Scenes from Cologne
June 8, 2024
TENET Germany Travelogue, Day 7
Dongmyung Ahn, Violin
Little Scenes from Our Concert in Cologne
Day in and day out, the most quintessential, cottony cumulus clouds have offered cover in our journey. Today, though, we wake up to a bright, clear, azure sky as we journey by bus to Cologne, about 250 kilometers southwest of Kassel. Our penultimate day on tour! Gargantuan wind turbines punctuate the bucolic landscape on our ride. You can almost imagine a futuristic Don Quixote bewildered, but still charging at these colossal, alien creatures.
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We arrive at the hotel at Cologne in a charming green part of the city. I notice that the June rose bushes have followed us from Frankfurt to Kassel to Cologne. The roses of Germany are fragrant and full of origami folds. Below is a collection from our trip thus far. We do a quick turnaround at the hotel. Beth (violinist), Gene (tenor), my mom (oldest fan of TENET), and I jump in a cab and make our way to the church, The Basilica of St. Aposteln, our venue for the final concert of the tour.
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The town center is bustling with activity, a summer wine festival nearby. And there, the church, an imposing Romanesque structure, stands. As with each church we have played in, I feel a sense of stumbling upon something special and hidden, something massive as I enter.
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Jeff Grossman, our keyboardist, prepares the harpsichord for the concert. Having used an organ for the previous concerts, we are all happy to hear how this transition to an instrument with more clarity will shape our performance.
The concert is, as Jolle titled, truly Mit Glanz und Gloria. We listen, sing, and play with heightened attention and joy, grateful for these opportunities to share the program with these audiences in Germany.
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Then: time to celebrate! Clara Rottsolk, soprano, has chosen a lovely place, Riphahn, a short walk from the church. My favorite was the dessert, a silky-smooth vanilla ice cream in a pool of crème anglaise with pomegranate seeds, strawberries, cherries, what I thought could have been tiny rhubarb bits (knife skills!) and seeds and such. And the most tender white asparagus, and savory potato salad that reminded Clara Osowski, alto, of Minnesota! So many delights from the gregarious and kind chef.
As we sit listening to the rustling of the leaves above and united in our admiration for Monteverdi and Sondheim, I am reminded of the delightful bird songs that have accompanied us on our trip, recalling the melodies of our forest friends from Walt Disney films. (*The Brothers Grimm are still on my mind after our deep dive into these extraordinary folklorists on Thursday at Kassel. )
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“Welt, gute Nacht.”
