W hen it comes to the sensory experiences that we most happily travel for, sometimes we don’t even require package deals or passports. In this sense, art is the greatest “cheater”, because it can take us to places we never even knew we wanted to visit. How many times have lms taken us to distant regions that we couldn’t mere- ly see, but also smell and feel, thus inspiring us to actually visit them? But one of the most satisfying ways of travelling“from the armchair” is in a concert hall, while the orchestra plays composi- tions inspired by the beauty of the nature of various meridians, or those created in homage to interesting cities and countries. Examples of such works are numerous, especially in the perfor- mances of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, which has led us far from Kolarac Hall so many times that we are running out of passport pages for new, imaginary stamps. And in the season of winter sports, conquering ski slopes and enjoying monumental mountain beauty, the ideal recom- mendation for a musical journey is Richard Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony, which leads us to the snowy peaks of this famous mountain range. It should rst be noted that this famous German composer has nothing to do with the family of the famous waltz-masters. Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949) is considered as being the last romantic, and that would be enough to evoke a sigh and ad- miration from all fans of unfettered expression, broad strokes and big ideas. Born in Munich, he lived and died in Garmisch-Parten- kirchen. Sound familiar? Of course! That’s because Garmisch is today a fashionable place, known as a favourite destination for tourists in search of fun skiing, sledging and hiking, as well as for having one of the best skiing infrastructure systems in Germa- ny. A ski jumping competition is traditionally held here on the rst day of the new year, as part of the Four Hills Tournament. Garmisch also hosts Ski World Cup competitions, most often on the Kandahar downhill run outside of the town. But, what was it that drew Strauss to the Alps? And where did he come up with the idea for a monumental musical crea- tion like An Alpine Symphony? The composer originally came up with the concept many years earlier, after an unforgettable hike along mountain trails when Strauss and his friends rst lost their way while heading to the top and were then soaked to the bone by the rain when descending from the mountain. When Strauss returned home, he recorded his musical impressions of this exciting adventure. A few years after that experience, the composer spoke of such a symphony and returned to writing it over the coming years.
Ovo monumentalno delo sastavljeno je od 22 nanizana odseka inspirisana divnom prirodom, kroz koje možemo pratiti planinarenje Alpima od izlaska sunca do ponovnog dolaska noći This monumental piece is composed of 22 consecutive sections and inspired by the beauty of nature, and through it we can follow an experience of mountaineering in the Alps over the period from daybreak to nightfall
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