Bach in Leipzig

Subscription concerts were a feature of the Leipzig cultural scene as early as the 1740s. Even then, the city had great musical assets, among them a celebrated choir school founded in the early 13th century (where Johann Sebastian Bach worked from 1723 until his death in 1750).

Related: Leipzig budget travel guide

But it was the textile merchants of Leipzig who were critical in giving the city its first dedicated concert hall. The hall of the textile guild was called the Gewandhaus. (Gewand is a slightly archaic German word that refers to robes or outer garments).

A memorial to Johann Sebastian Bach is located in front of Leipzig’s St. Thomas’ Church. Photo © hidden europe

The 1981 Gewandhaus

The Gewandhaus building was Leipzig’s first concert hall. Before long there was a resident orchestra — called the Gewandhaus orchestra.

Today Leipzig’s premier concert hall is still called the Gewandhaus — the original concert hall and its immediate successors are long gone, and the present building dates from 1981. It’s worth a visit in its own right, being a superb piece of East German design (yes, the country really did get some things right). The ambitious interior fresco by Sighard Gille is stunning.

Roll-call of musical talent

A Latin inscription above the organ console in the main auditorium recalls a quote from Seneca: res severa verum gaudium ‘True pleasure is a serious business’. And music in Leipzig is most certainly a serious business.

The roll-call of illustrious musicians with Leipzig connections is hugely impressive. Richard Wagner and Clara Wieck (later Clara Schumann) were both born in Leipzig. Felix Mendelssohn had two spells as music director at the Gewandhaus, using his time in Leipzig to revive the reputation of Johann Sebastian Bach (whose work slipped from visibility in the decades after his death). Throw in Georg Philipp Telemann, Edvard Grieg and Gustav Mahler and you begin to see why Leipzig cuts a dash in the musical stakes.

New Gewandhaus Season

We were in Leipzig last month for the opening of a new Gewandhaus season. Gustav Mahler was on the menu. Not any Mahler, but Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, an extraordinarily powerful work. At times ethereal and mystic, elsewhere almost terrifying, this is a work on a grand scale. A piece appropriate to Leipzig, the city that has long recognised that true pleasure is a serious business.

The 233rd Gewandhaus season runs on thru winter to early summer 2014. This article is the third of a series of four on Leipzig. The previous two pieces looked respectively at the Festival of Lights (held on 9 October each year in Leipzig) and at the Memorial to the Battle of Nations in Leipzig. That decisive battle in the Napoleonic Wars took place 200 years ago this month.

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1. Train ride from Berlin for €14

Interconnex, a private train line that links the Baltic Sea to Saxony, offers tickets as low as €14 from Berlin to Leipzig. From Potsdamerplatz, the direct ride takes just over an hour.

Deutsche Bahn tends to be pricier, but the Schönes Wochenende Ticket on weekends allows up to five people to travel anywhere on regional trains for €37 for a day—a total bargain, though at a sluggish pace (two and a half hours, one way).

2. Classical music for €2

Not to drop names, but perhaps you’ve heard of Johann Sebastian Bach or Felix Mendelssohn? Their careers are inseparable from Leipzig, where they led the world-famous St. Thomas’s Boys Choir (Thomaskirchhof 18). Don’t let the prepubescent singers’ fame intimidate you. The weekly service featuring the choir is open to public and will only set you back €2.

The Gewandhaus Orchestra (Augustusplatz 8), the world’s oldest symphony, is also worth a visit.

3. Historic places

In its ten-century history, Leipzig has seen its share of historic moments. Völkerschlachtdenkmal (Straße des 18 Oktober 100, Admission €6, €4 reduced), or the “Monument to the Battle of the Nations,” is a hefty stone temple that commemorates Napoleon’s defeat in Leipzig. Climb the over 500 steps up its intricate façades for a view of the surroundings.

St. Nikolas Church (Nikolaikirchhof 3) was the epicenter of the democratic protests that eventually brought down the East German government. Toward the last of the church’s Monday night vigils, word of mouth was bringing in up to 70,000 anti-government protesters. Today, it remains a Lutheran church, but its role in bringing down the Iron Curtain merits a visit.

4. Tasting Goethe (and more)

Restaurant Auerbachskeller (Grimmaische Straße 2-4) dates back to at least the 15th century, and young Goethe frequented it as a student in the 1700s. In his play Faust, Goethe uses the basement wine bar as the setting for Mephistopheles’s black magic. Today, it’s just an innocuous restaurant frequented by the well-heeled and tourists alike.

For a more budget option, head down to the district of Südvorstadt, populated by students and young artsy types. Along Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, budget eateries and bars abound. L’arte della cucina italiana (Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 56a), for instance, sends out delicious €4 pizzas and equally affordable daily specials from its open kitchen. From Südvorstadt, follow the crowd farther south to Connewitz for more underground nightlife fun.

More on Leipzig

Want more ways to save on your trip to Leipzig? Be sure to check out our Leipzig budget travel guide.

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Here’s a quick overview of where audiophiles can enjoy classical music on a shoestring budget:

Carnegie Hall
881 7th Ave (at 57th Street)
(212) 247-7800
Web site

Music lovers in New York must make a pilgrimage to Carnegie Hall. Happily the world-famous music hall provides several options for ticket discounts.

Starting at 11:00 a.m. on the day of concert (noon on Sunday), the box office sells “Public RUSH” tickets in the balcony for $10 each (limit two per person). This offer is valid for all Carnegie Hall presentations in the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, and excludes gala events and family concerts (which are already cheap, at $9-20 per ticket).

Students can also pick up $10 tickets to select shows with their student IDs at the box office. For more information, and to buy student tickets in advance, see www.carnegiehall.org/students.

If you generally close your eyes during concerts, consider getting 50% off the usual ticket price when you purchase partial view tickets for seats with obstructed viewing or a little less leg room. Check out CarnegieHall.org for more information on discount ticket programs.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
(212) 875-5456
Web site

Home to big-name ensembles like the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center offers day-of-performance discounts at the Zucker box office in the David Rubenstein Atrium. Performances are held Tuesday through Sunday and discounts vary depending on show.

The Atrium handles same-day discounts for performances in all Lincoln Center spaces, including Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, David H. Koch Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Lincoln Center Theater and the Metropolitan Opera.

The Atrium is open Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m., and
Saturday–Sunday 9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.. For more information on Lincoln Center ticket discounts, check out this page on their Web site.

Juilliard School
60 Lincoln Center Plaza
(212) 799-5000
Web site

The world-famous Julliard conservatory opens its doors for student and faculty performances. Most performances are free and don’t require tickets. For the shows that do require tickets, be sure to show up at the 65th Street box office as soon as tickets are available. Can’t get a ticket? A standby line starts about one hour before the concert.

Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Performances throughout New York City
Web site

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. The 2010-11 season includes concerts, both chamber groups and full orchestra, at The Morgan Library and Museum, Dia:Beacon and the Brooklyn Museum. (Tip: See a concert at the Brooklyn Museum or Dia:Beacon and get access to the exhibits.)

Take advantage of the special occasion and get seats for as low as $25. Hungry after the show? Your ticket stub gets you 10% off at some local restaurants. For more information, check out the groups Web site.

Symphony Space
2537 Broadway (at 95th Street)
(212) 864-5400
Web site

This Upper West Side gem is home to performances that span genres but the classics are never forgotten. Many performances offer student tickets for as little as $10. The post-grad among us can grab “Under 30” tickets for $15. For concert schedule and ticket information, visit http://www.symphonyspace.org

The post New York: Cheap tickets and discounts to classical music concerts appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.