Chimera Song Mosaic
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Of course, these are my words, remembered only vaguely over the years, not the tour guide's. He was so diplomatic (read: apologetic) that his true feelings could not be discerned. I remembered thinking, what a stupid reason to tear down an iron stage curtain. But then again, perhaps if my sister, father, or professor had been abducted, humiliated, tortured, starved, experimented on, or executed by a person who takes orders from a person who the artist agreed with, I would feel differently.
I found more information. Apparently, the curtain previously depicted a scene from Orpheus and Eurydice (that’s probably why I liked it—I can’t stand the thought of someone destroying a Eurydice!), and it also protected the audience from a possible fire on the stage (or vice versa, presumably). It has not been destroyed; it has only been covered up (like blissful time, thus “healing” the wounds, resurfacing history!) by some modern paintings that are changed according to the opera’s season. I think (can’t really tell what I’m looking at) there is a picture of the original iron curtain here.
Then I found this interesting website that offers photos and brief notes, but not in-depth explanations, of Schonbrunn Palace (comparable to Versailles) today houses many people and many apartments. I don’t think it was like that when I visited, but see? The world changes, and sometimes it gets better. Also, I was surprised to see how very much Vienna and Budapest look like St. Petersburg (or, more accurately, St. Petersburg looks like them). I remember that they/it did, but it’s been a while since I’ve been in Vienna and Budapest. These pictures reminded me. Looky looky.
