Vivaldi's Four Seasons in Michaelerkirche

About the Event

Michaelerkirche, the place where, in honor of the great composer, Mozart’s Requiem was first performed, opens its doors for a summer concert series for the first time.

In addition to Antonio Vivaldi’s most famous work, The Four Seasons, a parable of Life and Death, parts of Mozart’s Requiem in Quartet version, first heard on December 10th, 1791, during the funeral mass for Vienna’s beloved composer, will be played.

In 1740, a poor Vivaldi arrived in Vienna, with high hopes for patronage from the Emperor. Only ten months after his arrival, Vivaldi passed away and was therefore buried in Vienna.

Vivaldi, the virtuous Violinist and Opera Composer, understood like no other how to create art with music, pieces which still fascinate and captivate us to this day. His four violin concertos achieved musical perfection, and were all extremely well received.

You wouldn’t want to miss out the chance to experience Vivaldi and parts of Mozart’s Requiem at Michaelerkirche.

Michaelerkirche Vienna

One of the oldest and most storied churches in Vienna, the Church of St Michael or Michaelerkirche stands opposite the St Michael’s Gate of the Hofburg Palace – a fitting location for the former parish church of the Habsburg Imperial Court. One of the few Romanesque churches remaining in the city, the body of the church dates from the thirteenth century, though the structure incorporates numerous architectural and decorative styles from its eight centuries of existence.

The neoclassical façade, unchanged since the 1790s, and Gothic tower have made St Michael’s a Viennese landmark. However, the interior is a treasure trove of the creative arts and their history in the city. Alongside sculptures and paintings by leading figures, the magnificent Rococo high altar was the last Baroque work completed in Vienna. The thirteenth century Nikolauskapelle with its fine tracery windows, and Gothic sculptures recall the church’s earliest days, while the fifteenth century frescoes that have been recently rediscovered offer an insight into Vienna’s long history as a center for art and culture. Further examples of Viennese creation may be found in the famous crypt, where unusual atmospheric conditions have resulted in many immaculately preserved bodies, often arrayed in the finest fashions of their day!

However, the greatest treasure of all may well be the immense Baroque organ. Built in 1714, the instrument is the largest of its kind in Vienna, and was played by the teenaged Joseph Haydn. Its musical history also includes the premiere of Mozart’s ‘Requiem’, played for the first time in 1791 in honor of the deceased composer . With events of such historic musical significance in its past, it is unsurprising that the Church of St. Michael continues to be one of Vienna’s premiere concert venues, hosting the best local and international talent in its bright and uplifting atmosphere.