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Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, The Ring at Erl 2014
OPERA AROUND THE WORLD 2015
Munich Opera Festival
and Wagner in the Tyrol
MUNICH AND THE TYROLEAN FESTIVAL ERL + SALZBURG EXTENSION
Including
Salzburg
Festival
n
Extenersariyo
–
– ﬁnal itin
2015
03 – 08 Aug
with Antony Ernst
24 July – 03 August 2015 (11 days)
Munich Opera Festival
and Wagner in the Tyrol
This tour includes the highlights of the 2015 Munich Opera Festival followed
by Wagner’s Ring at the Tyrolean Festival Erl and an optional extension
to the Salzburg Festival.
Beginning in Munich, see and hear a stellar line-up of artists in Donizetti’s
Lucia di Lammermoor, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Verdi’s Don Carlo and
Puccini’s Manon Lescaut.
TOUR LEADER
Antony Ernst
Dr Antony Ernst is a director,
dramaturg, lecturer and arts
administrator who has worked
with companies and universities
in Australia, New Zealand,
Europe and America. He
started as a dramaturg with
Opera Australia, has worked
as a house director in Dresden,
Düsseldorf and Rome, has
completed a doctorate and
directed Opera Australia’s new
production of Salome (2003).
Since 2011 Antony has been
Manager of Artistic Planning
for the Strasbourg Philharmonic
Orchestra in France.
Then it is off to the glorious setting of the Austrian Tyrol for Wagner’s Ring
over four days, as intended by the composer, at Gustave Kuhn’s much loved
Tyrolean Festival Erl which has become a major pilgrimage destination for
fans of Wagner from all over the world.
Following the Ring an optional extension to the Salzburg Festival rounds out
this wonderful tour.
At a glance…
• Diana Damrau stars in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor
• Asher Fisch leads a star-studded cast for Don Carlo, including René Pape,
Ramón Vargas, Simon Keenlyside, Anja Harteros and Anna Smirnova
• Fast-rising soprano Kristine Opolais, tenor Alexey Dolgov and acclaimed baritone
Mariusz Kwiecien in Eugene Onegin
• Kristine Opolais and Jonas Kaufmann in Manon Lescaut conducted by Alain Altinoglu
• Gustave Kuhn conducts his own production of Wagner’s Ring at Erl
GERMANY
Munich
Salzburg
Erl/Walchsee
AUSTRIA
Land
Salzburg Festival extension
Map is a guide only
Itinerary
Thu 23 Jul 2015
Depart Australia
Depart Australia on Qantas / Emirates overnight ﬂights via Dubai.
Overnight in ﬂight.
Fri 24 Jul
Arrival Munich
Early afternoon arrival in Munich.
This evening join Antony Ernst and fellow opera lovers for a
welcome dinner. D
Sat 25 Jul
Munich
Following a morning talk on today’s and tomorrow’s operas, depart
the hotel for an introduction to the Bavarian capital. The third
largest city in Germany (after Berlin and Hamburg), Munich is a
centre of commerce, tourism and the arts. The city is home to
three major museums the Old, New and Modern Pinakothek art
museums and reminders of its historical grandeur such as the Royal
Palace and the National Theatre, home of the Bavarian State Opera
and State Ballet. During the tour you will also see the Olympic
Grounds, stop at BMW World and pass through the former artist’s
quarter Schwabing.
Munich Opera Festival
The Munich Opera Festival takes place annually in the Bavarian
capital from late June to late July. Immediately preceding the
two nearby festivals of Bayreuth and Salzburg, which both
start in late July, this 137-year-old much-loved annual event
concludes with a ﬂourish the preceding main season of the
Bavarian State Opera. New productions of the previous
season are reprised, along with festival premieres. Venues
include the National Theatre, the Prince Regent Theatre,
the Cuvilliés Theatre and the Allerheiligen-Hofkirche.
Besides opera, concerts of chamber music are given to
showcase the members of the 201-year-old Bavarian State
Orchestra, which serves in the pit for all opera performances.
A festival highlight is Opera for All, the live transmission
of a full-length production from the theatre to an outdoor
audience seated in Max-Joseph-Platz.
Afternoon at leisure.
Tonight, begin your Munich Opera Festival experience with a new
production by Barbara Wysocka of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor.
Diana Damrau leads a powerful cast including Levente Molnár
as Enrico and Pavol Breslik as Edguardo under the baton of
Stefano Ranzani. B L
Sun 26 Jul
“ When great emotions cannot be truthfully expressed,
they explode with the power of an atom bomb” And the
agony of emotions “destroys everything and everyone.”
(Barbara Wysocka).
Afternoon at leisure.
Diana Damrau as Lucia di Lammermoor
Munich
Go behind the scenes of the Munich Opera Festival on a morning
tour of the National Theatre, home of the Bavarian State Opera
and Ballet. See the grand public areas of the theatre and enjoy
access to non-public areas.
Return to the National Theatre for Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.
This performance brings together young, rising talent from
across Europe: British conductor Leo Hussain, Polish theatre
director Krzysztof Warlikowski, Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais
(Tatiana), Russian tenor Alexey Dolgov (Lensky) and Polish baritone
Mariusz Kwiecien (Onegin). B
Munich Opera Festival , Bavarian State Opera
The Ring at Erl
Whilst it is often dubbed ‘the Austrian Bayreuth’ Wagner’s Ring
at Erl is a very different experience from Germany’s Bayreuth.
First of all, the arrangement of the 1500-seat ‘pit-less’ Passion
Playhouse requires the orchestra and conductor to be behind
the singers, who play out the drama from a very small stage
using limited sets and props. The orchestra sits inside an acoustic
tent (used effectively throughout as part of the lighting plot)
and a vertical mesh screen separates it from the singers.
Unlike Bayreuth, the Tyrolean Festival Erl is devoted not only to
Wagner but also provides a varied programme of other operas,
orchestral music and recitals (details of the full 2015 season will
be announced in late 2014). The festival runs annually throughout
July and August, except in the years when the village gives its
Passion Play, which it has been doing every eight years since
1613 and for which the Passion Playhouse was built in 1959.
It is Wagner however which attracts the greatest attention,
especially since complete Ring cycles were launched in 2003
– directed and conducted by the inimitable 60-year old Gustav
Kuhn, self-confessed passionate motorcyclist, yachtsman and
enfant terrible of the contemporary music scene. Austrian
television has described Kuhn as the ‘Ironman of Culture.’
As stage director/producer, Kuhn uses a modern dress setting
and creatively uses the limited available space. Every inch of
the auditorium is put to some purpose with characters often
Gustav Kuhn, Tyrolean Festival Erl © Tom Benz
Wagner’s Siegfried, The Ring at Erl 2014
entering from behind the audience and horn players popping
up in the auditorium. Locals are also employed on and off-stage:
several scenes involve the local ﬁre brigade and lots of local
schoolchildren makes for exciting theatre. The orchestra and
music staff are formed annually from musicians from around
the world. Many come from major opera theatres and orchestras
in Eastern Europe, during their summer breaks. Others, like
Australians Sharolyn Kimmorley (repetiteur) and Brett Berthold
(double bass) come for the unique experience of the festival.
The singers are young and up-and-coming alumni of Kuhn’s own
Accademia di Montegral, based near Lucca, Tuscany (founded by
Kuhn in 1992). At the Accademia, young singers, instrumentalists,
composers and designers receive expert tuition and guidance
from the institution’s many expert members, all established
artists in their own ﬁelds. In fact, the Tyrolean Festival Erl was
launched partly to provide performance opportunities for
people attending the Accademia and partly to provide what Kuhn
describes as ‘a confrontation between new and classical music.’
Unlike Bayreuth and Glyndebourne, dress is comfortable ‘smart
casual’ and there are no long ‘dinner breaks’ – intervals are a
brief 20 minutes, with ‘light refreshments’ only available. Most
Erl-goers are German-speaking, from nearby Germany and
Switzerland (it is possible to drive down from Munich for the
evening) and it is fair to say that the festival is (undeservedly)
little known in the English-speaking opera world.
Erl, Austria
Mon 27 Jul
Munich
Following a talk on this evening’s and tomorrow’s operas, drive to
Nymphenburg Palace situated approx. 10 km west of Munich. Built
as a summer residence for the Bavarian kings, Nymphenburg was
artistically shaped by the various Electors over its history in both
Baroque and rococo styles. The lawns and water features of the
park are equally ornate as the magniﬁcent Nymphenburg Palace.
After lunch at a local restaurant, return to Munich in time for this
evening’s performance, the full ﬁve-act Italian version of Verdi’s
Don Carlo conducted by Asher Fisch in a production by Jurgen Rose.
The stellar cast includes René Pape (Phillip II), Ramón Vargas (Don
Carlos), Simon Keenlyside (Rodrigo) Rafal Siwek (Grand Inquisitor),
Anja Harteros (Elizabeth) and Anna Smirnova (princess Eboli). B L
Tue 28 Jul
Munich
Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore Munich on your own, before
your ﬁnal Munich Opera Festival production, Puccini’s Manon Lescaut.
Conducted by Alain Altinoglu this new production by Hans Neuenfels
stars Kristine Opolais as Manon Lescaut, Markus Eiche as Lescaut and
Jonas Kaufmann as Des Grieux. B
Wed 29 Jul
Munich – Tyrol
Departing Munich, drive south to the Austrian state of Tyrol, a
breathtakingly beautiful alpine area of soaring mountains, deep blue
lakes and lush green pastures. Arrive in time for lunch in the town
of Kufstein on the fast-ﬂowing River Inn. After enjoy a walking tour
of the historic quarter and a visit to the Kufstein Fortress housing
a museum of local history.
Late afternoon arrival at the Panorama Hotel at the foot of the
Kaiser mountain range overlooking the lake-side holiday resort
of Walchsee. Walchsee is located 15 km (30 min by coach) from
the tiny village of Erl, setting for the Tyrolean Festival Erl. B L D
Thu 30 Jul
Tyrol
Following a morning introduction to Wagner’s Ring, the afternoon is
at leisure before transferring from the hotel to the Passion Playhouse
in Erl, for this evening’s performance of Das Rheingold (7 pm).
Following the performance return to the hotel for a light supper.
B
L
S
Fri 31 Jul / Tyrol
This morning Antony will continue his series of talks on the Ring.
Mid-afternoon transfer from the hotel to Erl for this evening’s
performance of Die Walküre (5 pm). Return to the hotel for a
light supper. B L S
Sat 01 Aug
Tyrol
Enjoy a morning at leisure. Relax at the hotel’s extensive leisure
facilities or head out for a morning’s cycling, walking or sports.
Mid-afternoon transfer from the hotel to Erl for this evening’s
performance of Siegfried (5 pm). Return to the hotel for a light
supper. B S
Sun 02 Aug
Tyrol
Following a morning talk, depart the hotel for a special farewell
lunch, followed by this evening’s performance of Götterdämmerung
(5 pm). Return to the hotel for a light supper. B L S
Mon 03 Aug
Departure
Following a leisurely breakfast, transfer to Munich Airport (130 km,
approx 2.5 hr). Arrival at 12.30 in time for departure on Emirates/
Qantas ﬂights to Dubai and Australia departing at 3.30 pm
(or later). Early morning arrival in Australia on Wednesday morning
05 August. B
Alternatively, join our optional Extension to the Salzburg Festival.
Nymphenburg Palace, Munich
Jonas Kaufmann as Des Grieux , Manon Lescaut.
Wagner’s Das Rheingold, The Ring at Erl 2014
Wagner’s Die Walküre, The Ring at Erl 2014
Wagner’s Das Rheingold, The Ring at Erl 2014
Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, The Ring at Erl 2014
Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, The Ring at Erl 2014
Tour Prices
Terms & Conditions
Per person, twin share
AUD 8,250
Single supplement*
AUD 1,250
Deposit per person
AUD 1,000
Final payment due
22 May 2015
*Single travellers may request to share. Please advise at time of booking.
Tour code
OA1503
Fitness level
Moderate
Please see booking conditions for ﬁtness level deﬁnitions.
Suggested airline
Qantas / Emirates
Please contact Renaissance Tours for current airfares and
ﬂight reservations.
Tour price includes
• Accommodation in superior 4 and 5 star hotels with
daily breakfast ( B )
• Meals as per itinerary ( L =Lunch,
including wines
D
=Dinner,
S
=Supper)
• Cat 1 tickets for four performances at the Munich
Opera Festival
• Cat 1 tickets for the Ring at Tyrolean Festival Erl
• Pre-performance talks and discussions
• Comfortable air-conditioned coach transportation
• Comprehensive sightseeing including local guides
and entrance fees as per itinerary
• Gratuities for local guides and drivers
• Hotel porterage (one piece per person)
• Transfer to Munich Airport on departure
Tour price does not include
• International airfares
• Transfer on arrival in Munich
• Items of a personal nature (e.g. telephone, laundry,
minibar etc.)
• Travel insurance
Your hotels
Munich – Hotel Bayerischer Hof «««««
Walchsee – Hotel Panorama««««
NB. Hotel of a similar standard may be substituted.
How to Book
Complete, sign and return the Booking
Form available from Renaissance Tours
with your deposit and page one of
your passport.
Deposit / Final Payments
Your deposit is due at the time of
booking and is used to pay hotel, airline,
performance tickets and/or other
deposits. It is non-refundable in the
event of your cancellation.
Final payment is due 60 days before
departure. Failure to make the ﬁnal
payment by the due date may result in
cancellation of your booking and loss
of deposit.
Payment by cash, cheque, direct deposit,
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is accepted. 1.5% service charge applies
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payment made by American Express.
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can be made by credit card without a
service fee. Please check for details.
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charges will be applied as shown
below, calculated from the day written
notiﬁcation is received by Renaissance
Tours. In addition to cancellation fees for
tours operated by Renaissance Tours as
shown below, airlines, hotels and other
third parties may impose up to 100%
cancellation charges.
60 days or more
Forfeit of deposit
59 – 45 days
25% of tour cost
44 – 31 days
50% of tour cost
30 – 15 days
75% of tour cost
Less than 15 days
100% of tour cost
The above cancellation charges include
applicable GST.
In addition to the above, cancellation
charges may apply for additional
arrangements booked by Renaissance
Tours, such as air tickets, hotels and
travel insurance premium. If the reason
for cancellation is covered by the
insurance policy, you may be able to
reclaim these charges.
b) Cancellation by Us – We reserve
the right to cancel a tour for any reason
(such as failure to reach minimum tour
participant numbers). Except for force
majeure, we will not cancel a tour less
than 60 days before departure. No
further compensation will be paid in
the event of cancellation by Renaissance
Tours. A full refund of monies paid
for tour costs will be the full extent of
our liability.
Cancellation and/or amendment fees may
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booked by Renaissance Tours.
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All travellers must be in a possession of a
valid passport – most countries require
a 6-month validity from your date of
entry or exit. For some countries (e.g.
China, Vietnam, India, Russia), visas are
included in the tour cost and will be
arranged by Renaissance Tours prior
to travel. For other countries, it is your
responsibility to ensure you have the
appropriate visa(s).
You are also responsible for obtaining all
necessary inoculations and preventative
medicines as may be required for the
duration of the tour.
Tour Prices
Prices quoted in our tour information
are based on exchange rates, cost of
services and applicable taxes at the
time of publication. Prices may be
subject to change in the event of
signiﬁcant currency ﬂuctuations or the
introduction of new taxes, up until ﬁnal
payment is received.
In the event of a price increase, whether
because of a currency ﬂuctuation,
increase in taxes or a correction in
advertised prices, we will advise you
and you have the option of accepting
the amended prices, inclusions and
booking conditions or withdrawing
from the tour and receiving a full refund
of all monies paid.
Once ﬁnal payment is received, all
prices will be guaranteed and no
surcharges will apply.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of travel that you are
covered by comprehensive travel
insurance for international tours. Your
travel insurance can be arranged by
Renaissance Tours.
Fitness and Participation
Most of our tours require a MODERATE
level of ﬁ tness.
However, in certain destinations (e.g.
Silk Road, Central Asia, Outback
Australia, tropical destinations) or in
certain seasons (e.g. mid-winter, midsummer) or because of the nature of
travel (e.g. remote rail), certain tours
will require an ABOVE AVERAGE or
CHALLENGING level of ﬁ tness.
If you (or we) have any doubts about
your level of ﬁ tness, you may be
required to have a doctor’s appraisal.
This would require your doctor to
read the itinerary of your chosen tour,
including the ﬁ tness level, and provide
you (and us) with a written conﬁrmation
of your ability to participate.
MODERATE
For the overall beneﬁ t of the group, all
tour members must possess a moderate
level of mobility, including the ability to:
• negotiate airports and railway stations
without wheelchair assistance
• use combined shower/bath facilities
(it is impossible to guarantee walk-in
shower facilities)
• undertake walking tour of 1–2 hours
duration, including using stairs,
walking over cobblestones and other
uneven surfaces
• stand for long periods in museums and
other sites
• embark / disembark coaches, trains
and other methods of transportation
without assistance
• handle your own luggage
ABOVE AVERAGE
In addition to the above, tour members
must also be able to:
• undertake walking tours of 2–3 hours
• climb staircases of 100 or more steps
CHALLENGING
In addition to the above, tour members
must also be able to:
• handle extremes of temperature (e.g.
below 0 or above 35 degrees)
• handle extremes of altitudes (e.g.
4000 metres and above).
You can ﬁnd the full terms & conditions
at www.renaissancetours.com.au/
booking-conditions or we would be
happy to post you a copy on request.
Passion Playhouse – Erl, Austria
OPERA AROUND THE WORLD 2015
Your travel agent is
1300 727 095 (AU)
0800 403 621 (NZ)
call (+61 2) 9299 5801
fax (+61 2) 9299 5805
email [email protected]
visit www.renaissancetours.com.au
Level 4, 47 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
GPO Box 5068, Sydney NSW 2001
ABN 14 069 591 448
Brochure effective 17 April 2014
Extension to Salzburg Festival
FInal itinerary | 03– 08 August 2015
Mon 03 Aug
Tyrol – Bad Ischl
After a leisurely morning, transfer from Walshsee to Bad Ischl,
stopping en route for lunch on your own and time to explore the
charming town of Prien am Chiemsee on Lake Chiemsee.
Mid-afternoon arrival in Bad Ischl, in the heart of the scenic
Salzkammergut region. The former summer capital of the AustroHungarian Monarchy, the little town of Bad Ischl was associated
with the Habsburg imperial dynasty for over 700 years. B D
Tue 04 Aug
Bad Ischl - Salzburg
Enjoy a morning visit to the 2015 Upper Austria Garden Festival.
The 2015 Garden Show is sub-titled ‘The Emperor’s New Gardens‘
and takes its inspiration from the emperor’s villa and the
adjoining Imperial Park, which served as the summer residence
for Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Elisabeth for over 60 years.
Early afternoon transfer from Bad Ischl to Salzburg (50 km,
approx. 1 hr). Situated by the Salzach River and dominated
by the fortress of Hohensalzberg, Salzburg is famous as the
birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but also for its splendid
Renaissance architecture and Baroque courtyards.
This evening, begin your 2015 Salzburg Festival experience with
a performance of Wolfgang Rihm’s Die Eroberung von Mexico
(‘The Conquest of Mexico’). Born in 1952 Wolfgang Rihm is a
contemporary German composer of stage, orchestral, chamber,
choral, vocal, and piano works. First performed in 1992 ‘The
Conquest of Mexico’ deals with the arrival in the New World
of Cortez and his conquistadores. The destruction of the Aztec
civilisation is crystallised in the confrontation between Cortez
and the Aztec god-king Montezuma at the heart of Rihm’s
work. This new production for the Salzburg Festival by Peter
Konwitschny will be conducted by Ingo Metzmacher with Angela
Denoke as Montezuma and Bo Skovhus as Cortez. B D
Wed 05 Aug
After an afternoon at leisure, attend a new production of
Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in the House for Mozart. This
completes director Sven-Eric Bechtolf’s cycle of all three Da Ponte
operas by Mozart with Così fan tutte in 2013 and Don Giovanni in
2014. Conducted by Dan Ettinger and features a cast includes Luca
Pisaroni as the Count Almaviva, Genia Kühmeier as the Countess,
Martina Janková as Susanna, Adam Plachetka as Figaro, Margarita
Gritskova as Cherubino and Ann Murray as Marcellina. B
Thu 06 Aug
Salzburg
This morning you will enjoy a tour of the backstage, auditorium
and foyers of the Salzburg Festival’s three main performing venues,
the Summer Riding School (Felsenreitschule), the Large Festival
Hall (Grosses Festspielhaus) and the House for Mozart (Haus für
Mozart, also known as the Small Festival Hall 2003 – 2006).
Afternoon at leisure before this evening’s performance of Bellini’s
Norma at the House for Mozart. Conducted by Giovanni Antonini
and directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, the title role will
be performed by Cecilia Bartoli with Rebeca Olvera as Adalgisa and
John Osborne as Pollione. B
Fri 07 Aug
Salzburg
To celebrate the conclusion of the tour, enjoy a special farewell
lunch at an exclusive restaurant in the hills surrounding Salzburg.
Return to the city for this evening’s opera, a new production of
Beethoven’s Fidelio by director Claus Guth in the Large Festival Hall.
Conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, the performances stars Jonas
Kaufmann as Florestan, Adrianne Pieczonka as Leonore and Tomasz
Konieczny as Don Pizarro. B L
Sat 08 Aug
Often described as the most prestigious classical music
festival in the world, the Salzburg Festival was born
on August 22, 1920 with a performance of Hugo von
Hofmannsthal’s morality play Jedermann on Cathedral
Square, directed by Max Reinhardt. The production
was performed again in 1921, supplemented by concerts.
Salzburg in the summer soon became a meeting point
for the best directors, conductors, actors and vocalists
of the time. The opposing themes of ‘masters and servants,
the powerful and the powerless, oppression and protest’
will provide the themes of the opera and drama
programmes of the 2015 festival.
Salzburg
Join Antony for a morning seminar on the other three operas you
will see at the Salzburg Festival.
Depart Salzburg
Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.
Salzburg is easily linked to Vienna and Munich by train. Alternatively,
private car and/or mini-coach transfers can be arranged
(Renaissance Tours can assist). B
Tour Prices
Per person, twin share
AUD 5,500
Single supplement*
AUD 900
Deposit per person
AUD 2,000
Final payment due
22 May 2015
*Single travellers may request to share. Please advise at time of booking.
Tour code
OA1503S
Fitness level
Moderate
Please see booking conditions for ﬁtness level deﬁnitions.
Tour price includes
• 5 nights’ accommodation in a superior-4- star hotels with
daily breakfast ( B )
• Meals as per itinerary ( L =Lunch,
including wines.
=Dinner)
D
• Cat 2 tickets for four performances at the
Salzburg Festival
• Morning seminar on the Festival opera productions
• Comfortable air-conditioned coach transportation and
sightseeing including entrance fees as per itinerary
Luca Pisaroni as the Count Almaviva
• Gratuities for local guides and drivers
• Hotel porterage (one piece per person)
Tour price does not include
• International airfares
• Transfer on departure (can be arranged at additional cost)
• Items of a personal nature (e.g. telephone, laundry,
minibar etc.)
• Travel insurance
Your hotels««««+
Bad Ischl – Goldenes Schiff
The Marriage of Figaro
Salzburg – Radisson Blu Aldstadt
NB. Hotel of a similar standard may be substituted.
Brochure effective 9 February 2014
Salzburg with Festung Hohensalzburg castle on the background