Discovering these adds another dimension to an endlessly fascinating journey.ġ For a full-on baroque fantasy itʼs hard to top Prague, where early music has never gone out of fashion and stunning architecture is to be found on literally every block of the cityʼs Old Town and Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana). Baroque is often treated as a monolith, but there were many variations in its forms and attributes as it grew and spread across Europe. They also offer a cross-section of styles and tastes. Instead, these focus on cultural environments, places where baroque blossomed in several disciplines, or where early music festivals have become an intrinsic part of a cityʼs identity and character. The list below is selective, bypassing some choice locations like Bruges, home of the popular Musica Antiqua festival and competition, and Potsdam, with its incomparable Sanssouci Palace and gardens. The sights and sounds may be relics, but their synergy is as fresh as ever.Ī number of cities in Europe offer such opportunities. In settings that mirror the era, the experience can be immersive and more than a historical curiosity.
With the revival of early music in recent years, itʼs possible to hear historically accurate performances of baroque masters like Bach and Monteverdi played with modern enthusiasm. The only question is how deep you want to go into the past. Splendiferous churches and palaces, dramatic paintings, kinetic sculptures and rhythms that invoke a slower, more civilized pace of life all exert an enduring allure. More than 300 years after this exuberant aesthetic had its heyday, we still canʼt get enough of it. Baroque, baroque and baroque – as in, art, architecture and music.
0 kommentar(er)
