Music and wine at Salzburg



View of Fuschlsee from the Hotel Restaurant at Schloss Fuschl

 16 Apr 2012: A visit to Europe is always a treat for me, but this year Richard made it more special by taking me to the Easter Festival at Salzburg (Osterfestspiele Salzburg). This festival is particularly special for its long and celebrated association with the late Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker, now directed by Sir Simon Rattle. This association, of course, will soon be changed as the Berliner Philharmoniker will be delighting the Easter crowds at the spa town of Baden-Baden instead after this year’s performance, renouncing its 45-year allegiance to the City of Salzburg. This ‘unexpected’ decision by the Berliner Philharmoniker, as described in the official brochure, has irked and disappointed a number of loyal patrons and friends who have been faithfully turning up every year for this Easter event. One vocal member of the audience during the ‘Rehearsal Concert’ spoke out about their feelings of ‘betrayal’ and was applauded by the audience for his intervention. Sir Simon had no doubt anticipated this outbreak of emotions and had diplomatically expressed his deepest regrets about this very difficult decision and cited financial and political challenges as reasons for the departure. We, being first timers at this festival, were very much delighted that the awkward and emotional intervention was suitably diffused and the frustrated audience was charmed with a pleasant surprise: a marvelous performance of Brahms’ Violin Concerto, which justly deserved the standing ovations from the audience. This remained for me the best performance of the entire festival, which comprised Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Mahler’s ‘Das Lied van der Erde’ (Song of the Earth), Schumann’s ‘Nachtlied’ - Piano Concerto in A Minor, Fauré’s Requiem, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, the Opera ‘Carmen’ and a tiny little piece in memory of Martin Luther King by Luciano Berio, ‘O King’ – Sir Simon called it beautiful – the best way I could describe it was something akin to an art object by Damien Hirst.

Sir Simon Rattle responding to the frustrated loyal supporter of the Osterfestspiele Salzburg



Statue of Diana at Schloss Fuschl, by the lake

 We came out of the Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 feeling rather drained by the 80-minute long zealous performance by the orchestra expertly directed by the world-famous Zubin Mehta. It was an overwhelming performance, marked by its heroic proportions in every sense, the sheer number of musical instruments, the head-spinning ‘frenzy’ in which the orchestra played, and the voluminous music that almost overpowered the human ear. It was hard to say that we enjoyed the music, but we certainly admired the way the orchestra played. Over dinner, I googled Anton Bruckner for his birthplace and stumbled upon an article by a journalist at the Independent on 6 April 2012, entitled ‘Anton Bruckner Makes Me Lose the Will to Live’……..we found the journalist’s words and feelings sympathetic and resonated with how we felt at the end of the concert (the resonance was more poignant when the article was read after listening to the piece)!!! (For those interested: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/anton-bruckner-makes-me-lose-the-will-to-live-7621907.html)

‘Carmen’ was a predictably good but not exhilarating performance……we were almost expecting more of a finale type of adieu to the Berliner Philharmoniker, but the audience and the performers all seemed rather keen to leave the Concert Hall after a physically and emotionally challenging festival for what’s left of the long Easter weekend.

Snow-covered Schloss Fuschl

A very international, well-heeled and well-dressed audience, from many different countries, including a number of faithful followers and patrons from Asia, flocked to the antiquated city of Salzburg for this very high quality music festival (and the Tafelspitz and Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) amongst other Austrian delights). The Festival has survived a number of changes, not least the relaxation of the dress code. According to Charles who had inspired us to join him on this trip, the ‘jeans’ have apparently made an appearance in an otherwise ‘strictly black tie’ dress code of bygone days! While preparing for my limited travelling wardrobe, I was more concerned with keeping warm than looking dazzling (not in the literal sense). The 10-day weather forecast had not quite prepared us for the sharply descending temperatures during the Easter weekend. They went sub-zero (and the thermal undergarments that I got from Vivienne for Christmas became rather handy)!

When I looked out of the window on Easter Sunday morning, the snow-dusted fir trees and white stretches of fresh snow on the ground reminded me more of Christmas than Easter. The falling snow flakes, featherlight and delicate, have cast a magical and calming spell on the city. The landscape of snow-topped fir forests in the surrounding hills was a most striking sight. It continued to snow quite hard throughout the Sunday but Easter Monday greeted us with radiant sunshine, turning the landscape around Schloss Fuschl (where we stayed) into the most mesmerizing sight which would remain etched on my mind for a long time to come. The sun brought out tranquil reflections of turquoise from the vast expanse of shimmering water of Fuschlsee, against the backdrop of snow-topped hilly landscape which alternated between undulating mountainous spurs and jagged escarpments, forming the most striking contours.

The Schloss Fuschl was really a fabulous location, well-positioned, with very friendly and efficient staff. We took advantage of the 11 km walk around the lake to take in much appreciated fresh air and charming country. The only disadvantage about the hotel was that it was a 30-minute drive from the City Centre, and I felt rather harassed by the daily transfers between hotel and the City to attend the various events, which substantially shortened our days by comparison to people who stayed in the City Centre.

A must-do during Easter is the 10 o’clock Easter service at the Salzburg Cathedral on Easter Sunday, presided by the Archbishop. It was a 2-hour service with extremely high quality singing and music playing, with 4 soloists (tenor, bass, soprano, mezzo-soprano), who all sang most beautifully, especially in the grandiose and romantic settings of the Cathedral, with its baroque architecture and Renaissance art. We felt like attending another concert (free of charge!) and with the bonus of heated seats. On reflection, the solemn Fauré’s Requiem from the festival programme could have been better interpreted in the Cathedral than a concert hall.



Tafelspitz at Hotel Sacher, Salzburg

 I can comfortably say that food has not been a highlight in Salzburg. We did like a place with modern and minimalist décor called Richard Brunnauer in Magazin, which had some tasty and interestingly presented fish dishes (and Charles had the “Wiener Schnitzel”, with a well-priced wine list. (There is an interesting-looking wine shop next door, assumably by the same owner.) Carpe Diem, at the end of the quaint Getreidegasse (the main street of the old town) where Mozart’s birthplace was located, was also a good venue for stylish finger food and simple fare. The traditional fare at K+K was also quite tasty (especially the Pork Sausage), without being extraordinary. We managed to squeeze in an “Apfelstrudel” for sharing. Dinner at the rather glamorous Hotel Sacher was decidedly disappointing…….I ordered a dish which looked more like an assembly (rather than a culinary creation) of totally disconnected and uncomplimentary ingredients: gnocchi, white asparagus and insipid, watery and mushy crayfish (that could not be described as fresh!). (Apparently the Tafelspitz was much more acceptable.) The compulsory (for first-timers) traditional pancake (“Kaiserschmarr'n”) made up of broken-up pancakes, raisins and other dried fruit, rich and stodgy than fluffy, made edible by traditional plum compote. The pancake with curd cheese was quite tasty, despite its name. Dinner at the packed-out Hotel Goldener Hirscher, steeped in tradition, took my memory straight back to college food – over-cooked salmon fillet served with ‘no longer green’ beans that tasted as though they had been cooked for hours, and potatoes with hardly any taste. Dinner at the Schloss Fuschl was no more exciting, which was quite disappointing given the effort the hotel management has gone into renovating the rooms and installing high quality fitness and spa facilities. We went to an interesting Italian restaurant, Pan e Vin, which turned out respectable Italian-style food and a reasonably interesting wine list. The Cometa Planeta that I ordered was not available unfortunately. I was rather skeptical of the 2005 Redoma Branco Reserva, which the manager highly recommended as an alternative, not least because it would mean a deviation from the Italian theme, but that the wine appeared as a rather dusty bottle, with seriously bin-soiled label. The label also looked strangely unfamiliar, quite different from the other Redoma Branco bottles that we had tried in the past. Nonetheless, it tasted very well, with mineral, honey and citrus qualities, a little fragrant, but not headily so. Well-balanced and harmoniously rich, while keeping a good deal of freshness about it.

Although we remain unconvinced about the quality of dining out at Salzburg, we were more pleased to be able to appreciate the rising quality of Austrian wine. Before the trip, I thought I had better do some research on Austrian wines, by consulting the experts. I must have looked quite convincing with the copious notes (thanks to Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages). So I was assigned with important task of wine selection at most meals (a task which I proudly accepted as a real highlight for me on this trip). Here is a selection of the wines we tried:

2009 FX Pichler Loibner Berg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau (14% abv) – Rich and quite oily. Ripe fruit, apricot, honey, spicy, peppery, infused with minerality. Firm acidity balancing the richness. A style better paired with food. 17/20 (Check out: http://www.fx-pichler.at/) According to the winery’s website, “this is one of the steepest and most austere primitive-rock sites encountered in Loiben [at the eastern end of the Wachau]. The Loibner Berg, Wachau’s largest coherent single vineyard, is fully exposed to the south and accordingly warm. The wines derived from this site are shaped by the unique composition of this first-class soil, which imparts longevity to them. Here, opulent, intense and yet subtle wines develop – Riesling showing a fruity texture (peach, apricot) and Grüner Veltliner being full-bodied with underlying minerality, even slightly smoky and tobaccoy notes.”



2010 FX Pichler Loibner Oberhauser Riesling Smaragd

 2010 FX Pichler Loibner Oberhauser Riesling Smaragd, Wachau – Layers of honey, exotic fruit, spice and mineral. Very fine structure, with refreshing and balancing acidity and plenty of ripe and pure fruit substance. A very long and elegant finish, with plenty of minerality. A wine of depth, finesse and precision. Almost too youthful right now. Drink 2012 – 2020. 17/20



2006 Wieninger Preussen Gruner Veltliner

 2006 Wieninger Preussen Grüner Veltliner, Wien (14% abv) – We were rather impressed by the complexity, balance and length of this gorgeous wine, with the relatively high alcohol well tucked away. Totally harmonious and well-integrated, with layers and layers of honey, ripe apricot, guava and mineral, uplifted by a spicy and peppery finish. A wine that is drinking at its peak and will probably continue to drink well for another 8 – 10 years. 17.5/20 (http://www.wieninger.at/)

2011 Franz Hirtzberger Steinfeder Grüner Veltliner, Wachau (11.5% abv) – a great quaffing wine, well-balanced, with lovely minerality and some complexity, that makes it a drink that does not wear you out! Nice crisp finish. Drink now to 2015. 15.5/20 (http://www.hirtzberger.com/)

2006 Paul Achs Spiegel Blaufrankisch and 2011 Franz Hirtzberger Steinfeder Gruner Veltliner

2006 Paul Achs Spiegel Blaufränkisch, Burgenland (12.5% abv) – needed some aeration. Sour cherry, plum, savoury, earthy and smokey, with graphite minerality. Slightly chewy tannin, with a nice showing of acidity, giving it a robust structure. Could do with some charm but plenty of interesting character. Drink now to 2020. 16.5/20 (http://www.paul-achs.at/)

2008 Johanneshof Reinisch Grillenhügel Pinot Noir Reserve, Thermenregion (12.5% abv) – from a 2-hectare single vineyard in the Thermenregion, south of Vienna. Some resemblance to a well-made Hautes Côtes quality Burgundy. Red fruit, savoury and some tea leaf character, slightly spicy. Rather charming, albeit in a light-styled frame. Drink now to 2016+. 16+/20 (http://www.j-r.at/)

2008 Umathum Pinot Noir, Burgenland – quite New World like. More muscular and dense, with layers of dark cherry, plum, herbal, boiled sweet, liquorice, with savoury nuances. Not as charming. Quite a bit of depth and character and would be interesting to see how this develops. Drink now to 2018+. 15.5/20 (http://www.umathum.at/) 2008 was a challenging vintage, with much rain and hailstorms, a cool early summer, but fortunately followed by fine late summer weather, which helped the final stages of ripening. Strict sorting was critical.

2010 Bründlmayer Heiligenstein Riesling, Kamptal (12.5% abv) – well-made but a little simple. Stone fruit, floral, with minerality. Youthful…could benefit from further development in the bottle. Lacks complexity and depth. 15.5/20 (http://www.bruendlmayer.at/)

2008 Reinisch Grillenhugel Pinot Noir and 2006 Kracher Grande Cuvee Nummer 6 TBA Nouvelle Vague

2006 Kracher Grande Cuvée Nümmer 6 Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague, Burgenland (11.5% abv) – A blend of Chardonnay and Welschriesling. Opulent and gorgeously delicious. Honey, candied fruit, quince, apricot and orange peel, with hints of liquorice and cinnamon. Richly layered and textured. Balanced by scintillating acidity. Lusciously sweet, harmonious and utterly more-ish. Could do with a slice of Sacher Torte (all in the name of sharing, of course!). 18/20 (http://www.kracher.at/)

Enough said…….suffice to say the quality of Austrian wines is now very respectable and they easily make worthy contestants to quality wines from Burgundy, Sauternes and Italy, at different levels. The debate between Salzburg and Baden-Baden has not been resolved, but the wines, historic sites and beautiful countryside are all very good reasons for a return trip to this charming country…..perhaps by then, the dining scene may have improved somewhat! And lastly, thank you to Charles, for all your thoughtful arrangements. We wouldn’t have discovered Salzburg and its music and wine without your encouragement!