In the quaint quiet village of Breiteneich, Austria, there is situated a charming old castle which comes alive with music each summer. During the latter part of August and the first part of September Walter Hermann Sallagar directs his course in woodwind ensemble music at "Schloss Breiteneich".
In 1971 I had the pleasurable experience of living and making music in this environment, and I know that many readers will be interested in a brief account.
The castle is quite beautiful and is steeped in lore of the past (eight centuries). The grounds around the castle are natural; there are no formal gardens, but plenty of outside areas for practice and picnics.
Within the castle are numerous rooms for practicing as well as living quarters. Water, electric power and heat are present, but quite limited. Drinking water is brought into the castle and heat (which is indeed necessary) is limited to huge old tile furnace-type units in the great hall and kitchen and some fireplaces. The deficiency in modern comforts and conveniences seems to bring everyone closer, and the kitchen becomes a gathering place to plan and to "rap" as well as to relax over a hot cup of tea or coffee.
Social activity outside of the course concerts and receptions is also minimal. When time permits one can have ping pong, walk through the woods or to the town of Horn where there are shops and a pleasant local inn. Her Sallagar also arranges some side trips for interested course members. His knowledge of the environs is amazing. He also has a wonderful sense of expression.
In general the atmosphere is highly conducive to studying music: no smog, traffic noises, jets, etc. -- just farm "aromas" which to this writer are much more tolerable than the aforementioned pollutants.
As for food, the diet was simple and inexpensive - typically Danish in style. Total cost for all meals came to a little over two dollars a day, a real bargain for Americans!
According to advance information the course was to be in "chamber music for woodwinds especially organized for advanced students who wish to learn the Viennese style of classical interpretation . . based mainly on the works of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven." Music from other periods was also given some attention. Among the composers' works represented besides those mentioned in the brochure were: C.P.E. Bach, 3.C. Bach, Hummel, Haydn, Danzi, Lickl, Pleyel, Stamitz, Rossini Gounod, R. Strauss and Uhl:
Her Sallagar's library is reasonably extensive, containing combinations of duets, trios, quartets, etc., through large group woodwind works. The course itself involved an average of five hours a day of group practice, sight reading and sometimes performance. Individual practice was left to the option of the players.
After five days of practice the first concert was performed. Several additional concerts were presented in various castles of the area. Careful planning enabled everyone to play at least once in each concert.
A total of five bassoonists attended for varying lengths of time. They are listed below in alphabetical order:
I'd like to close with a series of pertinent portions of statements made by other members of the course: " . . have a great deal of respect for Her Sallagar, his musicianship. . " " . . a rewarding course from the standpoint of learning the Viennese style . . . on its way to becoming outstanding . . . " " . . more time should be devoted to serious study of the work rather than reading through . . . ".
As for myself, I did not fully appreciate what was happening to me musically at the time. Upon my return to teaching and playing I realized the profound influence this experience had on my thinking, understanding and performance. It was also a beautiful experience living and working with many wonderful people in a serene and unique atmosphere (Walter Hermann Sallagar, A-1030 Vienna III, Neulingasse 42/10, Austria).