My last remarkable events:
1. Eltville, Germany ( 05-10-2010 ):
Jan Garbarek and Hilliard Ensemble Concert
Medieval sacred songs from Hilliard Ensemble with the amazing saxophone music performed by Garbarek. All these in Kloster Eberbach in Eltville (only 1,5 hour drive from my Frankfurt) where Umberto Eco's novel "The Name of the Rose" was filmed (1986, Jean-Jacques Annaud film, starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater). No electronics, only the beautiful voices of the four men and music by Garbarek and these all empowered by unique acoustic of the Kloster Eberbach. Unforgettable evening for me... 2. St. Petersburg, Russia ( 12-06-2010 ):
With over three million(!!!) pieces of artwork (from paleolithic to contemporary) the famous Hermitage captures the essence of world culture and history of civilization. Do not even think that you can experience it all during one visit. Unless you want to stop there for at least one year... 3. Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main ( 10-01-2010 ):
The paintings of Sandro 4. St. Petersburg, Russia ( 19-12-2009 ):
Even without being a book-lover, a visit to the Dostoyevsky Memorial Museum and Flat is an event giving you an insight into life in nineteenth century Russia. Despite the darker side of some his novels, 5. Moscow, Russia ( 06-09-2009 ):
Russian paintings and sculptures in their best. The State Tretyakov Gallery is the national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the greatest museums in the world. It is really great.
6. Opernhaus, Frankfurt am Main ( 06-05-2009 ):
This is not the most famous opera by Puccini, but worth of every minute in the concert hall. The plots (there are more then one) translated into contemporary times stay amazingly actual and important. Beautiful voices, unforgettable music, unique evening with Puccini in Frankfurt...
7. National Portrait Gallery (National Gallery), London, UK ( 23-02-2008 ):
The best recent event in the portrait photography. Even if you do not read Vanity Fair magazine (I do not) you will be amazed seeing this unique pictures. Reality of the past and nowadays captured by the best photographers like Annie Leibovitz. The pictures on the walls of the National Gallery in London will stop you and make you think...
8. Alte Oper, Frankfurt am Main ( 4-05-2007 ):
Evora's voice, a finely-tuned, melancholy instrument with a touch of hoarseness, highlights her emotional phrasing by accenting a word or phrase. Even audiences who do not understand her language are held spell-bound by the emotions in her performances. I was. Sadness or happiness need not spoken language...
9. Broadway, Winter Garden Theatre, New York ( 22-04-2007 ):
The music of ABBA plus the great story. Real event on Broadway playing six years in the row. You will be laughing and you will be moved by your emotions...
10. Prado National Museum, Madrid, Spain ( 04-08-2006 ):
A new return to classicism (El Greco, Rembrandt, Goya, Velázquez) reflected in Picasso's masterpieces. If you have enough of Picasso, you have the whole Prado afterwards. Great...
11. Fritz Rémond Theater im Zoo, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ( 03-03-2006 ):
A theater play based on Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt's bestseller book with the same title ( 12. Festhalle, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ( 30-05-2005 ):
A musical event which turned into a nice, pleasant, and sexually explicit fashion dance show of three attractive young girls from America. They have changed their outfits at least seven times during the show, each time displaying what men wanted to see the most. It was hot, and sometimes it was even hotter. Particularly when Beyonce kept on turning her back to the audience. My daughters - Adrianna and Joanna - had fun, feminists should be shocked, hedonists should be satisfied...
13. Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ( 19-02-2005 ):
Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka as well as Richard Gerstl and Anton Kolig address in their paintings the tabooded themes such as sexuality and power, homoeroticism, adolescence and the battle of sexes. Absolutely unique collection of nakedness and nudity which had shocked in the early days of the 20-th century. For many the paintings are scandalous even today...
14. MMK, The Museum of Modern Art, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ( 30-01-2005 ):
This exhibition of more than 140 works by Paris-based American artist Sturtevant (born 1930 in Lakewood, Ohio) covering a period of four decades. Something which plays with Warhol or is a (better?) copy of Worhol is definitely a modern art. By Sturtevant the ketchup is green. It looks interesting being green as well. I wish I could be less ignorant and much better art-educated to understand why green ketchup is a better idea...
15. Festhalle, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ( 6-6-2004 ):
I was probably the oldest person (among 9000 others) in the concert hall. Went there with my daughters who got the Usher concert as their Children Day's gift. Unusual experience to see how an average guy (for me) can be totally idolized: the crowd screamed when he took his T-shirt off and they also screamed when he put it back on. Music was an unimportant detail for them. And for me too :-)
16. Alte Oper, Frankfurt am Main, Germany:
Four guitars, one contrabass and two musicians (one might leave the stage and you would not notice). Jazz night of the first class. Simply METH(ENY)aphysic.
17. Frankfurt am Main, Germany:
A punk with violin, reputed rebel and "Bad Boy of Classical Music" comes with The Polish Chamber Orchestra to Frankfurt and plays Vivaldi, Hendrix, Debussy, Bach,
Massenet and the Monti Czardas the way you want it to never end. Except for his jokes he tells in between the concertos.
18. Vienna, Austria, Rathausplatz:
The idea is as simply as that: erect a tent in the centre of the city, invite scientists from all over Europe
and ask them to talk about science in a popular way. And then see if you can attract pedestrians to enter the tent and listen
to the lectures. They did it in Vienna, Austria.
19. Concert, Sopot, Poland (Opera Leśna): The best blues since Poland joined Christianity !!!!!!!!
20. Concert, Frankfurt/M, Germany (Alte Oper):
"Harlem Gospel Singers"
Two hours of pure pleasure, your emotions are boiling: you laugh, you feel like crying sometimes, you stand up and clap your hands and you keep onasking yourself: "Are they soooo perfect 'cause it's gospel ???
21. Paintings of Andy Warhol: "Andy Warhol in Hong Kong"
Warhol in Asia is even more provoking. Though stays universal. The Chinese had the same fun as me.
The State Hermitage Museum
BOTTICELLI, Autumn/Winter 2009-2010
Botticelli for the very first time in a German speaking country. Luckily, close to me, in Frankfurt. The trademark of the Italian Renaissance. Delightful...
Dostoyevsky Museum
Dostoyevsky was known to be a real family man. In one room of the museum, notes from Dostoyevsky's children rest on a desk as an exhibit. From his daughter, simply "Dear Papa, I love you, from Luba", and from his son, also named Fyodor, "Dear Papa, please give us sweets!".
Tretyakov Gallery
GIACOMO PUCCINI: "Il trittico"
Vanity Fair Portraits (Photograhs 1913-2008)
CESARIA EVORA in concert
"MAMMA MIA!" musical
"PICASSO: Tradition & Avant-garde"
"Kleine Eheverbrechen"
"Małe zbrodnie małżeńskie"). Reading the Schmitt's naked truths is one thing. Hearing them said and presented with emotions is quite another. They stay with you much longer.
Destiny's Child concert
Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka: "The Naked Truth" Exibition
Elaine Sturtevant: "The Brutal Truth" Exibition
Usher (The "Truth" Tour 2004) concert
Pat Metheny (and Charlie Haden)
Nigel Kennedy in Frankfurt/Main
And it did work!
I had an honour to represent Poland with my
lecture as the invited speaker to this festival of science.
You sit or stand or shake your body there and feel like a king.
Search for B.B. King somewhere around you and n-joy him live !
You leave the concert hall, and you...., you are a better human being.
Don't miss it !