A merging of masterpieces: Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and the Baroque magnificence of Karlskirche church. But is the concert worth the ticket?
- Yes (to save you reading 800 words)
- Excellent musicians, acoustics & ambience
- Professional organisation
- Relatively inexpensive for Vienna
- Book a Vivaldi concert* at the Karlskirche
- See also:
Baroque brilliance
(Not a bad location for a spot of classical music)
Two different people recommended the Vivaldi concerts to me at the Karlskirche. So off I went to see what these regular performances offer visitors to Vienna.
The Karlskirche church (completed in 1737) represents, perhaps, architect Fischer von Erlach’s greatest achievement. And Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons concertos (published in 1725) might just be the composer’s crowning legacy to the world.
This merging of such masterpieces comes about through the performances of an ensemble from the Orchester 1756, founded in 2006 in Salzburg. The members play on historical instruments (strings and a harpsichord).
Picture the panorama: black-clad musicians framed by the half-light and shadow of marbled walls, sending the vivacious and dramatic tones of Vivaldi’s music swirling up and around a maelstrom of baroque décor anchored in spirituality.
A tribute to the divine combined with divine inspiration.
However much we might wish to stress the modern metropolis Vienna has become, this is what the city perhaps does best: classical music and cultured historical ambience.
(Clues you’re in the right place)
Vivaldi, by the way, would have seen the Karlskirche in all its original splendour, having arrived in Vienna in 1740.
The composer died here just a year later and, rather poignantly, is buried just a few metres away from the church.
Sadly, no sculpted memorial or headstone marks the grave, as Vivaldi’s lost somewhere under what is now the TU Wien (a university specialising in technology and the natural sciences).
If you’re used to the bare stone of gothic churches and cathedrals, baroque church architecture can come as a surprise, not to say shock. Karlskirche is a three-dimensional canvas decorated in coloured frescoes, reliefs, statues, and stonework.
As such, the venue creates a majestic ambience. And the sound at the concert was quite excellent.
Running a site like Visiting Vienna makes me a perpetual tourist, which means I have to work hard to maintain a sense of wonder or excitement. But I found the whole event captivating.
The lead violinist (Dimitris Karakantas), for example, prowled the stage like a caged lion, sleeves rolled up, and his fingers teasing and cajoling the instrument in a quite mesmerising performance.
(Proof of attendance)
The result was not just an excellent rendition of the music, but one coloured by its own interpretation…played with verve, passion and seemingly telepathic timing.
The effusive and long applause after the roughly 75 minute concert spoke its own message.
Tips & ticket info
Buy tickets from the box office in the Karlskirche or online.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
(Nothing on your dates? Try some alternative concerts*)
Where to sit?
At the time of writing, the concert offers three seat categories. The top tier has the advantage of numbered seats and a position near the performers for a good view and the best sound.
The other tiers are open seating and further back or to the sides. We bought the cheapest seats (category 3), because I spend all my money on cake.
Arriving early, however, meant we still found positions at the front of the tier with clear views of the stage and the church dome along with the perfect sound I mention above.
The organisation was excellent: slick and professional. Plenty of remarkably-friendly ushers were on hand to guide us to the correct seating areas; seats were either church pews (with decent cushions) or comfortable padded chairs.
The queue to get in started forming around 45 minutes before the start, and they let us in shortly after. Getting there early not only ensures better seats in your tier but also the certainty you can sit together if you’re more than just a couple.
Even if you have a numbered seat, I’d still advise going in soon after doors open.
Why?
It gives you time to appreciate the grandeur of the church and (depending on the season) enjoy the changing play of light and shadow through the windows as the sun goes down.
More tips…
Though The Four Seasons is a constant, I believe the programme actually varies to include one or two additional pieces. In our case, Vivaldi’s Concerto for Strings in G major and Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in D major.
The Corelli piece saw another violinist join Karakantas at the front, the two instruments playing like a pair of swallows twisting through the sky in the joy of music.
(I can get a bit effusive.)
Formal concert attire is not required. I saw folk in t-shirts, for example, but remember that Karlskirche is a working Catholic church. I have more advice on concert dress codes here.
If you want to take a closer look at the church itself, it opens to visitors, and an entrance ticket also gets you up onto the panorama terrace.
Finally, Vienna has lots of other concerts in historical venues offering the accessible kind of light classical music. Not to mention the prestigious Musikverein and Konzerthaus concert houses with more formal concert schedules.
How to get there
As luck would have it, Karlskirche is just outside the Karlsplatz subway station on the U1, U2, and U4 subway lines. Take the Resselpark exit.
The Oper / Karlsplatz tram stop has tram lines D, 1, 71, 2, for example.
The concert (and church) entrance is off to the side of the building; go around to the right as you face the front with its two columns.
Address: Karlsplatz 10, 1040 Vienna