Today the orchestra is enjoying a much deserved rest day in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana.
Compared to Maribor, Ljubljana seems to have a much younger and vibrant population which is probably due in part to the local university because there seems to be a lot of students in and around the city during the day and night.
The old town of Ljubljana is very picturesque with beautiful architecture and squares that are overlooked by a nearby castle which is perched high up on a nearby hillside.
For those members of the orchestra and staff who suffer from a propensity to go clothes shopping at any free moment, Ljubljana has provided them with an unexpected opportunity to invest heavily in the local economy.
On the subject of economics, since the orchestra’s last visit to Slovenia in 2006 the currency has officially moved from the Slovenian Tolar to the Euro. Consequently the cost of living here has jumped quite a lot in a short space of time.
Last night the orchestra performed in Gallus Hall which is apparently the largest concert space currently in Slovenia although there are plans to build a larger concert venue in coming years. The hall itself is built under a large Government building which now houses quite a number of foreign embassies. Little wonder then that the building’s basement contains a series of old converted nuclear fall-out bomb shelters that now act as dressing rooms for visiting orchestras.
Like Maribor, the concert last night was very well received by an almost capacity audience. So far the orchestra has been treated to very beautiful concert spaces with wonderful acoustics so let’s hope that this trend continues.
Tomorrow the orchestra will travel to Regensburg, Germany where they will be joined by cello soloist Sol Gabetta.
Damien Low
(Image source: flickr)
