Mirror Chapel: Vivaldi & Paganini — Virtuosos of the Venetian Carnival
Prague, Klementinum — Mirror Chapel
About the Event
Immerse yourself in the captivating harmonies of esteemed classical composers Antonio Vivaldi and Nicolò Paganini at Prague's renowned Klementinum, a venue celebrated worldwide.
Program
- Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons
- Antonio Vivaldi – Sovente il sole (soprano aria)
- Nicolò Paganini – Venetian Carnival
Cast / Production
String quartet, violin virtuoso, soprano
Klementinum
The Klementinum is a vast Baroque complex of historical buildings - one of the largest such complexes in Europe - in Prague's Old Town. The name 'Klementinum' comes from the chapel erected here in honor of St Clement in the 11th century. However, the complex' main story begins several centuries later with the arrival of the Jesuits in Bohemia. Commencing construction on their university in the 17th Century, the building process stretched over 170 years, explaining the Klementinum's mixture of architectural styles. When the Jesuit order was suppressed in 1773, they left the Klementinum, but the university they had founded remained. Today, the Mirror Chapel of the Klementinum frequently hosts classical music concerts,primarily featuring works by Mozart, Vivaldi, Smetana, and Dvorak.
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi went down in history as a creator of the instrumental concert genre and the father of orchestral music. He was born in Venice on the 4th of March 1678. Vivaldi was a weak and sickly child suffering from asthma, however could not stop him from devoting himself completely to music. His father, Giovanni Batista a professional violinist, taught his elder son Antonio to play the violin. With his father young Antonio met the best musicians of Venice of that time and gave concerts in local churches. He also worked as a violin teacher and later as a music director at the orphanage Ospedalle della Pieta. Meanwhile he composed concertos, sacred works and vocal music and in 1713 he achieved great recognition with his sacred choral music. Vivaldi got captivated by the world of opera and worked both as opera composer and impresario at the Teatro San Angelo. In 1717 he obtained a prestigious position by the prince court in Manua as a director of secular music and worked there until around 1720. During that time he composed his world-renowned masterpiece The Four Seasons. In the 1730's his career dwindled as his music became unfashionable and the great composer died in poverty. It took the world two centuries to rediscover and reevaluate Vivaldi’s music, as it was buried into oblivion after his death. In the early 20th century many previously unknown works were found and immediately captured the hearts of the music lovers.
Address
Klementinum, Klementinum 190/ Křižovnická, 190 Karlova, 1 Mariánské nám. 5, Prague, Czech Republic — Google Maps
