Kristine

We were in Paris in May while the Museum strike was on. We'll return the last week of November for 1 week. This time want to attend a concert in St Chapelle. Found the website of schedule, but am now wondering if anyone can recommend one concert over the other. EITHERes Quatre Saisons de Vivaldi et la Petite musique de nuit de Mozart Orchestre Les Violons de OR Les Trompettes de Versailles dans des oevres de Boismortier, Couperin Telemann. I guess its a matter of Vivaldi/Mozart and violins OR Trumpets? <BR>Has anyone seen either of these? I was hoping to hear a pipe organ concert too! <BR>

Bob Brown

Here is an excerpt from my response to the Ste. Chapelle thread that has dropped down a bit. We heard the Violins of France, under the leadership of Frederic Moreau, play the same program you describe. Here is my comment: <BR>If you are a classical music fan, I recommend that you take in a concert at Ste. Chapelle. I hope you find it as wonderful as I did. I am not usually moved to an excess of superlatives, but this concert was an incredible experience. The combination of great music expertly played and an almost mystical setting in an ancient stained glass church went beyond simple <BR>musical enjoyment and reached the level of being transcendent. <BR> <BR>I don't know about the trumped performance because I was not able to hear it. But, the level of play of the Violins of France was expert. I don't think you will be disappointed with either. Why not both? <BR> <BR>By the way, do you know how to find Sainte Chapelle?? By the way, those concerts are popular, so I recommend using the website for advance reservations. The system seems to work well; at least it did for us.

Christina

I think it really boils down to whether you think you would prefer strings or trumpets/horns. I think most casual classical music listeners would prefer the Vivaldi/Mozart program. The other composers are baroque and more obscure (French, but Telemann is German); Couperin is early French baroque and I think would not appeal to a lot of casual listeners; personally, I think he is best at keyboard music rather than orchestral or chamber music, and could be regarded as the father of French harpsichord music--he has a unique historical position there, but that isn't what they would be playing. Telemann is German and not really considered as first-class a composer as other Baroque compoers (ie, Bach, Vivaldi). Boismortier is very obscure, although known more in the horn and woodwind repertoire, I think, than orchestral. I would choose the Mozart/Vivaldi unless you have someone there who loves trumpets, horns, although you'd probably enjoy either concert. I'm sure the quality of either performance would be fine; neither emsemble is really a well-known recording group, I think they came together strictly for these concerts in Ste-Chappelle. There are many good organs in Paris, and excellent venues for hearing good pipe organ music in the cathedrals. Often, there are free or very cheap pipe organ concerts on Sunday afternoons in Paris. I would recommend a concert on the organ at the St-Sulpice church in the St-Germain quartier as this organ is superb and one of the most well-known in Europe; as is the expert church organist, Daniel Roth. Don't know about fall, in the summer, frequently there is a free concert at St-Sulpice church on Sunday mornings at 11 am, I think, and sometimes on Saturday late afternoons or early evening (ie, 6-7 pm). You should be able to find listing s for this church and other organ concerts around Paris in the various churches in the weekly entertainment guides, Pariscope or L'Officiel des Spectacles, which you can buy for a couple francs at any newsstand kiosque when you get there. There is actually a very interesting article on this organ on Rick Steve's WEBsite, go to www.ricksteves.com/ccinfo/frpipes.htm

lisa

Vivaldi's Four Seasons is one of my favorites, and Mozart's "A Little Night Music" is wonderful too -- you will probably recognize at least parts of both of them when you hear them. So if you want to hear music that is gorgeous and may sound a bit familiar, I would choose those. <BR>The only caveat is that if you've never heard brass in the acoustics of a church, it can be a real treat (although I've never been to one of the concerts at Ste. Chapelle, I would imagine its acoustics are fantastic). The sound of trumpets reverberating in that space might be irresistable.

Bob Brown

I thought the acoustics at Ste. Chapelle helped to make the concert I heard an almost cathartic experience. (Using the definition from the unabridged dictionary) The sound was full, resonant, vibrant, exciting, etc. <BR> <BR>Both the Vivaldi and the Mozart sound was wonderful. <BR> <BR>My most direct means of comparison is with Hodgson Hall at the University of Georgia. The acoustics there are also quite "lively", so much so that a heavy symphony such as the Shostakovich 7th by a full symphony orchestra just about blew me out of the rear of the auditorium. I have head the local string group, with our Russian (Georgian) violinist Levon Ambartsumian perform the same Vivaldi music. The acoustics in Ste. Chapelle were fully equal to, if not more resonant, than those of Hodgson Hall. <BR>My guess is that a small trumpet group that did not overpower the hall would be thrilling to hear. <BR>I did sit toward the front of the hall. I don't know if the echo effect for those seated in the rear was overpowering or not. <BR>