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| Just hanging out... |
It is sheer pleasure to walk around in a town where beauty,
design, functionality and good taste in town planning are so convincingly
obvious. One entertains seductive thoughts of how wonderful it would be to be
able to live here. Except that prices for just about anything are way beyond
any North American fixed retirement income levels. But one can dream…
I let the photos speak for Aalborg’s appearance. Timber
framed houses dating back to 1500 or thereabouts, fountains, sculptures and
monuments, churches and cathedrals in various historic architectural styles
blend harmoniously with ultramodern constructions without clashing or evoking
any ‘how could they’ comments. One particular historic building deserves to be
mentioned: the Jens Bang’s House, which is the finest example of domestic Renaissance
architecture in Northern Europe. Jens Bank, a wealthy merchant with a
reputation for intelligence and obstinacy, built it in 1642 – all five stories
of it. The façade is covered with grotesque carvings of faces, said to
represent Jens Bang’s enemies, who never elected him to town council despite him
being the richest man in town. He had himselved portrayed with his tongue
sticking out on the south face of the building – the one facing city hall which
is equally old.
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| New Concert Hall |
Aalborg’s latest addition to its respectable city scape is
its brand new Musikens Hus, Concert Hall, inaugurated only two months ago to
great acclaim. It is a concrete and glass construction, based on a hand
designed clay model (just like the Sidney Opera House), scanned into computers
and translated into a feasible architectural design. A three level foyer leads
to a generous balcony overlooking the Limfjord; the top level is crowned by a
convex artistic ceiling mirror. There is plenty of space, and superb acoustics
to match, to hold small concerts in the foyer. Of course there is a bar
dispensing Tuborg, Carlsberg and a few other libations at hefty prices.
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| Ground Floor of the Foyer in the Concert Hall |
Aalborg, whose citizens so far have been hard pressed to gain
access to their much in demand brand new hall during the two month since
opening day, had organized not only one but two matinee concerts for Prinsendam
guests. So we jumped the queue upon the citizen’s insistence – polite and
considerate, as Danes appear to be!
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| In for a great treat of singing... |
First, a young women’s choir performed for us, giving us a
beautiful visual treat as well as a top class program which showed their
outstanding harmonics and voices. I took a few photos of these Viking descendants
living in a country where genuine blondes definitely outnumber the bottle
blondes. They are well known here, and
have performed for the Danish Royal Family on various occasions.
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| Some of the Singers of the Choir |
The highlight of the matinee was a private demonstration of
the impressive concert organ housed in the equally impressive hall proper. The
hall is almost starkly simple with black red and white colouring, which draws
the eye to the massive shimmering organ, whose 500 pipes (with 10 registers)
are arranged in a way to continue the design theme of the entire hall. Even the
texture of the concrete walls follows through with the basic design.
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| Concert Hall Interior |
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| Organ Design |
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| Even the bare walls carry a similar design... |
The exclusive organ concert (mostly Bach compositions i.e. Toccata
and Fugue) was brought to us by a master organist, who made the organ sing as
softly as a light breath of wind and on the other scale reaching all stops out
volume and vibrating sound which would almost make the walls of Jericho come
tumbling down. Joking aside, a superbly sensitive and masterful touch on this formidable
instrument brought us listeners music so beautiful and moving, it would bring
tears to your eyes.
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| Easing the Lines of Prinsendam, whilst Aalborg looks on |
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| The Fountains are dry again, after an afternoon water concert |
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| The Danes and their Bicycles... |
It could not have been any better. I would choose Aalborg,
probably almost unknown overseas, as one of the most memorable if not the best
port city among all the cities I have so far visited on this Baltic sojourn.
It is one of those rare places, which combines all the good things one wishes
for in a place to live or at least be privileged to visit – and it is beautiful
to boot.
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| Casting off and the Aalborgers wave Good Bye |
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| Turning towards the sea in the Narrows of the Fjord - not too much room to spare |
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| Utzon Institute |
As Aalborg is immensely walkable, the concert hall was a 10
minute walk along the pleasant shore to Prinsendam, where we embarked with
enough margin of time that some concertgoers felt the need to line up for yet
another Danish – hotdog that is.
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| Even in the city outskirts, the Danes are out on their Balconies to wave good bye.... |
