OF FOREIGN LANDS AND PEOPLE
The Flight to a Foreign Land.
The word “Heimweh” is surprisingly recent. It first appeared in 1651 in medical reports about Swiss
soldiers, who at that time served as mercenaries in numerous European armies. The opposite term, “Fernweh,” is of even more recent origin. It did not enter the German lexicon as an established term until the mid-19th century, presumably closely linked to the first major wave of emigration to America and, in particular, the infamous “gold rush” of 1848; at the same time, major technological advances in shipping made the crossing affordable, comfortable, and thus doubly tempting. However, “Fernweh”
did not become a standard term in tourism until the advertising strategies of the late 20th century.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Royal Utopias.
The architectural dreams of Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, on the other hand, initially resembled journeys through time to a romantically idealized Middle Ages or to the Versailles of Louis XIV. But soon the monarch also conceived of castle projects designed to bring distant worlds closer to him through illusion. For example, he planned to build a Byzantine palace—and eventually even a Chinese one—right in the middle of Bavaria’s Graswang Valley. And when his architectural fantasies began to falter in the face of financial reality, he seriously considered moving his primary residence to Tenerife or another of the Canary Islands. Thus, his bold utopias once again proved to be a foreshadowing of modern tourist dreams.
About foreign countries and people.
When Robert Schumann composed the “Kinderszenen” in 1838, he initially downplayed their quality and significance to his girlfriend and artistic partner, Clara Wieck: “I wrote about 30 little cute pieces, from which I selected about twelve and called them ‘Kinderszenen.’” This remark fails to acknowledge that these miniatures were by no means harmless practice pieces for piano students, but rather tiny works of art for adults designed to help them rediscover the “soul” of childhood within themselves. The opening piece, “Of Foreign Lands and People,” serves, as it were, as the motto for the series; and its most astonishing virtue is that it does not flaunt musical exoticism, but rather blends completely into the childlike world of thought of that era.
A Journey Around the World in Sound.
The 2015 Herrenchiemsee Festival draws on the Schumann theme to present music from around the globe—without ever losing sight of its “patron,” Ludwig II. Even the traditional opening night, featuring four Bach cantatas, evokes the journey of the Magi from Sheba to Bethlehem. A program as unusual as it is bold combines Venetian and Turkish music to commemorate the naval battle of Lepanto. Smetana’s hymn to his Czech “homeland” is featured alongside Purcell’s British “King Arthur” and Puccini’s opera about emigration, “Manon Lescaut.” Felix Mendelssohn’s “Scottish Symphony” is a must, as is music by the Russian masters Mussorgsky and Tchaikovsky. And as a revival of a highly acclaimed 2012 performance, Robert Schumann’s secular and exotic oratorio “Das Paradies und die Peri” will be performed.