![Munich from the back of the bus](https://cdn.magzter.com/1394478161/1690814531/articles/OOkFsLrcM1692251145994/MUNICH-FROM-THE-BACK-OF-THE-BUS.jpg)
Just maybe don't go to Munich. As soon as you leave the airport, you know you've reached the epicenter of German burgherdom-a place where manicured lawns, public safety, tidy storefronts, and respectful revelers in Tyrolean costumes are the norm. On a recent night at one of Munich's famous biergartens, I watched well-dressed couples politely enjoying delicacies like Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle), Jägerschnitzel (pork cutlet), and Krustenbraten (pork shoulder) with tankards of the city's fragrant, low-alcohol Helles lager. Most were gone by 8:45.
Which is not to say that Munich has always been boring. In fact, it was home to possibly the most fun head of state in history, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, an art and music lover with a penchant for over-thetop interior decor, strapping cavalrymen, and grandiose architectural projects. It was in Munich that Ludwig, at the tender age of 16, first heard a performance of Wagner's Tännhauser; the opera excited him so much that it induced physical convulsions, making the young monarch's entourage fear that he was suffering an epileptic fit. Soon, Ludwig would become Wagner's chief patron and obsessive admirer-if he were on Reddit, he might justly be known as a Wagner stan.
Years later, above the alpine winter palace he named Linderhof, Ludwig oversaw the construction of the Venus Grotto, a manmade cave with artificial stalactites and a lake. Inside, he placed a stage backed with a massive painting of a scene from Tännhauser, a waterfall, a mechanical wave machine, and colored lights powered by one of the first electrical generators in Europe. On many evenings, the increasingly eccentric king hosted performances in the grotto. While the musicians and singers performed it was usually Wagner-Ludwig was rowed around in a gilt seashell gondola, surrounded by swans.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Stereophile.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Stereophile.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
![AURAL ROBERT](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/3as7OLE6v1709644356322/AURAL-ROBERT.jpg)
AURAL ROBERT
Another \"outlaw\" country artist
![Nina Simone: Wild Is the Wind](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/NUudrqfCZ1709644189146/NINA-SIMONE-WILD-IS-THE-WIND.jpg)
Nina Simone: Wild Is the Wind
By all accounts, Eunice Kathleen Waymon, aka Nina Simone, who passed in 2003, was a troubled person and a brilliant artist. Why she was not more acclaimed during her lifetime is a question several recent film projects have tried to answer. Did her fierce stand on civil rights lose her fans?
![Vintage hi-fi, old and new](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/9V169qqI41709644015708/VINTAGE-HIFI-OLD-AND-NEW.jpg)
Vintage hi-fi, old and new
Many audiophiles and serious music lovers are passionate about vintage. Vintage has become a popular \"way in\" to the hobby, especially popular among younger folks.
![Tekton Moab Be](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/MR2cBU-h81709642995604/TEKTON-MOAB-BE.jpg)
Tekton Moab Be
LOUDSPEAKER
![ARCAM Radia A25](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/8oNjD9G5g1709641795556/ARCAM-RADIA-A25.jpg)
ARCAM Radia A25
INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
![Wharfedale Heritage Series 90th Anniversary Dovedale](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/8dqAdSJVJ1709641189760/WHARFEDALE-HERITAGE-SERIES-90TH-ANNIVERSARY-DOVEDALE.jpg)
Wharfedale Heritage Series 90th Anniversary Dovedale
LOUDSPEAKER
![Technics Grand Class SL-1200/1210GR2](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/GDbpcdYe11709640851506/TECHNICS-GRAND-CLASS-SL12001210GR2.jpg)
Technics Grand Class SL-1200/1210GR2
RECORD PLAYER
![Thrax Audio Siren](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/ltgL2K0DI1709638801138/THRAX-AUDIO-SIREN.jpg)
Thrax Audio Siren
Based in Bulgaria, European audio company Thrax has been active since 2009.
![EMM Labs MTRS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/W6zv_VifQ1709636373331/EMM-LABS-MTRS.jpg)
EMM Labs MTRS
STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER
![SPIN DOCTOR](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5798/1623477/cjvez7_hL1709635587345/SPIN-DOCTOR.jpg)
SPIN DOCTOR
Alternative phono cartridge technologies and the DS Audio DS-W3 optical cartridge system