At the end of the article I wrote last week, I mentioned Otto Böhler. But before I published, I thought that maybe not everyone would remember him or at least his name. So I quickly added to the text that I would tell you about him, and here it is.

The boy who would become our Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was born in Berlin on May 28, 1925. And I say our without any intention of disrespecting him, rather it is the opposite. Fischer-Dieskau is a cultural heritage of Lied, just as many other things, material and immaterial, are a culture heritage of humanity.

A few minutes before the concert starts, on the lawn in front of the auditorium, two young horn players perform the fanfare that lets people know it's time to go inside. When we look at the musicians, we see them in a natural setting that our Mediterranean eyes never get tired of: next to a gravel path, green grass, a green conifer copse a little further away, and green [...]

In the cellars of Heidelberg Castle, there is a huge tun that is a popular spot for tourists. Constructed in 1751, its capacity exceeds 220,000 liters, equivalent to approximately 300,000 bottles at standard capacity. From the photos, I would estimate that it is roughly ten meters in diameter, even though I haven't been able to find the exact measurements.

In addition to commemorating the centenary of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, this year we are also honoring the centenary of someone who, even if he wasn't so influent to the recent history of music, was also an exceptional singer. I am referring to Nicolai Gedda.