and felt more like a home than a museum.  The floorboards creaked beneath my feet as I surveyed the room.  Letters from his sister Nannerl.  Portraits of his wife Constanze.  Some of his childhood instruments.

This was his house.  Sure, he couldn’t wait to get out of Salzburg, and God knows I understand that feeling, but this was his house.  This is where he LIVED.

I could barely breathe. And I mean that in the best way possible.

But the best thing that a Mozart-phile can do is attend the Mozart Dinner Concert.

My friend Ken Kaminesky and I were invited by the Salzburg Tourism Board to experience the dinner concert.  This event was amazing — starting with the fact that we were in the oldest restaurant in Europe.

Yes, oldest restaurant in Europe.  Stiftskeller St. Peter has been in continuous operation SINCE THE YEAR 803.  No, that’s not a typo.  That’s over 1200 years of operation.

The restaurant itself is stunning.  Each room had a different style and feel — I couldn’t help thinking how great a wedding venue it made.  No matter your style, no matter the size of your reception, you’ll find the perfect room.

Plus, you could start with sipping champagne outside on the beautiful square.  Just perfect.

I absolutely LOVED the ceiling in this room.

Something more modern and intimate…

Something more elegant and traditional for a larger group.

And then the concert began, and what a treat it was.  A string quintet played onstage as a soprano and baritone sang selections from Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Magic Flute.  Plus Eine Klein Nachtmusik, of course!

In between each performance, we were served traditional meals from the 18th century, including Capon (a type of chicken) with semolina strudel and potato pumpkin dumpling.

But the food couldn’t compare to the music.

Take a look at the video, shot by Ken:

A dinner concert like this could have easily been a cheesy tourist trap.  Not here.  The music was fantastic, the performers were extremely gifted, the food was delicious, and the setting was unforgettable.

This was the real thing, and it was fantastic.  You could see it in the smiles on every face in the room.

Short of actually getting to perform, my Mozart experience in Salzburg was everything I could ever have wanted it to be.

My trip to Salzburg was sponsored by the Austria Tourism Board and the Salzburg Tourism Board.  All opinions, as always, are my own.