CIDRE Portfolio

1. One Austrian Education System Reflection

I found a lot of similarities between the educational systems in Austria and my country (Russia/USSR). It is my understanding that the Austrian educational system is the exact copy of the one in Germany as well. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if most European education operates in a similar way.

Here are some major differences that are strikingly obvious:

1. Austrian children start school later in life (age 6 in Austria, 7 in Russia). Whenever they enroll into their classrooms for the first time, they are expected to read, write (printing) and count at a 1st grade level. Students learn cursive for writing from day one of school.

2. Foreign languages are mandatory in Austrian schools. They are important components of the secondary education, especially, for the college-bound students attending Gymnasiums (equivalent of the American prep schools). Alongside with learning German at a very high level, students pick one additional foreign language to learn each year. At least one classical language (Ancient Greek or Latin) must be mastered as well before graduation. As the result, college graduates become well prepared for the international work field. Considering that Austria is in the heart of Europe, surrounded by the entire multilingual European community, linguistic aptitudes among young people come handy, are valued and make sense.  The situation is different in the American K-12 schools where most students get to learn foreign languages much later ( in high school) and for just  couple of years. Consequently, most American college graduates possess only beginner-level skills in languages other than their own. Truth be told – foreign language proficiency is not the top priority for the US school students and their families. It is not considered a high marketable skill which is likely to land you high-profile job.

3. In Austria, after four years of elementary education, teachers recommend their students for one of two possible routes: professional/vocational education ( five more years) or a traditional middle/high school education (eight years) with a perspective of attending colleges and universities. Families’ wealth can become a deciding factor of who goes where. However, students’ school grades and aptitudes are, in fact, important too. Be nice to your elementary school teacher – your future very much depends on that person!

4. Austrian college education is free, just like the one in my country. The cost of the US colleges is not an easy concept to get over and it has been hard for me to grasp the idea of saving “for college” or consider loans. My daughter had been already a university student when she realized that her high education was not a must. One could, in fact, opt out if one couldn’t afford it.

In Austria you are likely to attend college if you prove early that you have what it takes and if you are capable  to maintaining high grades for twelve rigorous years of your school journey.

2. One Film Review

“Amadeus” by Milos Forman

This was my sixth time watching “Amadeus” - a 1984 Oscar winning masterpiece based (loosely) on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

My first acquaintance with this excellent  film happened in 1986, at a Foreign Film Festival hosted by my school - Moscow State University. I remember being completely carried away by the rivalry between hedonistic (but immature) Mozart (played by Tom Hulce) and jealous (but disciplined) Salieri (Murrey Abraham). I was mesmerized by the scenery, music, costumes, old-fashioned clatter of the cobblestone streets. Most of all, I was consumed by the vibrance of Mozart’s talent, his laughter and love for life. This time around, on my sixth watch, I was drawn to Salieri…

 Murray Abraham's charismatic performance carried the full weight of the movie for me. Every line and scene he was in became memorable, and I finally appreciated his struggle, his passion for music and devastation from being mediocre. It was this time when I fully understood why Murrey Abarahm (not Tom Hulce) took Oscar for Best Actor. The smaller roles in this movie were also extremely engaging, whether they were sympathetic or downright unpleasant. I also watched “The Making of Amadeus” documentary because that was too interesting to pass. Learned, to my astonishment, that the movie was filmed in Prague!

 Amadeus was based on Peter Shaffer’s hit Broadway play who also won an Oscar for Best Screenplay. Originally Mark Hamill, who played the role of Amadeus on Broadway, had hoped to star again, but Forman didn’t even audition the actor for the film version. Hulce practiced for four to five hours a day to get his musical performances right.

Miroslav Ondricek’s Oscar-winning cinematography was accentuated by the use of natural light, candles and torches. Patrizia von Brandenstein’s Oscar winning Art Direction was a treat for the eyes. More importantly, beautiful music was ringing all the aspects of this amazing cinematography together.

“Sire, only opera can do this. In a play if more than one person speaks at the same time, it's just noise, no one can understand a word. But with opera, with music... with music you can have twenty individuals all talking at the same time, and it's not noise, it's a perfect harmony!”….

3. One Book Review

"The Devil in Vienna" by Doris Orgel

This book described a remarkable story of two 13-year-old girls who maintained their friendship in the Nazi occupied Vienna,  against all the odds. What made this friendship remarkable was the fact that the events took place in 1938 and one of the girls was Jewish (Inge Dornenwald) while the other was an Aryan Austrian (Lieselotte Vessely).  Through the lens of the Inge’s “secret” journal, along with the letters form  Liselotte’s who had moved to Munich, the author revealed a  glimpse the Austrian history between November 1937 and March 1938. This dark time was known as the end of a free Austria, marked by the arrival of “The Devil” (fascism) in Vienna. Inge’s life was spiraling out of control and things went down for her and her family in a quick succession. Inge was expelled from her gymnasium, father’s business was taken over by the Nazis, mother got fired from her publishing job, beloved grandfather emigrated to America. A once-trusted family servant blackmailed the Dornenwalds, pushing them to the brink of catastrophe. Luckily, the family was able to get out from the country “by the hair’s breadth”. Their sudden immigration marked escape for the Dornewalds, but ending the  “blood” sisterhood between Inge and Lise for good.  Inge’s separation from Lieselotte whose father was a high level SA officer turned out to be heartbreaking and unthinkable at the same time. As Lise described during one of their secret rendezvous, no matter how hard the girls tried savoring their friendship, someone would inevitably kick them apart, like soccer balls. Inge was scolded by her parents for sticking around the girl whose family (father and brother both) openly persecuted Jews. She was forced to do a lot of growing up fast, struggling to understand the cause and effect of what was going on.  Lise, on the other hand, was forced to join the "Jungmadel"  and  forbidden to "befriend a Jewess”. Ultimately, Liselotte saved Dornewals from prosecution by using her priest-uncle’s influence. Her selfless and courageous act provided the avenue for Dornewalds to escape. One of the most powerful scenes in the story book depicted the Dornewalds  and Liselotte saying goodbyes to each other at the train station, knowing too well that they saw each other for the last time.

The story was an autobiographic reflection of Doris Orgel’s childhood in Vienna in 1937-1938. She described what had happened to her family, as well as millions of other Jewish families, in that place at that time. The friendship between the girls, however, was the product of her imagination. The history would have destroyed such friendship without the slightest chance to make amends between girls.

I highly recommend this book to any readers over age 8. Particularly, the ones the familiar with European history, WWII and semitism. The events captured by Doris Orgel resonate with several generations of  people around the world. Especially, in Europe at the times of the WWII and during the aftermath of that war. Despite all the fear, desperation and hatred the Nazi inflicted on European nations, there were people who remained to be humans, feeling compassionate towards jews, helping them to hide and escape. A story similar to the one described in the book runs in my own family.  Thanks to my ukrainian grandmother who lived through the Nazi occupation of the Western Ukraine during WWII, I  have a jew in my predominantly slavic family tree. In 1942 she brought home a 9-years old Jewish boy after his parents had been captured and  executed.  Grandma claimed the boy to be one of her sons, my father's  twin brother. Despite a strikingly obvious difference in the boys’ appearance (one was brunette with dark eyes, , the other - blue-eyed blond), she managed to keep her secret for decades. Her neighbors, friends and family kept quiet as well, even though it could have cost them their lives.  The Jewish boy, rescued by grandma Olya, lived a full life and died at age 82, surrounded by wife, 2 children and 3 grandchildren. He was my uncle Mark.

4. Marionette Theater in Schönbrunn Palace, Opera "Magic Flute" (Mozart).

https://theclio.com/entry/171421?fbclid=IwAR1IsMt6KvTC04XP3N0B8k4P_Kti8AbAkSNtOpbiDcBgetOR59HO5TLiE8M

Flower Market (Theodor von Horman)

This paining was created in 1889 by Theodor von Horman, Austria’s only Impressionist painter. When I saw it in the Leopold Museum, I instantly felt I could smell all these flowers. The fragrance was light, sweet and delicate, inviting me to come closer and look for the source of the aroma. I imagined the ladies from the paining buying these flowers for their mothers, sisters, friends or, maybe, just for their homes. I also considered them going to a theater later tonight. Perhaps, I thought, they will attend a performance of their dreams and, at the end of the show, they will hand these bouquets to opera divas, or  ecstatic stage actors. Looking at the flowers, I could almost feel moisture in every paper cone, flowerpot and flower stand. There was water sipping onto the ground, turning that area  into a muddy and mysterious swamp. On the contrary, the sidewalk, where people walked, looked completely dry, sparsely lit by late autumn sunlight. I thought about the first day of school in Russia – September the 1st – when families rush to the market in search of the last summer flowers for the teachers. Schoolchildren, still exited and tanned from their summer break,  carry flowers precariously. Parents, nervous and proud, hope had they chosen flowers well. Teachers, feeling bitter-sweet, imagine flowers fill their homes with delicious  aroma …for a few short days. The final glimpse of the summer blooms before the autumn rolls in and takes over.

7. Travel Writing Piece (Experience-Based)

MARIONETTENTHEATER SCHLOSS SCHÖNBRUNN , the “Magic Flute” opera (Mozart).

If you ever walked inside the Schönbrunn Palace, you, probably noticed the sign that said,  “MARIONETTENTHEATER SCHLOSS SCHÖNBRUNN”. Just like me, you, probably, had to do a double take, because the words “marionettes”, “Schönbrunn”, “Mozart” and “Magic Flute” were used in the same sentence. You left Schönbrunn with a plan to be back tand experience Mozart’s “Magic Flute” opera  performed by marionettes. In German. At night. Outdoors. In Schönbrunn.

In my preparation, I searched the internet for the most concise English rendition of this masterpiece, having  hard time getting through the plot - it made little sense to me. This opera was, however,  featured in my music school textbooks. As well as the “Amadeus “I was motivated to rewatch prior to my trip. Certain challenges, when added to travel experiences, create particularly unique memories. So, there I was, in the left wing of the palace, tucked away from the tourists. Rain was in the forecast, and the white sea of umbrellas was awaiting in the hallway, just in case. I was welcomed to the world of the marionettes by a nice lady who, in both German and English, offered to grab a cup of hot chocolate. The gift store offered a variety of materials introducing Mozart to young children. From the  short introductory video we learned how the humans moved their marionettes, and how an entire show was produced.  As it turned out, it takes,  in average,  six months for puppeteers to master basic “puppet” steps, such as walking, sitting down and standing up. It takes up to three years to gather a full control over the puppets.

 The show was performed for just thirty spectators which made it almost a family experience.  Artistic play, modern stage technology and a princely atmosphere made this evening a special experience. I felt grateful to the Empress Maria Theresia who happened to be  fascinated by operas for marionettes composed by Joseph Haydn. Thanks to her, this tradition lasted for 230 years. The marionettes themselves were made from Swiss pine and lime wood and wrapped in silk and lace. Their artistic features and sleek bodies imitated theatre actors. Compared to a human, the marionettes were pretty small, just reaching up above puppeteer's knees. However, once the marionettes owned the stage, and the humans turned invisible high above, they seemed to grow bigger. Watching the show made me forget about chilly evening temperatures. Nevertheless,warm blankets distributed during the intermission were greeted with enthusiasm. At the end, the show director invited everyone to look backstage. Between rows of marionettes from different shows we learned how the puppeteers moved their marionettes.

It was after ten in the evening when I found myself on a subway, humming the aria I knew since I was a child. It was Mazar’s “Queen of the Night” from the “Magic Flute”.