| Page Views: 4,113 Last Visit to Freiburg im Breisgau: April, 2007 | Opera and Cycling in Freiburg by Nemorino - last update: Jun 16, 2009 |
Freiburg im Breisgau is a pleasant university city at the edge of the Black Forest in the southwest corner of Germany, near the borders with France and Switzerland.
In other parts of Germany, Freiburg is envied for its relatively mild climate, since the daily weather maps in the newspapers and on television often show Freiburg as being a degree or two warmer than any other German city. |
Freiburg is also known as one of the better cycling cities in Germany. This is not only because of the mild climate and the large student population, but also because the city has had a clear policy since the 1980s of promoting bicycle use (and public transport) and constructing an extensive network of cycling routes, while taking measures to discourage unnecessary automobile traffic.
On a recent visit I rented a bicycle in Freiburg on two consecutive days and had a fine time exploring the city. |
The one opera I have seen in Freiburg thus far was Werther by Jules Massenet (1842-1912), which I have also seen in Würzburg, Darmstadt, Frankfurt am Main and Brussels.
This is a French opera based on the best-selling German novel of the 18th century, The Sorrows of Young Werther, by none other than Johann Wolfgang Goethe, or von Goethe, as he was known after being raised to the aristocracy on his 50th birthday. When he wrote the novel he was only 25, though, and still felt somewhat discriminated against as a non-aristocratic intellectual.
The fine Freiburg production of Werther takes the opera out of the 18th century and plants it firmly in the 21st, with modern apartment blocks in the background and a modern children's playground in the center of the stage. When Werther shoots himself at the end, out of desperation because he is hopelessly in love with someone else's wife, he does so at the top of the slide, and his blood gradually trickles down the slide as he sings his final duet with his beloved but unattainable Charlotte.
The young tenor Dong Won Kim (no relation to the filmmaker, as far as I know) put in a fine performance as Werther. Anja Jung was a somewhat matronly Charlotte, and Lini Gong nearly stole the show as the younger sister Sophie, who could have been Werther's salvation if he had been a bit less obsessive. |
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 Comments for Nemorino about Freiburg im Breisgau | | | | |
Ewingjr98 Tue Jul 21, 2009 23:07 UTC
We have a small village in Pennsylvania, USA called Fryburg, apparently named after Germany's Freiburg. It's nice to know more about the original town. Even after living in Germany for two years, I didn't know the rules for the "play streets." Thanks! | BruceDunning Wed Jul 15, 2009 21:58 UTC
Well maybe Freiburg goes green before the rest of us. Great comments and pictures and the theater looks like it holds a lot of culture. The US is trying urban concept just like Vauban | Maryimelda Thu Jul 9, 2009 07:47 UTC
Thanks for the Schlossberg tip Don, I'll be there in August. Lovely page. Regards, Kate | csordila Thu May 14, 2009 05:11 UTC
I have just checked your updates, whether a visit is worth here. Yes, it is! Best. L. |
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