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Post by downunder on Jul 15, 2008 0:47:04 GMT -5
I am toying with the idea of booking for a concert on my upcoming trip. Of course the location is wonderful, but what is the music like? Better than some of those tacky concerts in Venice I hope. If they are thought to be ordinary I will just visit again during the day and stare at the magnificent windows. What do you think?
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Post by GitteK on Jul 15, 2008 1:29:59 GMT -5
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Post by Shoesy on Jul 15, 2008 1:30:02 GMT -5
I've heard only good things about those concerts. I had really wanted to attend one in 2006, but it didn't work out for us. Perhaps next time.
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kurgy
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by kurgy on Jul 15, 2008 2:07:06 GMT -5
when you arrive in Paris, buy the Pariscope - it will tell you what is on that week, from classical to jazz etc...even movies. You can then choose whether you want to go to the St Chapelle depending on what is playing. When I went, we did not pre-purchase tickets. We just rocked up to the door before the performance started, they usually have 2 performances a night, so go to the earliest one as there will still be light streaming through the stained glass.
I'm not sure what you mean by tacky either, if you are a classical music officionado - then it will probably be average for you. To me, it wasn't the quality of the performance, it was the whole experience that made it absolutely memorable, I loved it -even though I'm sick of Vivaldi's 4 seasons. So if you are looking for quality, go to an opera house performance.
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Post by downunder on Jul 15, 2008 2:40:15 GMT -5
Yes "tacky" probably was not the right word "touristy" would have been more appropriate. I was referring to the dress ups and very tourist oriented performances in Venice not the music or composers. It sounds like I should still book my ticket and thankyou for your comments.
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Post by GitteK on Jul 15, 2008 2:44:20 GMT -5
kurgy, I have had my ample share of The 4 Seasons, so I know what you mean. But Bach is ALWAYS good, I never ever get tired of him. In my music book, you don't get closer to getting a sneak peep into Eternity than with Bach (or Mozart).
downunder: I think the musicians dress in their regular performance dress: dark suits for the men and nice dresses for the women. No phoney Marie-Antoinette attire or powdered whigs, if that is what you feared.
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kurgy
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by kurgy on Jul 15, 2008 6:27:44 GMT -5
Gitte, I went to a Bach piano concerto in a really old church in Paris - I forgot what the church was called, but it was wonderful!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 15, 2008 8:35:22 GMT -5
There is no need to book this in advance (or even stand in line during the day to buy tickets for a performance in the evening). Just go a few minutes before the performance and buy at the door - I've been to several, and if there are lots of people who show up they just add more chairs.
This is a really wonderful experience on a sunny evening with the light through the windows, as mentioned above by kurgy. I would suggest waiting until you have a good sense of what the weather is like, because that part is very much a highlight of the experience, in my opinion.
Although Vivaldi is a staple of the repertoire of the group, it's not the only thing that will be on the bill in a given week - just look in the entertainment news, or check the posters that will be all over the city. The group of musicians is quite competent and, unless you just hate baroque music (in which case, skip it and go to Sainte-Chapelle during the day!), you will find it enjoyable.
Certainly this is popular with tourists, but when I've attended there always are many French people in the audience as well. As noted above, there are no costumes, etc., it's just normal chamber orchestra attire/performance. Highly recommended based on my own experience.
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Post by luvparee on Jul 15, 2008 9:38:06 GMT -5
We went to a Vivaldi 4 Seasons concert in St. Chapelle 2 summers ago and it was the highlight of our time in Paris! Being in that gorgeous venue and listening to such fabulous music for 1.5 hours was pure Heaven!!! We purchased our tickets the day of the concert (thinking we were purchasing for a Thursday evening concert) when, in fact, contrary to all information I had seen online prior to the trip, the concert was that Tuesday night! So, for what it's worth, make sure of the schedule!
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 15, 2008 9:56:23 GMT -5
This thread is making me quite sure that we're going to include a concert at St. Chappelle in November. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for the info, everyone!
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), but normally it is well-known classics like "The Seasons" by Vivaldi, as you can see in this YouTube: 
Let the riot begin! LOL - 
hahahha