Bratislava became the capital of Slovakia in 1968, when Czechoslovakia became a decentralized federation.  The name Preßburg, which is its name in German, comes from its original name in Slovak, Prešporok.   Especially in neighboring Austria, and to a small extent in English as Pressburg, the German name is still used.

Bratislava has a rich cultural and intellectual history. It is the home to several universities, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, two opera houses, and the Slovak National Theater. When Mozart was six years old, he played for Empress Maria Theresia in the Pálfiho palác (Palffy Palace).

Over the centuries, Bratislava was closely influenced both culturally and politically by Vienna and, with a distance of 60 kilometers (37 miles), Vienna and Bratislava are two of the closest European capital cities.

In 1850, 75% of the city’s residents were German speaking.  By the end of the First World War, the percentage was only 36%.  Today, while there is evidence of the city’s German-language heritage in street names and stores, the German speaking population is below 1%.

Bratislava is a mixture of old and new.  The city’s compact Old Town is a window to multiple pasts, the glory of the Habsburg monarchy, the grayness of having been behind the Iron Curtain, and the modernity of a new nation building its future.

While streets such as Michalská and Panská are home to baroque palaces, and a grand opera house, built by the Habsburgs, draws music lovers from throughout Europe, Kapitulska terminates with Katedrála svätého Martina (St. Martin’s Cathedral), a Gothic cathedral consecrated in 1452 that was the site of the coronation of 11 Hungarian or Hungarian monarchs including Maria Theresia.

Bratislavský hrad (Bratislav Castle) is situated in the middle of the city on a rocky hill in the Little Carpathians overlooking the Danube.   From the castle, visitors can see Bratislava itself, as well as Austria and Hungary. The castle has four towers including the Crown Tower, which houses the crown jewels and four gates including the Sigismund Gate, which is the best-preserved original part of the site, dating back to the 15th century.

Another very visible landmark is the Nový Most, or New Bridge, built in 1972 by the Communist regime.  The construction of the Nový Most destroyed important older neighborhoods including the Jewish Quarter and is still considered an eyesore by some although, given its space ship-like appearance, it is fondly referred to as the UFO bridge and the restaurant high atop the bridge’s observation deck is also called UFO.

Hrad Devín, or Devin Castle, overlooks the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers from an altitude of 212 meters.  The castle itself, which was a center of the Moravian Empire in the ninth century, is situated just inside the Slovak border with Austria. Prior to 1989, while the castle was open to the public, the area along the border was “protected” by watchtowers and barbed-wire fences.

Bratislava is easily reached by non-stop flights to Vienna International Airport.  Austrian Airlines offers regular service from multiple U.S. cities.  The drive to Bratislava is 35 minutes.  The city’s first five-star hotel, the Kempinsky Hotel River Park, opened in 2010.

–Christian Stampfer is the European Editor of Executive Road Warrior.

BRATISLAVA OLD TOWN AND RIVER PARK

BRATISLAVA HRAD DEVÍN

It was the vaunted ensemble’s second visit to New York in 2010 (for the past few years, the orchestra has arrived at the beginning of the year). There were four concerts this time (usually there are three). The first two were conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustavo Dudamel led the final two.

The second concert of the series was also the only one that I can recall where the conductor’s score fell off his stand onto the stage floor. Mr. Harnoncourt, who is quite tall, was not using a podium so all he had to do was reach down and pick it up. During the fall and the ensuing paper shuffling, the orchestra did not miss a beat. Indeed, one has to wonder if it truly matters who, if anyone, is conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker as the ensemble can hold its own in the face of a crisis.

The orchestra’s selection of a piece, Má vlast, by Bedřich Smetana, was unusual in that the work is not often heard in U.S. concert halls. The piece was performed with an unfortunate interruption (known as an intermission) after the third movement. When I attended a performance by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Česká filharmonie) performing Má vlast this past May in the Rudolfinum in Prague, however, it was played without interruption.

Má vlast, traditionally translated as My Country although it more accurately would be My Land or My Home, is a set of six symphonic poems composed by Smetana in the 1870s. Although the second poem, Vltava (known more widely as the Moldau), is performed and played on the radio by itself, Má vlast is typically presented as a single work in six movements, despite the fact that the six poems were conceived as individual works.

Smetana, who was deaf when he was working on the poems, composed each to paint a picture of the Bohemian countryside. Each movement is infused with the spirit of nineteenth century Czech nationalism and the music and spirit of the age come shining through.

The movements have many commonalities. The opening theme from Vyšehrad, The High Castle, repeats in both the second poem (Vltava) and the sixth. (Blanik) and Blanik begins without interruption as Tábor, the fifth poem, ends.

The third movement is named for the Amazon warrior Šárka, from the Czech legend of the Maidens’ War. It has a different theme, namely soldiers drinking, dancing, sleeping, and then being slaughtered by a pack of Amazon women.

While the first two movements were somewhat uninspiring (the Czechs did far better back in May), the playing seemed richer and warmer as the night went on. The best playing was held back for the end, which was nothing if not brilliant, with much excitement and nationalistic spirit evident.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

There is ample reason to go to Seasonal for the food alone but diners should be aware of the unparalleled cellar of Austrian and German wines that co-owners Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder, who studied together at the Gastgewerbefachschule (Vienna Culinary Institute), have assembled.

Vienna not only has its own cuisine but it’s the only major world capital with a wine-growing district within its borders.  While the city’s name is practically synonymous for music and culture, Austrian wines remain relatively unknown.  Austria has 51,213 hectares of vineyards and most of it is consumed domestically.  The sheer diversity found in Austrian wines (only 36% of production is Grüner Veltliner) means that one can pair them with almost anything.

At Seasonal, these wines pair best with the modern Austrian cuisine that comes out of the Seasonal kitchen, presided over by the co-owners.

My first meal at Seasonal started with Schlutzkrapfen, delightfully light ravioli stuffed with a tangy goat cheese and dressed with a Champagne foam.

My dining partner ordered the Wiener Schnitzel, which arrived in a puffy, perfectly golden-brown crust accompanied by cucumber salad, potatoes, and lingonberry sauce.  The veal cutlet was as authentic as anything made in my grandmother’s kitchen in Vienna and just as light and airy.

My Kaisergulasch was prepared with tender, braised veal cheeks, a much tastier and more tender cut than the usual.  The paprika-based goulash sauce had just the right amount of paprika and other spices, perfect for the accompanying Spätzel.

For dessert, we had the Kaiserschmarrn (literally, the “emperor’s nonsense”), sliced baked pancakes served with raisins, apple compote, and powdered sugar.

The long bar with comfortable white leather seating in the middle of the room, not to mention the wine list, which lists Austrian wines by region [Burgenland, Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), Steiermark (Styria), and Wien (Vienna)], reminds one that this is a serious Weinbar.

A subsequent visit focused on ten wines that Messrs. Ban and Frauneder felt were most representative of their wine list’s variety.

We started with the Von Buhl Riesling Brut 2003, the only German wine in our tasting.  A nice alternative to Champagne or prosecco, the elegant Von Buhl was minerally with a dry finish.

The Neumayer Engelberg Grüner Veltliner 2008, is from the Traisenthal, an area where archaeologists have found evidence of grapevine growing over 4000 years ago. Neumayer’s wines are influenced by the Traisenthal’s unique climate and the 2008 Engelberg is a light-bodied and balanced wine with wonderful aromas.

The Liegenfeld Leithaberg Grüner Veltliner 2007, from the Burgenland (the easternmost province in Austria), is best served at 10° C (50° F).   Liegenfeld is in Donnerskirchen, where the south-facing slopes of the Leithagebirge are rich in mica schist and chalk, ideal for producing minerally wines with a warmer aftertaste such as this.

The Graf Hardegg 2008 Riesling vom Schloß was from the Weinviertel wine region in Niederösterreich.  Only 75 kilometers from Vienna, the Hardegg estate makes wine by completely natural means and with no modern oenological intervention.  The Riesling vom Schloß was very fresh with a fruity apricot and peach taste and a long finish.

The Sommer Riesling Bergweingarten 2008, from Donnerskirchen, had more of a yeasty taste with citrus and apple.  It was one of our favorites.

The Gaisberg Riesling 2003 from the Kamptal was fruity with a much richer and fuller body.  It was definitely the best Riesling of the bunch.

The Michlits Pinot Noir 2007 was a competent Pinot, compared to all of the other wines we tasted, but despite a supple finish paled in comparison.

The Umathum Zweigelt Classic 2007 from the Burgenland starts with an initial sweat/leather nose with a more earthy finish.  It was an acquired taste but one we liked.

The Weninger Blaufränkisch Hochäcker 2006 is one of the finest examples of this medium-bodied varietal and has a typical fine Blaufränkisch nose, with well recognizable fruits such as cherry and plum.  The Hochäcker was rich with juicy acidity and crisp tannins.  Since tasting it, it has become one of my favorite red wines.

The Hafner Frizzante Muscat was an excellent way to conclude our tasting.  Produced in the sunny hills of the Neusiedlersee in the Burgenland, this lightly-sparkling wine was characterized by floral aromas with peach and citrus flavors.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.  Shannon McClatchey, Managing Editor of Executive Road Warrior, contributed to this review.

The ensemble was in New York a bit earlier than usual for its annual three-concert series just a few weeks after its New Year’s Day concert in Vienna, one of the music world’s biggest annual events.  The format of the New Year’s Day concert is nothing if not predictable, broadcasting waltzes by the Strauß family to over one billion viewers worldwide.

But the Vienna brought with it no Strauß bonbons on this trip, its only appearance in North America for the season.  Rather, with two conductors (Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez) instead of one, the programs provided a breathtaking lesson in how to appreciate newer music, an area that hadn’t been its strong point in the past.

Under the baton of Daniel Barenboim, the program Friday night (which this reviewer did not attend) moved quickly across centuries starting with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, the Pastoral.  A late change to the program’s order moved an epochal work from the romantic era, Richard Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, ahead of Schoenberg’s Variations for Orchestra, the first orchestral piece to utilize his 12-tone method of composition.

Saturday night at Carnegie hall, twentieth-century revelations were everywhere with works by Schoenberg, Webern, and Mahler under maestro Pierre Boulez.

The orchestra and Boulez played with one singular and extraordinary voice in Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 2 and Piano Concerto, two pieces the composer completed in the United States and premiered in New York in the 1940s.  Murmurings about Schoenberg and atonality that were heard in the audience before the program began were silenced.   In contrast to his earlier works, which we identify as “atonal,” these pieces were composed using his later system of “composition with 12 tones related only to one another.”

Barenboim returned and shone as the piano soloist and captivated the audience with an encore, Schubert’s Impromptu in A-flat Major (D. 935, No. 2).

The orchestra clearly telegraphed Anton Webern’s sadness over his mother’s death in a delicate rendition of Six Pieces which led nicely into a rich-textured account of Mahler’s expansive Adagio from Symphony No. 10, the last piece the composer was able to substantially complete (it was scored by his son-in-law Ernst Krenek, after Mahler’s death).

The final day of the series, led by Barenboim, opened with Schoenberg’s Five Pieces for Orchestra, an almost overwhelming mélange of rich musical ideas, some easier to comprehend than others.

The program moved into the twenty-first century with Boulez’ Notations I, VII, IV, III, and II, elaborately reconceived works based on short piano pieces Boulez had composed at the age of 20.  The last Boulez works I recall performed at Carnegie Hall suffered from a high audience attrition rate.  This time the interesting and far less electronic elements kept the audience in its seats and the Vienna’s distinctive and rich-textured playing made the work more accessible.

Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony brought the program – and the orchestra’s visit – to a close, representing all that was new in music a mere 200 years ago.

At its premiere, in 1808 at the Theater an der Wien, there appears to have been little recognition accorded to the piece.  A mere 18 months later, however, E.T.A. Hoffmann recognized that Beethoven had accomplished something new and different:  “[W]e become aware of gigantic shadows which, rocking back and forth, close in on us and destroy all within us except the pain of endless longing – a longing which every pleasure that rose up amid jubilant tones sinks and succumbs.”

The Wiener Philharmoniker is a unique musical instrument unto itself, known for its lush and sinuous sound, which comes not only from the unique assemblage of virtuosic talent but distinctive instruments and playing style.  It is one of but a few world-class orchestras that has such a distinctive personality that it is evident in almost every recording.

Unlike those in other orchestras around the world, the instruments here haven’t changed.  The brass instruments are narrower than their modern equivalents and use different types of valves and longer tubing in the horns.  The oboe has a special reed and fingering system.  The drums eschew the use of synthetics in favor of goat hides.  There is a unique playing style as well.  Thanks to generations of shared teachers, the string players have developed a rather distinctive burnished tone, one that is almost free of rubato.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

Spending summer and winter in Vienna, one notices an entirely different, but equally vibrant, energy.  I’ve been spending time each year in Vienna since my youth.  In 2008, I was in Vienna for a week in June during the Euro 2008 football championship.  At the beginning of last year I returned to attend the annual New Year’s Concert by the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic), broadcast to 1.2 billion people each New Year’s Day.

In late summer, I returned to the city to visit its vineyards (Vienna is the only capital city with a significant wine-growing region (ca. 700 hectares) within its borders).

Regardless of when you decide to go to Vienna, there is much to do and see.

What to do in either season

There is so much to see and do in Vienna that the business traveler might want to consider a cultural guide for a few hours. Even though I know the city inside out, I don’t know the ins and outs of many of the museums, so I used the services of Diane Naar (+43 664 3431588 or delphee@aon.at) and saw more of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (filled with one of the world’s largest and most important collections of Old Masters, as assembled by the Habsburg rulers, including Rubens, Brueghel, Titian) in two hours than I could have covered on my own in two days.

Here are a few basic things to do:

1.) Take the Vienna Ring Tram that runs around the entire Ringstraße (as of April 2009) to get a feel for the city.  Buy a Vienna Card at your hotel to get 72 hours of unlimited public transportation within the city plus discounts at many museums.

2.) Go to the Naschmarkt to nosh or dine.  The possibilities are endless but Umar Fisch is one of my favorites.  On Saturdays, you’ll find a flea market starting at the Kettenbrückengasse, but go early (as you would to any flea market) for the best finds and to avoid crowds.

3.) Do as the Viennese do, sit at a café.  The varieties of Viennese coffee are endless and your waiter will bring your coffee with a glass of superb Viennese water.  (He’ll refill the glass of water without complaining while you sit and read newspapers for an hour or two).  My Stammcafé (regular café) is Café Prückel on the Stubenring. I’ve a regular there since I was very young and it doesn’t get any more authentic.  It is also, like many Vienna cafés, the perfect place for meetings.

4.) Haus der Musik may sound a bit boring but it’s one of the most modern, engaging, and high-tech museums I have visited.  One highlight is an exhibit where visitors can conduct a virtual Wiener Philharmoniker (or should I say, “try” to conduct).  In my case, boisterous members of the virtual ensemble told me that they would have been better off if they played without a conductor after I had a go with the baton).

The author conducts a virtual Wiener Philharmoniker at the Haus der Musik

5.) MuseumsQuartier, something very old and very very new.  In 2001, the Imperial stables and riding school were reinvented as a village of museums.  In addition to the Leopold Museum, with unmatched collections of Klimt and Schiele, works assembled by Austrian dentist Dr. Rudolf Leopold, you’ll find the Kunsthalle, the Museum Moderner Kunst  and the Zoom Kinder Museum.

Summer

1.) Walk through Stadtpark, with its statues of Beethoven, Mahler, Strauß, among others, and then continue through the winding streets of the Innere Stadt, the First District that was until the mid 19^th century surrounded by Vienna’s city walls.

2.) Go to a concert at the Kursalon.  Johann Strauß (both father and son) conducted there.

3.) Visit Schönbrunn, the summer imperial palace built by Empress Maria Theresia, for its gardens.  Walk up to the Gloriette (there is a little train available to take you up as well) and admire the view of both Schönbrunn and the city center in the distance.  Note that some of the flowers are arranged in the red-white-red of the Austrian flag.

4.) The Wienerwald, the Vienna Woods, gave inspiration to Beethoven (the “Pastoral” symphony), Johann Strauß (son) wrote his “Tales from the Vienna Woods” in three-quarter time, and they inspired several of Schubert’s songs.  In Mayerling in 1899, Crown Prince Rudolf shot his mistress and then himself.  Today, the Vienna Woods are easily reachable by tram (the name the Viennese give their streetcars).  Stop at a Heuriger (wine tavern) in Grinzing, and continue to the Kahlenberg or the Leopoldsberg (both mountains are within the borders of the city). You can hike from Grinzing to Kahlenberg in just an hour.  Or go to the Cobenzl, a ledge of the Kahlenberg where, in his own words, “the secret of dreams was revealed to Dr. Sigmund Freud” during his stays at the Belle Vue Hotel (no longer in existence).

Winter

1.) Go to a concert at the Musikverein, one of the world’s greatest concert halls, at Bösendorferstraße 12 behind the Hotel Imperial (if you are lucky, the Wiener Philharmoniker will be in town). Vienna is also known for the imposing Opera house on the Opernring (where else?). For lighter fare, try the Volksoper, where recent productions included My Fair Lady and operettas such as The Merry Widow.

2.) Go to a Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) from late November through Christmas.  There are several in the city, including one at the Rathaus (city hall) and another at Schloß Schönbrunn.

3.) Take a ride in a Fiaker, a horse-drawn carriage, starting at the Hofburg (Imperial Palace).  Dress warmly; but the driver will provide blankets.  Consider bringing liquid warmth as well.

4.)  Attend the New Year’s Concert (Neujahrskonzert) in 2011. 60,000 people vie for the 3000 tickets available for what are actually three concerts.  The dress rehearsal takes place on the December 30th, followed by the New Year’s Eve concert.  The big event takes place the morning of January 1st.  You can register for the drawing for tickets to the 2011 concert here.

Viennese specialties to try

Wine – In addition to its own wines, Vienna is near several large wine producing regions, including the Wachau region in Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), and the Burgenland.  Try a Grüner Veltliner (white) or Zweigelt (red).

Desserts – Salzburger Nockerl is a vanilla dessert soufflé, so heavenly it inspired at least one song.  Sacher Torte is a chocolate cake so important to the city that a lawsuit dragged out over 50 years about rights to the name.  Powiderltascherl are pockets of sweetened potato dough filled with plum jam and covered with roasted breadcrumbs.  Marillenknödel are curd cheese dumplings filled with apricot, covered in breadcrumbs and roasted in butter.  Palatschinken are crèpes (thicker than the French variety) filled with Marmalade, curd cheese, chocolate, or nuts.

Main course – Wiener Schnitzel, made with veal, should cover the plate and you should be able to cut through it like butter.  Wiener Zwiebel Rostbraten is steak smothered in onions.  For lighter fare, try a pair of Frankfurter wurst (sausage), which, in a strange twist, Germans call Wiener.  A bowl of Frittatensuppe (broth with sliced up Palatschinken) or Grießnockerlsuppe (with little dumplings) is quite satisfying.  Although technically a dessert, Kaiserschmarrn, literally the Emperor’s Nonsense, are thick pancakes shredded and sprinkled with raisins and sugar, served with plum kompott, is a marvelous main course as well.

Bier – Gösser and Stiegl are my favorites and you’ll probably want to find a source for them when you get home (same goes for the Austrian wines, I should add).  It is increasingly easy to find a selection of Austrian beer and wine in the States both at restaurants and in shops.

Kaffee – In the 1300+ cafés in Vienna, all coffee in Vienna is served with a small glass of Viennese water on the same tray.  Großer and Kleiner Schwarzer or Mokka, large or small espresso black.  Großer and Kleiner Brauner, the same but served with milk, by custom in a tiny jug on the tray. Wiener Melange, half espresso, half hot frothy milk.  A Fiaker, black coffee with rum, named after Vienna’s famous horse-drawn carriages.  A Kapuziner is a small Mokka with a few drops of whipped cream, making the coffee the color of a Capuchin monk’s robe. An Eiskaffee is cold coffee with ice cream and whipped cream served in a tall glass, perfect for a hot summer day.

How to get there

You can connect via Austrian Airlines from almost every major city in Europe and the airline has direct flights from New York and Washington to Vienna.  Upon arrival, “fly the CAT,” the City Air Train, into the city center (Landstraße) in 16 minutes.  Roundtrip fare is  €16.  And keep your boarding pass as it’s good for free or reduced admission or other benefits at museums and shops around the world.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

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One can feel entirely at home amongst the artists, scientists, businessmen, students, and politicians (not to mention a  few tourists mixed in); Theodor Herzl, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Arthur Schnitzler, not to mention Lenin and Trotzky, were all coffeehouse regulars.

Café Prückel, which opened in 1904, has been my regular Kaffeehaus in Vienna since my teenage years.  It is on the Stubenring, a section of the magnificent Ringstraße near the Stadtpark, or City Park, which encircles the city center, having replaced the walls of the old city in the mid-nineteenth century.  The gemütlich 1950s décor is very comfortable and gives Prückel a unique feel.

Prückel offers a traditional selection of coffee including a Wiener Melange (espresso with hot frothy milk), an Einspänner (which itself is a Verlängerter, or extended, espresso in a special glass topped with Schlagobers, or whipped cream), and a Fiaker (espresso with rum).

Waiters in dinner jackets and bowties provide friendly service, refilling the small glass of Viennese water served beside every cup of coffee, while one reads the paper and watches the world and the hours go by.

It’s perfect for a light supper, offering typical Viennese soups such as Grießnockerlsuppe (broth with a semolina dumpling) or Frittatensuppe (broth with sliced up Palatschinken, a Viennese crèpe), and various Wurst, or sausage, including Frankfurter, Debreziner, or Berner Würstel.

Desserts are my favorite part of the menu.  They have excellent Kuchen (cakes); my favorite is the Mohnkuchen (poppy), but the Apfelstrudel is also super.

Café Prückel, Stubenring 24, 1010 Vienna, Austria

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.