Music Man

I love hearing music in churches. And in selected museums. What are some of the great places to hear music in Europe? Not just the familiar concert halls and opera houses but other venues with great settings, great acoustics, and wonderful musicians and programs?

Bob Brown

Put Ste. Chapelle in Paris on your list.

wes fowler

Some of the most astounding venues for music are the Baroque churches in Upper Bavaria. There is a series of concerts given from early July to mid-August in the Stiftskirche in Rottenbuch as well as churches in Polling, Schongau and Steingaden. Music may range from a Bruckner Te Deum to Mozart and Beethoven symphonies. Church architecture and settings are riotous Bavarian Baroque and Rococo.

Gigi

St. Martin's in the Field in London is world famous for it's music.

Montserrat in Spain, the most lovely setting in the world for a church. The boys choir is terrific. They also have a CD with the Monks chants...lovely!

The Westminster Abbey for the Evensong featuring the boy's choir. Get there early and you can sit in the choir with them...next to heaven.

We are going to be in Vienna...anticipate the boys choir at the Hapsburg Chapel to be fine as well.

Great thread! Thank you!
Gigi

StCirq

Two places in the Périgord come to mind, though they're off the beaten track (but all the better for it): The Romanesque church in St-Léon-sur-Vézère, which was a stop along the pilgrims' route to Compostella and is in one of the prettiest settings imaginable by the Vézère river, has marvelous concerts in spring, summer, and fall. The Abbey at Cadouin also has organ, vocal, and instrumental concerts in summer. Both are magical places to hear music.

kam

St. Martin in the Fields heads our list along with Westminster Abbey.

Barbara

My own preference is sitting in Piazza San Marco in Venice on a Saturday evening listening to the outdoor orchestra at Caffe Florian play for hours while I sip exquisite chocolate from a china cup.

Ben Haines

The Church of St Ann and St Agnes, near St Paul's tube, City of London
St James Piccadilly
Not St Martin in the Fields, which puts on nightly under-rehearsed pop Baroque by scratch orchestras by candlelight for tourists
Lunch time recitals in the courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum

The church of St Anne Manchester
Lunchtime recitals at Chetham's Music School in central Manchester

Evensong in any cathedral, such as Southwark or Wakefield, both of them less touristy than St Paul's and Westminster Abbey

Detail on London music is in "What's On and "Time Out".

Recitals at the Musee de Cluny. Detail in Pariscope, or on http://www.pariscope.fr

Summer recitals at the Eszterhazy summer palace at Fertod St Michael, 40 minutes south west of Vienna, in Hungary

Summer recitals in the castle at Veltrupy, 21 kilometers north of Prague.

The festival of Saxon and Bohemian music in the last two weeks of May, all along the Ore mountsins, in both Germany and the Czech Republic I'll give you the web site if you so ask. It is in churches, town halls, and country houses.

Ben Haines, London
[email protected]

Rex

One word about evensong at Westmister Abbey - - the one and only time i wen tthere, there was a parishioner (right word?) at the entrance turning away the "obvious" tourists, saying "worshippers only". We were a group of 11 teenagers and 2 adults, and just went right on in, and behaved just like it was a Mass - - quiet and respectful (the kids were all Catholic).

But many tourists took this minimal deterrence 100% literally, and did not enter. I think they missed something. Others may say that we bent the intent of the restriction to entrance by worhsippers only.

I rate the experience a B+/A-.

I very much want to hear a concert in Ste Chappelle. Can't believe I have never gotten around to that. Oh well, always something.

Other good musical experiences are concerts in the amphitheatre in Orange (France), St. Peters Stiftskeller (even if it is produced for the tourists, and not perhaps for true music afficionados), street musicians at Covent Garden, in Lubeck (Germany) and Odense (Denmark).

mickey

ST Michales cave Gibralter has the best acoustics

alan

Hi Just wanted to ofer the Cathedral in Chartres in France. They had an organ music festival at one time. It is also a magniicent church.
alan

Bill

Many of the "tourist" churches in Europe, and some secular sites, will encourage choirs on tour to perform informally during the week.
My two sons are in a rather good community boys' choir that will be in four countries over 17 days this summer and will perform at such places as the Salzburg Dome, the Abbey at Melk, the chapel at Weis in Bavaria, and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome... even the famous salt mine outside Salzburg (nice echo, I'm sure). For that matter, they often just break into song while waiting on the sidewalk... so keep your eyes peeled for 30 American kids.
If anyone is going to be in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Italy in early July - and you enjoy the distinctive sound of boys' voices - check the choir's website in a couple months (the schedule is still a bit fluid)
http://www.marylandstateboychoir.org

Lesli

They weren't formal performances, but I've been fortunate enough to be in the Mont-St-Michel and Chartres cathedrals when choirs were practicing. Truly magical.

Meg

Thanks Bob Brown for the Saint Chapelle (sp?) recommendation. I will be in Paris in early SEptember and that is on my list. Do you have a web site or place that I can find info on when there are concerts.

Thanks

Leslie

In a small village near Le Blanc is Fontgombault Abbey. If you are ever nearby, try to stop to hear the monks. They are famous for their Gregorian chant. We stumbled in by accident and it was simply magical.

StCirq

<<Thanks Bob Brown for the Saint Chapelle (sp?) recommendation. I will be in Paris in early SEptember and that is on my list. Do you have a web site or place that I can find info on when there are concerts. >>

When you get to Paris, pick up the printed version at any kiosk. In the meantime, you can check it out at www.pariscope.fr

ldsant

Hall of Mirrors, Prague

Jonas

Dubrovnik/Croatia, of course, especially during traditional Dubrovnik Summer Festival, which take place every year in July and August. Many beautiful concerts in the most incredible places, lots of international artists...
Check out Festival site:
http://www.dubrovnik-festival.hr/opening.htm

This is a program for the last year, but you'll get an idea what is it all about and what to expect.

maggi

The most exotic locale for us was the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan) in Istanbul, Turkey. Deep beneath the city, it is an ancient Roman aqueduct. We attended an avantguard art exhibit there, with new age music. The ceiling was hung with huge blinking eyes (holograms)and the music was eerie, amid the sound of dripping water. I understand that there are periodic concerts there but have been unable to find a site that lists a schedule.

Sue

Meg, here are two websites for concerts/opera/ballet, etc. in Paris. I haven't used either, but picked them up from Fodor perusing.

http://www.ampconcerts.com/eng.html
http://www.ticketavenue.com/concert/index.php