Ode al tempo di pensare

Per un bel po' di tempo non ho scritto nulla sul blog. Non avevo niente da dire? Non proprio. 

Volevo parlare di Venezia, mentre tutto il mondo aveva gli occhi su Piazza San Marco, per raccontare che  la città comprende anche isole ed aree meno note, ove vivono e lavorano persone in carne ed ossa, che non hanno dormito notti intere per cercare di salvare il salvabile dalle proprie abitazioni o attività commerciali. Come anche a Chioggia, sospesa sulla laguna come Venezia ma meno nota.

Il Pensatore alla VUB

Volevo parlare di amore, relazioni sociali e situazioni complicate, ispirata dall'opera "Ariodante" di Händel, vista alla Staatsoper, ove ci si rende che l'epoca in cui viviamo non è affatto differente da quelle che ci hanno preceduto dal punto di vista dei rapporti interpersonali. Causa di tutto è sempre la comunicazione carente, specialmente da parte maschile. 

Volevo parlare delle donne in geologia, il tema è tornato preponderantemente nella mia vita sia causa un'accesa discussione su una mailing list internazionale cui sono iscritta, sia dopo un'esperienza non proprio esaltante in un gruppo dominato da maschi, alcuni dei quali decisamente all'antica, nonostante la giovane età. Non ho ragione di lamentarmi, a parte un collega tedesco, tra le persone attorno a me e tra i miei capi non ho al momento persone tanto grette. Stupisce che ci sia ancora una tale diffusione di pregiudizi simili, specialmente nelle nuove generazioni, pure nordiche. 

Volevo parlare dell'ipocrisia nella lotta al cambiamento climatico, che si traduce in parole d'odio invece che in azioni e che demonizza la plastica senza rendersi conto che in molte situazione il suo uso (corretto) ci ha agevolato e talvolta salvato la vita. La mia personale ricetta sarebbe di eliminarne l'uso superfluo, di riciclare il possibile, di incentivare l'uso dei mezzi pubblici (più facile a Vienna, ove funzionano!) e della bici (a pedale tradizionale, così si risparmia pure sulla palestra), di ridurre il consumo di carne e di alimenti esotici (essere vegani può portare a cercare sostituti che non crescono alle nostre latitudini) e di risparmiarsi maledizioni ed accuse al prossimo, che contribuiscono solo a farci produrre più CO2 dalla rabbia.

sulla strada

Volevo parlare del diverso concetto di educazione e di rispetto a seconda della zona del mondo da cui si proviene, ispirata da un episodio osservato anni fa su un autobus, ove due ragazzi africani non si sono accorti di essere guardati male perché parlavano a voce alta e si tagliavano le unghie dei piedi, ma si sono prodigati ad aiutare un anziano confuso che invece noi europei abbiamo volutamente ignorato. Anche l'ennesimo viaggio in Giappone mi ha fornito spunti per riflettere sul concetto di educazione. Con tutta l'attenzione dei Giapponesi all'ambiente che ci circonda, ci sono degli usi che a noi sembrano maleducati, ma che per loro sono normali e viceversa (per loro succhiare il brodo e per noi soffiarsi il naso in pubblico).

Tutto ciò per mostrare che gli argomenti non mi sono mancati e non sempre "politically correct". Sono stati frutto di riflessioni nei momenti "morti", come durante un viaggio in metropolitana più lungo del solito (invece di immergersi nello smartphone) oppure aspettando che si sblocchi la porta della lavatrice a fine lavaggio. In realtà, lo scopo di questo post è proprio esaltare quei minuti in cui la mente vaga seguendo connessioni altrimenti difficili da immaginare, collegando fatti avvenuti e la formazione di una propria opinione a riguardo. Nel silenzio dell'isolamento volontario pure in mezzo alla folla. Lode al tempo di "oziare" nei propri pensieri! Tempo preziosissimo, purché resti un istante e non prenda il sopravvento sull'azione.

Two-and-a-half days in Pavia

There are events in everyone's life that trigger other events, with unexpected developments. The last February, I attended a conference in Italy because "invited" by a potential reviewer of one of my papers. There, I met a professor from Pavia, who had been the supervisor of a colleague. We got along immediately, and she was so kind to send a PhD student to Vienna first and to invite me to give a couple of lectures later, during the course of an outstanding young colleague of hers. This is the tale of this latter experience.

On the day of the departure, Vienna woke up in a thick fog that made me feeling back in Padua. The airport was in a chaos, many flights were cancelled or delayed. I was lucky, my flight had just 15 minutes delay. After landing in Milano Malpensa, the usual adventure with the Italian transportation began. I had spent time and energy trying to buy a train ticket while still in Vienna, but without any success. I even complained with Trenord. Nobody answered. In person, I bought the ticket in a counter, where only card payment were accepted, I had to stamp the ticket twice (once at the transfer), and ask around to know at which stop I had to get off, where was the stamper, etc. I was even asked from other tourists where to find something. This explains why we Italians are so friendly and talkative... we cannot survive without asking others.

Courtyard in the university main building

Upon arrival, I had the time to visit the city of Pavia. Very cute. Medieval town with churches, towers, castles, an old university, a famous bridge, pedestrian areas, and everywhere students and people enjoying the city. My hosts "cuddled" me and made the stay light and comfortable.  For the night, a hotel room was booked for me, where I found a huge bathroom, equipped among other things with a bidet (only in Italy) and a window (also rare abroad). Unfortunately, my room neighbors weren't so respectful and quite like in Austria, especially those having a small child, who cried until 11 pm. The breakfast was a dramatic time: which coffee should I take? The Americano tastes terribly and any other option is too dry and small for breakfast. Italians always complain about the coffee abroad, but they do not consider that foreigners might complain as well about our coffee...

The Cathedral.

On the first day, it was raining cats and dogs since the early morning. I decided to walk to the university, because I like the rain. Of course, walking on a rainy day is not the best choice... in Italy. I don't need to explain that. Just try, and if you survive and you are still dry, you are a hero! The building, where the department is, is ugly, terribly ugly, as ugly as the corresponding buildings in Brussels. However, the two days there were fantastic. I recovered the ability to talk Italian. The students seemed enthusiastic of my lectures. A private collector even brought some of the meteorites of his collection to show to the students how they actually look like. For dinner, my hosts took me to a nice restaurant, where I finally tasted the typical dish of the region, a delicious risotto with sausages. Before leaving again, I had to deal with the local bureaucracy. Austria is famous for bureaucracy, but Italian universities enjoy creating tons of new forms every year, with some quite silly questions for someone living abroad. 

The square, where the locals meet.

I went to Malpensa much earlier than the planned time of the flight, to meet a friend of mine, who drove an hour to see me again. We met in Vienna almost 10 years ago, but she later after a year. We met again in Scotland, where she was working, then in Brussels, when she visited me, and now in Italy, as she came back definitely some years ago. It was so nice seeing her again! Although a mom now, she didn't change at all. Finally, I flew back to Vienna, enjoying a beautiful red Moon and a clear sky. The train connection was perfect (Vienna!) and before midnight I was again in my bed.

Conclusions

1. This journey strengthen the feeling of being a foreigner in my own country, even though I know the language and the mentality. The fellow Italians are fashion addicted, posing around, they speak loud, constantly with the ears or the eyes or both on the cell phone, judging the others by their appearance. I felt an alien, with my jeans and sport jacket, with my funny taste for diluted coffee and the habit of eating early. I was happy to go back to Vienna, where nobody cares what I wear and where I feel respected as person, and not being treated special because woman. However, even though Vienna is "home" for me now, I know that I will never be Austrian. I'll always feel an alien everywhere I go. 

2. Some Italian scientists are outstanding, even better than many acclaimed foreign institutions, but they are left alone, fighting against many obstacles, due to the complicated bureaucracy and sometimes even due to envious or close-minded colleagues and managers. Interestingly, such scientists often have a period abroad in their CV... 

The best city in the world, is it true?

Several international rankings put Vienna at the first place for quality of living. This isn't new, Vienna has been elected the best city since years. Always at the top, together with Vancouver and a few other cities. Everyone, who visits Vienna, find the city magnificent, but living here is different. Is it really the best city in the world? I realized that it is true, after the comparison with Brussels, but it's my personal opinion. Now, the Kurier, a local newspaper, listed the ten reasons, why Vienna is truly the best worth living city. Here the points and my experience on them.

Karlskirche

1. Vienna is a city, not a village, but in a few minutes you are in the countryside. True. With the local transportation, you find yourself deep in the Wienerwald in a few minutes, or among vineyards, crops, lakes, etc. The city itself is quite green, with several parks and green areas along the Danube, enjoyable in any season and with any weather.

2. Open air events. True. Movies, concerts, plays, traditional events, dancing,... Many events are completely free, offered by the city.I like the classical music, and I'm here fully satisfied with the offer, but there are opportunities for rock-, jazz-, or pop-lovers, too.

3. Efficient public transportation network. True. Furthermore, since I'm in Vienna, I've never experienced a strike. Regular maintenance and a relatively good communication in case of a problem. Combined with a bike, you really don't need a car.

4. Tap water. The water is truly of high quality and with a delicious taste (of nothing). In many nations, this is a dream. Do not waste the tap water!

5. You can meet friends and talk all the night long without having to drink or eat something. True! Free banks and chairs are everywhere. The last week, I chatted for hours with a friend of mine, sitting on the steps in front of the KHM and enjoying one of last pretty warm sunset.

6. It's a safe city. True. At least for a city with almost 2 million of inhabitants, one third of them with another nationality than Austrian. There are crazy people and petty criminals, but a large city, full of tourists, could be much more dangerous, especially at night. Here, I take the subway in the middle of the night and... surprise, surprise, I safely go home.

7. It's a clean city. True. Not as clean as Tokyo, but pretty much for an European city.

8. Multicultural society. True, but... If it is true that the community is progressively more international, without losing the Austrian identity, it is also true that there is a general feeling of racism or at least of non-acceptance of any foreigner. Even if you Austrian, but coming from another Land, and you live all your life in Vienna, you'll never be considered "Wiener".

9. A metropolis with the lifestyle of a village. True. People are relaxed and efficient.

10. Ideal size for a city. Not too big, not too small. True. In 30-45 minutes, you can cross the whole city from one point to another. Of course, if you use the subway.

Not to mention the affordable cost of living, due to a "socialist" policy, providing housing for low income people at a reduced rate, discounts for the public transportation, cultural events completely free, training and education for any age in VHS for convenient prices,... I hope that it won't change in the future, because this contributes to make this city so nice to live in.

_._._._._

How would I judge Brussels, considering exactly these 10 points? Disclaimer: this is my personal opinion resulting from the past experience in that city.

The Atomium

1. Good. Brussels is also surrounded by a green girdle. The city parks are a bit sad, because crossed by congested roads and because the bad weather doesn't help.

2. Open air events were offered also in Brussels, but not as good and as many as in Vienna. Sometimes, the scheduled time forced people either to use their car or to take an (expensive) cab.

3. Public transportation. A disaster for a "small" city like Brussels. A few lines, bad schedule, buses locked in the regular traffic jams, broken cars of the subway, frequent strikes. If you own a car, it is even worse. No parking and hours spent in the traffic jam.

4. Tap water. Drinkable, safe, but full of limescale and with a terrible taste. I had to filter it also to cook a tea. Those filters were expensive and non environment-friendly.

5. Public meeting places. Plenty of them also in Brussels, but the weather could ruin many days. It was safer to meet in a restaurant or a Café, both more expensive than in Vienna.

6. It might be a relatively safe city, but the feeling was of fear, especially at night and in some locations.The night lighting was more than sufficient, but none was around, no police officers, in particular in hot points, such as the Gare du midi.

7. Brussels was filthy and smelling bad, at least in my experience. I saw drunk guys urinating and vomiting not only in the dark corners. Garbage bags left on the sidewalk, because taken out in the wrong day or not the allowed city bag, eventually broken by foxes and crows. The sidewalk was either covered by dog excrement or by badly parked cars, when not completely muddy. The feeling of distress was increased by the bad habit to put pop music in any subway station, making the city also loud.

8. Multicultural society. True. Much more accepted than in Vienna, but... the city has lost its soul, its identity, in the name of the respect. The true Belgians are rare in the city, the prefer to live in the countryside and commute every day. Living in Brussels or on the Moon... would be socially very similar. You can hear the Viennese dialect everywhere, but in Brussels just a few people could even speak Flemish!

9. Brussels is a city. Farmers bringing local products are to be... searched for in the internet. There are no seasonal products. On the weekend, large parts of the city are deserted. From Monday to Friday, the life is hectic.

10. As big as Vienna, but badly organized. Unfortunately.  

It's a pity, because Brussels could potentially be a good place for living. The location is perfect, in the hearth of Europe, well connected with the other capital cities, not too far from the sea side, full of universities and research facilities, multicultural and open society, multilingual. Really a pity. I hope that being aware of its weak points, the administration will work to achieve a top ranking.

News! News! News! I stay in Vienna!

Recap of my "career" abroad, for whose of you, who missed the regular updates. In 2010, I left Italy for the first Viennese experience (here it is when I arrived and when I left). In 2013, I moved to Brussels (impressions upon arrival and departure). Finally, the joy to come back to Vienna. And now? The research project that has brought me back and has funded me for the past three years is over, but I understood that I don't want to leave this city.

The dome of the NHM

I didn't have time to think much about "what to do next", because in between I was invited for a job interview (in German) and... I got the position, starting now! A job as scientist and curator at the Natural History Museum of Vienna! There is still  a probation time, but I hope I'll be confirmed. You cannot imagine how excited I am. It is a bit like being in a pastry shop for a greedy kid. Heaven. I'll work in a building that is more than a century old, with a collection that is much older. I believe, I'm the only Italian working in the museum, I don't know if I'm also the first, although there are other "foreigners" among the employees, mostly from Germany. Well, I still come from an ex-colony of the empire... I must admit that the experience in Brussels has contributed to obtain this position.A bit longer than 10 yrs after my PhD, 9 1/2 years after moving abroad, I got a permanent position, which means that I don't have to restart my life somewhere else every 2-3 yrs, unless I want it. This time, I don't need to organize a farewell party and saying goodbye to my friends and former colleagues. I have the opportunity to stay in Vienna, my new home. This doesn't mean that I'll sit tight, not advancing anymore. I have plans, also in academia, on parallel, but with the security of a permanent position. And I'll continue playing music. It is a part of me that here is accepted and even appreciated.

Now, it's time to update the list of the good and bad characteristics of the city. There are still musical trains, perhaps less telephone booths, the selection of cakes is always impressive, and my weekends are very often booked. In the meantime, they learned to fill sandwiches, but not to distribute along an half-full train, church- and TV-taxes are present, perhaps smoking will be forbidden at last, but you can still be killed by a "Dachlawine" and left speechless by dialect terms. The number of mad people seem to have increased in the last years, but those dangerous are limited. The climate is changing, hotter in summer and less snow in winter, but the city administration is taking action to mild the effects on the population. In conclusion, I can definitely live with the few things I don't like in Vienna. Nobody is perfect! (cit.)

 

Japan 6: first time in Hokkaido

The annual meeting of the Meteoritical Society always offers the opportunity to visit a new place. This time, it was Sapporo. For the 6th time, I went to Japan, supported by a bunch of reasons:

1. I like Japan, I like the food, the clean streets, the efficient transportation, etc. Besides, I've never been in Hokkaido before.
2. It was the last conference during the project that has allowed me to come back to Vienna.
3. A friend of mine, met in 2008 in the Netherlands at an organ summer school, recently moved to Otaru, close to Sapporo, and I'd like to meet her again.

Campus of the Hokkaido University

I flew with a German colleague of mine from the museum and, this time, with ANA instead of Lufthansa or Austrian. We left a hot Vienna on a Saturday and we landed in Tokyo on Sunday morning. We had to run through Haneda airport because we had just 45 minutes to disembark, pass the immigration, pick up the luggage, pass the custom, check the luggage for domestic flights, change terminal, pass through the security again, and finally board another plane. With the support of the ground staff of ANA, we made it. Despite the lack of sleep, we managed to take a bus to the city and to walk to the hotel. Our room wasn't available until 3 p.m., so we went for food and a walk in the beautiful Odori Park, enjoying the sun and the mild temperature. 

The conference was attended by a large number of scientists, but some groups were missing, including many colleagues, who are likely going to other competing and more specific meetings that will take place in the next months. This is why I didn't receive a lot of inputs on the current project, but I learned a lot on other topics, I developed new ideas, and I met new colleagues for  potential collaborations. As usual, there were other Italians, most of them with a foreign affiliation. The conference was organized in July to have the opportunity to follow live the second touch down of the Haybusa II probe on asteroid Ryugu. The social events during the conference were extraordinary good: icebreaker party with free ice cream, gala dinner with Japanese dance and drum music and delicious food for all (but the event ended at 9 p.m., quite soon for the Western habits), farewell party (although in this case the food wasn’t enough for all), several tours on Wednesday (I attended the one in the city, led by a very enthusiastic Japanese guide, who taught us something about Sapporo and Hokkaido playing quizzes), and long poster sessions with drinks and snacks. It was even offered to learn Japanese writing and to take part to a tea ceremony. Although it seemed organized in the last minute, overall the result was fantastic and the location, within the campus of the Hokkaido University, particularly beautiful.

 

The famous canal strolling in Otaru

On Saturday, all by my own, I went to the coast city of Otaru to meet the dear friend of mine I mentioned above, who had explained to me the Japanese mentality and culture much longer before I ever thought to come to visit the country. I also met her daughters, both talented musicians, especially the eldest, 6 yrs old, capable to offer a passionate interpretation of Bach, not just pressing the right keys at a good speed. Well, the mom is a musician, too, although she’s not playing the organ anymore. Otaru, a nice fisher village, famous for… glass, exactly like Murano (Venice). But also for bier, fish, and other products. The train journey from Sapporo offers a nice view of the coast, with the railway at a few meters from the water.

This part of Japan is peculiar, because a "nordic" landscape, with cows, forests, and facilities for winter sports, is mixed with the typical asiatic features, including skyscrapers, shrines, Ramen restaurants, etc. There are a lot of tourists, mostly from China or from Japan itself. The whole country is an interesting contradiction. The amount of packaging and plastic produced every day is "compensated" by the use of green ink or recycled paper. The technological advancement of the computer science is balanced by the traditional mentality about marriage and levels of respect in the speech. The enormous debts of the nation contrasts with the high cost of living and the luxury style. Slim people that eat anytime and not so light dishes. Every time in Japan is a "wow". So different and so lovely. See you soon again, Japan!

Reami nordici

Le feste religiose celebrate di giovedì e non spostate alla domenica più vicina (come avviene in Italia) permettono dei magnifici ponti. Stavolta, rinunciando a suonare per riempire i buchi lasciati dai colleghi, mi sono presa ferie e sono partita alla volta del nord con le due colleghe tedesche cui l'anno scorso mostrai Roma. Meta Copenaghen e Malmö.

 

La sirenetta diversamente bella.

Ero già stata a Copenaghen e non è l'unica città della Danimarca che ben 15 anni fa, appena laureata, visitai con i miei. All'epoca non mi fece una grande impressione. Mi sembrava una copia in miniatura di Londra, a partire dal cambio della guardia con i militari con quel curioso copricapo peloso, esattamente come a Buckingham Palace. Il secondo giro mi ha lasciata egualmente perplessa, ma per altri motivi. Ho apprezzato la quantità di biciclette in città e l'ambiente informale per cui ogni molo diventa anche un trampolino per tuffi. Nonostante non ci siano frequenti controlli, tutti sono dotati di biglietti per i mezzi pubblici se non si spostano con i propri, rigorosamente ecologici. Mi sono piaciuti meno i prezzi astronomici (ma probabilmente proporzionati agli stipendi) e talune incongruenze nell'organizzazione e nei trasporti (soprattutto in aeroporto) che mi hanno ricordato (negativamente) Bxl, oltre alla comune sita a Cristiania. Il tutto condito da un'inopportuna rinite allergica. Al contrario, la città è piaciuta molto alle due colleghe, che però sono rimaste egualmente basite di fronte ai prezzi, specialmente del cibo. Un evento positivo, invece, è stato rivedere una collega geologa olandese, che conosco dal lontano 2004, quando ancora da laureanda frequentai un corso in Svizzera, ove lei svolgeva il suo dottorato. In tutti questi anni ci siamo riviste poco, a qualche convegno in giro per l'Europa. Nel frattempo la sottoscritta ha cambiato tema di ricerca mentre lei si è sposata, ha avuto tre bambini ed ha un lavoro in Danimarca che non le permette di fare molta ricerca, quindi le occasioni per vedersi si sono ridotte al lumicino.

 

la spiaggia di Malmö con il Turning Torso

La gita a Malmö, in Svezia, percorrendo in treno il celeberrimo ponte Öresund, è stata un'ottima idea. Malmö é un paesotto in cui pochi edifici storici si sono preservati, ma che ha un suo fascino. La spiaggia, con tanto di stabilimento d'inizio novecento, é separata dal porto. Le piazze si animano di locali per l'aperitivo, senza essere sommerse da turisti. Complice la lingua (lo svedese è piuttosto vicino al tedesco, almeno a leggerlo risulta comprensibile, invece il danese...), sembrava di essere in Germania. In entrambe le città, però, non ho trovato nemmeno un edificio o un angolo propriamente bello. Tornando a Vienna commentavo con una collega come qui edifici comuni (tipo la Rossauerkaserne, ma anche parecchie abitazioni) passano inosservati, ma se fossero in città meno appariscenti ci sarebbe la fila per fotografarli, perché riconosciute come autentiche perle in mezzo a brutture del dopoguerra o a edifici moderni. Ad ogni viaggio si apprezza ancor di più la città in cui si vive. Abbiamo avuto la fortuna del meteo eccezionale, di giornate lunghissime e di un volo Lauda Motion rallegrato da uno steward e da un pilota (tedesco) di buon umore. Nel complesso una piacevole vacanza (allergia a parte).

 

Toh! Un organo italiano! (Chiesa della Trinità)

Piccola nota musicale, non poteva mancare. Ho fotografato parecchi organi, ne ho sentito alcuni, compreso il nuovissimo strumento a Malmö, progettato come il più grande dell'intera Scandinavia. Ho ascoltato un culto calvinista nella chiesa dello Santo Spirito a Copenaghen, con un accompagnamento musicale (ensemble vocale + organista) impressionante per un servizio cui neanche 20 persone hanno preso parte. Un "bravo!" in modo particolare all'organista, che non è scaduto in facili improvvisazioni moderne, né si è "portato le registrazioni da casa", decisamente di un altro livello rispetto alla media udita in Austria (e in Italia, sicuramente migliore della sottoscritta, ma non ci vuole molto). Peccato però che le chiese siano vuote, popolate da pochi anziani, anche peggio che a Vienna. Quell'arte rischia di scomparire se non è sostenuta da chi ne dovrebbe usufruire.

Graz e Mozart

Il capoluogo della Stiria ed il celeberrimo compositore di Salisburgo in realtà non hanno nulla in comune, se non il fatto di aver occupato il mio weekend.

Graz. Non ero ancora mai stata in questa città, nonostante non sia lontanissima da Vienna (ca. 2h30 in treno o in autobus) e nonostante più persone me ne avessero parlato bene. Grazie a delle offerte convenienti di viaggio, vi ci sono andata con un'amica appassionata ed esperta d'arte con cui ho fatto altri viaggi alla scoperta dei dintorni. Città veramente graziosa. Finora l'avevo solo vista in alcuni film austriaci, un tantino cupi, dominati dalla torre dell'orologio sullo Schlossberg. In Graz s'incontrano diversi stili, con influenze dalle terre vicine, lontano dalla pesantezza imperiale e decadente della capitale austriaca. Sembra uno dei tanti paesetti della Stiria, ma più grande e più aperto alla modernità. L'alieno, ossia lo strano edificio che ospita la Kunsthaus, così chiamato per il suo aspetto contrastante rispetto alle costruzioni vicine, è ovviamente opera di architetti stranieri, perché difficilmente un locale avrebbe osato tanto senza temere di essere linciato dai connazionali. Eppure sta proprio bene. Siamo nel XXI secolo ed i nostri antenati ci insegnano che la rottura con la tradizione è l'unico modo di lasciare il segno di una nuova generazione. Allo stesso tempo bisogna saper conservare e valorizzare il passato, per imparare. Passare dall'ameba tentacolata ad un carillon con coppia di locali che danza attraverso un scorcio "romano" con una chiesa eccessivamente barocca, questo intendo per una città che non rinnega la propria essenza ma nemmeno la ha paura di cercare nuove direzioni. 

il retro del "mostro"

 Mozart. Dopo un sabato turistico, sono tornata alla Vienna più usuale, con la Spatzenmesse del salisburghese, eseguita in pompa magna con solisti ed orchestra (compresi i timpani e due trombe), presso la chiesa di Grinzing. L'abitudine delle messe con solisti, coro ed orchestra è diffusa in moltissime chiese del centro, cosa che da noi risuona raramente persino nelle cattedrali. Come sono finita ad assistere a tale messa... dagli spalti del coro in un'angusta cantoria? Semplice, il direttore è una mia vecchia conoscenza, un Mozart padovano, che mi ha permesso di prendere parte a tale esperienza. Per gli appassionati, l'intero programma prevedeva oltre alla succitata messa anche l'Ave Verum durante la comunione ed una Sonata all'offertorio, mentre l'organista ha proposto il II movimento della III sonata di Mendelssohn e la stranota Toccata dalla V sinfonia per organo di Widor, entrambe suonate su un Ahlborn che "completa" l'organo a canne di cui è dotata la chiesa. Non mi dilungo sulla parte musicale. Il parroco, che in altre occasioni mi aveva entusiasmato con prediche molto sagge, stavolta mi ha spiazzata con un elogio a Mozart ed all'austricità. Ma come? Con un direttore italiano e sicuramente coristi e strumentisti da altri paesi? Il nauseante (per la sottoscritta) do maggiore mozartiano e le parole patriottiche del sacerdote mi hanno fatto rimpiangere... i cori luterani (o quasi) in cui ho cantato. Senza nulla togliere al Mozart veneto che è un fine musicista, il momento migliore secondo me è stato quando dopo la comunione tutti assieme si è intonato "Nun danket alle Gott", noto corale luterano. Quella gioia era più sincera del quarto d'ora di semicrome e voci.