Barcelona
Friday， 23 October 1908
My dear parents，
I have just been asked to participate in the gala concert that will be given on Monday evening in honor of the king and queen. I have accepted. I am to play a Handel concerto① for organ and orchestra and the organ part in Bach’s Magnificence. The tickets are horrendously expensive. Some of the boxes cost one thousand francs！The net receipts are earmarked for the Catalonian orphans. I am the only soloist in this concert.
I get no chance to write because so much time is wasted here； yesterday’s rehearsal② dragged on until 12∶30 A. M.！ Today from 2∶00 to 6∶00！No one ever hurries， and they all smoke constantly. No sooner have we rehearsed for ten minutes than the conductor sits down， rolls himself a cigarette， and smokes it， and the instrumentalists do likewise and they don’t continue rehearsing until the cigarette has been smoked. Paul could see fiddlers galore here，each fiddling away with a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. At first I was annoyed at the waste of time， but now I am quite domesticated③， and I smile.
The newspapers have reported very positively on my lecture and my recital. On Saturday evening the auditorium will be sold out. I live very sensibly. I have just taken a big two-hour stroll along the large ring street， which runs from the hotel to the mountains. No rehearsal tomorrow morning！I’ll sleep， write and take a walk.
Yesterday I was amazed to see that they don’t take anything like the same security measure for the monarchs as in Germany. The crowd thronged around the king’s carriage， so it could advance only at a walking pace. Freedom reigns here. They did not even clear the streets for the military parade④. A woman with a donkey cart held up an entire regiment； it was too comical⑤. We went to the harbor—immensely huge—to see the French squadron.
The city and the people generally make the best impression. Everything is clean， everyone works.
It is ten-thirty at night. I am writing to you by the open window and the large palm trees are swaying⑥ in the wind.
I embrace you with all my heart，
Albert
① concerto n. ［音］协奏曲
② rehearsaln. 排练，试演，练习
③ domesticatedadj. 喜欢家庭生活的
④ paraden. 行进，行列，游行
⑤ comicaladj. 滑稽的，诙谐的，古怪的
⑥ swayv. 摇动，摇摆
阿尔伯特·施瓦策尔致父母
亲爱的爸爸、妈妈：
我刚刚接到邀请参加将于下周为国王和王后举行的庆祝音乐会。我接受了这一邀请。我将为管风琴和管弦乐演奏韩德尔协奏曲，并在巴赫的《辉煌》中演奏管凤琴，入场券贵得要命，有些包厢卖1，000法郎。音乐会的纯收入将捐给加泰罗尼亚的孤儿。我是本场音乐会唯一的独奏家。
我没有机会写信，因为许多时间都在这儿白白地浪费掉了：昨天的彩排一直拖到上午12点半！今天又是从2点拖到6点！他们慢条斯理，而且都经常抽烟。我们彩排还不到十分钟，指挥就坐下来，卷了只香烟，抽了起来，于是乐手们也如法炮制，直到香烟抽完了，他们才继续彩排。保罗也看见小提琴手们聚在这儿，每人嘴角叼着一支香烟浪费时间。起初我为如此浪费时间而恼怒，但我现在已经习以为常了，只是笑一笑罢了。
报界对我的演讲及独奏音乐会给予了高度评价。星期六晚上，音乐会的入场券将出售一空。我生活得非常有条理。我刚刚沿着从宾馆通往群山的环形大街散步两小时。明早没有彩排！我可以睡睡觉、写写信、散散步。
昨天，我惊奇地看到，他们没有采取任何像在德国为君主采取的那些保安措施。人群蜂拥在国王的马车周围，马车只能以步行的速度缓慢前行。这里充满了自由，他们甚至没有为军队的检阅腾出街道。一个赶着毛驴车的妇女挡住了整个被检阅的队伍，真是太滑稽了。我们去了港口，那是个非常大的港口，去看法国的海军中队。
这个城市和这儿的人们普遍地给我留下了极好的印象。到处都很整洁，每个人都在工作。
已是晚上10点半了。我正在敞开的窗下给你们写信，高大的棕榈树在风中摇曳。
全身心地拥抱你们，
阿尔伯特
于巴塞罗那，星期五
1908年10月23日
