The train-ride to Leipzig was beautiful—I had something of a full-circle moment of recalling, from many years ago, my romanticized ideas of traveling by train through the European countryside. It is a compelling sentiment when old dreams like that are realized; it's always beautiful, but sometimes the dream is worth more than the experience itself. From something as simple as a train ride I somehow feel that a part of my childhood has been lost.
We attended three concerts while in Leipzig. The first was by the Gewandhaus Orchestra; their performance of the Mozart double piano concerto and the Brahms C minor symphony was stunning. I greatly admire Christoph Eschenbach, and so it was a treat to witness him conducting. We also attended the Rachmaninoff ballet with the composer's second and third piano concertos, as well as a small concert by the Armonia Ensemble.
The best part of Leipzig was absolutely the Thomaskirche. No words can adequately describe my experience. For all of my life, the music of Bach was my centerpiece; it was as though all the greatest joys and greatest sufferings of my life were expressed in that church. It was very powerful, terrifying even, to be there, and so deeply personal an event that though I could write volumes on it, I'd prefer to keep it to myself.
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