Does Landscape Shape Character? Joseph Haydn
spent his early childhood
in close proximityto this river
and the riparian forestsalong it.
"In the beginning, God made Heaven and Earth;and the Earth was without form and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
"In the spirit, God moved upon the face of the waters;and God said: Let there be light. And there was light." *
Photographed by MerisiMay 17, 2009
near Rohrau,
Haydn's birthplace.
*) Quote from
Robert Shaw's lyrics to
Franz Joseph Haydn's "Die Schöpfung"
("The Creation")
Hob. XXI:2
*
Clicking on the images
#1 and 2 through 6
to listen to
selections of various performances
of the "The Creation".
Images and own text
© 2010 by Merisi
First published
in May 2009
simply beautiful!
ReplyDeleteDear readers,
ReplyDeleteas you can see, Haydn does have a big place in my heart! ;-) Every few months or so, I feel the need to travel out to the place where he was born. It may have to do with the fact that I grew up in a similar landscape, wide flat country with big skies and a river, offering shelter and mystery, running through it. Hence my question if landscape does indeed shape character. Looking at the heitere Landschaft - gay landscape - where Haydn grew up, and walking in hidden riparian forests like the one in the pictures, I can't help but wondering.
As a child, my first memories of listening to Haydn's Schöpfung are of imagining primeval landscapes like this one. I still do.
I am aware, of course, that the wide flat lands stretching from Vienna to the east, where Haydn's birthplace sits close to the Hungarian border, have been drenched by blood for centuries, one battle after the next torturing the poor souls who lived there. During the Ottoman Empire's siege of Vienna in 1529 and 1683 the battlefield and path of destruction touched this part of the country more than any other, and Napoleon's 1809 quest to destroy the Austrian Army in 1809 ended in his defeat in the fields of fairly close Aspern. Unfortunately, these were not the only battles fought in the fields east of Vienna.
Such lovely picture instil a sense of peace and calm.
ReplyDeleteNagyon szép fotó :-) jó lenne ott lenni :-)
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are a deep green refreshment! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for including the links to the music! Such a treat....
ReplyDeleteGawd!
ReplyDeleteIt looks rather marshy and swampy..
One expects a Gator to raise his head and give a big yawn...
Exquisite landscape to provide inspiration for any artist.
ReplyDeleteThis beautiful area reminds me very much of the creek near Frank's place.
ReplyDelete