2024年 6月 8日
I briefly mentioned the Darmstadt Mathildenhöhe and the famous Rosenhöhe in my blog last week. The Rosenhöhe (lit. the hill of Roses) is curiously detached from the town, making it even more of an amazing discovery when you get to it. I'm not the only one to have written about it.....https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187336-d10399790-Reviews-Park_Rosenhohe-Darmstadt_Hesse.html
It is a curious mixture of aristocratic mausoleums, ancient trees, a tea house and a this excellently well maintained rose garden. And it's free!
ダルムシュタット バラ園
".....I travelled to Germany in May for the first time since visiting on a school trip many years ago. Roses were blooming everywhere........it was so beautiful...." Tomoko (from Japan) .
初めて5月のドイツを旅しました。バラがそこら中に咲いていてとても美しかったです。
And as for the Mathildenhöhe...here's a link......
In the UK, there are thousands, if not millions, of houses with stained glass in or above the front door. I used to think that these were awfully bad taste. But I see now where these designs came from: They were Art Nouveau, Jugendstil or Arts & Crafts designs. Easy to reproduce commercially, they were readily available at the beginning of the 20thc. You could see them not only in windows, but as tiles in public swimming pools 🏊, libraries 📚underground stations 🚇 ..the list is endless. And here in Darmstadt they are put into their artistic context.
A glass window......
英国には、玄関ドアの中や上部にステンドグラスがある家が何千軒、いや何百万軒とあります。私は以前は、これらはひどく悪趣味だと思っていました。しかし、今ではこれらのデザインがどこから来たのかがわかります。それらはアール・ヌーヴォー、ユーゲントシュティール、またはアーツ・アンド・クラフツのデザインだったのです。
ガラスの窓........
tiles.....
タイル
a clock....
Darmstadt has been associated with contemporary arts for some time. Witness the recently built Darmstation - a concert hall at the base of the Mathildenhöhe.....
ダルムシュタット。新しいコンサートホール。
.........or the workshop/atelier at the centre of the Artists Colony.....The Ernst-Ludwig-Haus 1900
...and this....a mosaic in the Hochzeitsturm - the "Wedding Tower".....
ウェディングタワー……
Now we switch to Frankfurt, where we have been enjoying a little bit of Nippon Connection. That film festival in its 24th year, and getting better each time.
ウェブサイトは日本語でもご覧いただけます
Nestling comforably in two main venues in Bornheim, the Naxos Halle and the Mousonturm, the festival also brings other small cinemas in Frankfurt under its wings. In the space of a week, over 100 japanese films are screened. In addition there are over 50 workshops, concerts and lectures...a feast (yes there is food!).
At the opening ceremony.....
later in the week.....a fantastic performance by Taiko drummer Takuya in the Internationales Theater at Ostend...........https://taiko-ist-takuya.jp/en/top-en/
........................in action.......(not a great photo, sorry!)
...an exhibition in the Naxos Halle by Michiyo Arakawa, who had come all the way from Okinawa........her Kirigami paper cuts were a notch up from your traditional Origami...
On the last day I attended a lecture by Berlin-based artist Mio Okido, who gave a sobering insight into press censorship in Japan. This was backed up by a German journalist, who spoke of the so-called Press clubs, where news was only shared to approved members. Mio- san decribed the right wings` protest against any critical discussion of Japans' war time past - especially the issue of comfort women (Trostfrauen) in the military. But Mios' own grandfather was a soldier in the Imperial Japanese army - she opened her lecture with a fine photo of him in his uniform.
Her own exhibitions had been subject to censorship. A leading gallery in Tokyo (Nikon) refused to show work, police👮 removed a harmless demonstration on the street......Art should not be political - can you grasp that? I can't.
As one (Japanese) member of the audience was at pains to point out, there has never been the full equivalent of the Nuremberg (Germany) or Eichmann (Israel) trials in Japan. In fact Emperor Hirohito never had to live out the consequences of his actions and was spared the Tokyo War Trials Tribunal.
最終日には、ベルリン在住のアーティスト、大木戸美緒さんの講演会に出席しました。彼女は、日本の報道検閲について厳しい見解を示しました。これは、ニュースが承認されたメンバーにのみ共有されるいわゆる記者クラブについて語ったドイツ人ジャーナリストによって裏付けられました。美緒さんは、日本の戦時中の過去、特に従軍慰安婦（トロストフラウエン）の問題に関する批判的な議論に対する右翼の抗議について説明しました。しかし、美緒さん自身の祖父は日本帝国陸軍の兵士でした。彼女は講演会の冒頭で、祖父の軍服を着た素晴らしい写真を見せました。
彼女自身の展覧会は検閲の対象になりました。ギャラリー（ニコン）は作品の展示を拒否し、警察は路上での無害なデモを排除しました......芸術は政治的であってはなりません。それが理解できますか？私には理解できません。
聴衆の一人（日本人）が苦労して指摘したように、日本ではニュルンベルク（ドイツ）やアイヒマン（イスラエル）裁判に完全に匹敵するものは一度もありませんでした。実際、昭和天皇は自らの行為の結果を経験することはなく、東京裁判を免れた。
Here's an easier side of Japan to cope with: Whilst waiting in the queue to get into this lecture, I was beguiled by this Japanese Bluetooth record / vinyl player.......an aptly named Sound Burger...🍔. What next. I want one!
次は何？欲しい！
As we are in Frankfurt, let's look at a colourful S-Bahn station......
And some nice red trains......
And the Dom - the cathedral......
..........and a view from my favourite bridge near the European Central Bank.....(note the umbrella!)
Frankfurt am Main
フランクフルト・アム・マイン
So, If you have a visitor from abroad where else do you bring them in the Rhein-Main area? How about Michelstadt in the Odenwald?
We arrived just as the famous Bienenmarkt was in full swing. It's really a sort of funfair. And yes, we walked into a hall of mirrors - which was a laugh, but, which, sorry, was not a photo-op.
Walking out of the market you pass this bronze model of the Altstadt.......
オーデンヴァルトのミヒェルシュタット。ランゲンからわずか40分。素敵な街。
And taking an archway into the centre of town the famous old town hall looms into view.....
有名な旧市庁舎
It really is a lovely old town and worth visiting. Here are the market steps....a favourite place for wedding photos.....of course the rose petals get everywhere.....
バラの花びら
...even into the fountain.....
Where foreign tourists lurk.........
観光客 😄
A drain....er, sorry, a tinkling Bach, runs through the main street.....must be a pain if you are on a bicycle.....but it's very picturesque....
And although the moat is now dry, you can walk around the city walls.......
水はありませんが、中世の町の城壁の周りを歩くことができます...
........which still retain many original buildings.....
What a gem. And only 40 mins south of Langen.
この町は宝石だ 💎
There will now be a cat break........"Have a break, have a KitKat.."
...Maggy
マギーちゃん
.................but before we close the blog for this week a quick look at what was on in Karlsruhe this week........Prof. Hanno Müller-Brachmann's Prima Abend Gesang (Voice class recital) at the Karlsruhe Musikhochschule. Great fun as always, with performances from students at different stages of their studies. We were treated to a colourful variety of composers and styles.......
歌のリサイタル カールスルーエ音楽大学
Joshua Ruddock performs Schubert.....
photo: Esther Ruddock
The line up (The performers with the flowers are the accompanists)
ピアニストは花を受け取る
🎶 Wonderful 🎶 I love these singing recitals. And this time we had the additional bonus of a short appearance of The Vokaloktett Karlsruhe - all graduates of the the Musikhochschule, and founded by soprano Maine Takeda.
最後に武田さんが創立したグループの歌を聞きました
🎵 Thank you for reading "..Beautiful Germany (3)."
"....美しいドイツ (3) .... " を読んでくれてありがとう
Feel free to share the blog with friends.
🎵 よろしければ、リンクを友達と共有してください
🎵 And and I enjoy hearing from you...!
コメントすると楽しいです!
THE END
🙆♂️
終わり
A wonderful series of photos!