Interludes from the Donau-Panoramaweg: Walhalla

There was a day during this trip which I utilised to explore my immediate surroundings. I have been to Regensburg at least twice before, so I know most of the sights that are visited by tourists. However, there is one which I haven't been to yet. That is the Walhalla Monument, on the east of the city.

Missy Mazzoli's Breaking the Waves

I went all the way to Mainz for this one. Given that it's a Mazzoli opera, not to mention that it had an intense subject matter, I felt like I wanted to see this one, and it didn't matter if it was all the way in Mainz. It was absolutely worth it.

Schnittke, Klebanov, and Weinberg

I attended a concert recently in the Komische Oper. But as is typical with opera houses, they offer not only operas but also other concerts, including chamber music recitals. And this time, there was a concert on the program that was rather interesting, as it consisted of works of composers who were persecuted by the Soviets. On the program were works by Alfred Schnittke, Dmitri Klebanov, and Mieczyslaw Weinberg. I attended this concert for the Schnittke pieces, as I have less familiarity with the other composers.

Interludes from the Donau-Panoramaweg: Sebalduskirche Nürnberg

After visiting the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, I had lunch. And after lunch, I took a stroll through the Old Town of Nürnberg. I have been here several times before, but nevertheless there are a few places that I still haven't visited. Like for example the Sebalduskirche.

Book Review: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

This was a claustrophobic read, I have to say. It was short, yet was massively packed with intense material.

Published in 1956, this book is thought to be a groundbreaking masterpiece of 20th-century literature, and I can see why. It stands as a deeply intense, claustrophobic, and emotionally raw exploration of identity, shame, and the devastating consequences of denying one's true self. I learned that it was one of the first major American novels to openly and empathetically center on queer relationships. Nowadays, there's plenty of LGBT literature, but back in the 1950s, this was definitely not the case, so this book was definitely something new. In fact, Baldwin's publisher even rejected it, initially.