Mozart at the Karlskirche

     August 4th 2012

     We started the day off with a walking tour, were we saw a great deal more of the Baroque style buildings that overwhelm one's senses with beatify religious artwork. While the tour was fantastic, and included many fascinating stops such as the Heldenplatz (Hero's Square), the real highlight of the day was a classical music performance in what many claim to be the most beautiful church in Central Europe, the Karlskirche (Church of Saint Charles). Our class dressed for the a rendition of Mozart's requiem which was performed on the church's magnificent alter. The beauty of the backdrop alone was enough to leave me speechless, and the combination of the music along with the church was so deeply moving to me that I found myself grieving, brooding, and sorrowfully reflecting according as the emotional tone of the music shifted throughout the performance. The fantastic acoustic qualities of the church greatly enhanced the experience, as I have never heard such an enchanting performance despite being involved in music for a great portion of my life.
    I consider witnessing this performance to be a truly priceless event because it was as educational as it was emotionally moving. This is because a performance of Austria's finest music in the splendor of the Karlskirche is a perfect example of the kinds of sensory displaces used in the Baroque period to instill a sense of imperial power and Austrian nationality. The karlskirche itself is done in the Baroque style, and covered in symbols the represent the power of the catholic religion, and the Hapsburg empire. Historian Nicholas Parsons explains that the two pillars in the front of the building are symbols of imperial power while as well as an allusion to the bronze pillars of the Solomon's temple (165). Parson's explains that the symbols on Saint Charles's church represent a philosophy of stoicism that runs through Vienna's imperial history, however it was clear to me, despite my limited understanding of the langue of Baroque symbols, that this church was build to show off the power and wealth of it's creators.
       Indeed, it was vary similar to kinds of buildings I have described in my previous posts, and while the symbolism of the baroque period is very strong and well represented on the Karlskirche, the same symbolism and style seem to by ubiquitous in Vienna. Pearson once again provides insights into my experiences with this unique and larger than life building style. According to Pearson, Vienna was an diverse and place during the baroque period. as Hapsburg lands included parts of Bohemia, Austria, and Hungary. The intensity of the Baroque period resulted as an attempt to unify the various peoples under Habsburg rule with a uniform cultural aesthetic (Persons 166). The various ethnic groups, united only by the Habsburgs claims over their lands, were now connected by a style of architectural, artistic, and musical expression that affirmed the values of the Habsberg empire, and the Catholic church that provided the legitimacy for their reign.