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A S P E C I A L P I L G R I M A G E … I N V E R D I ’ S F O O T S T E P S

Attending the 2018 VERDI FESTIVAL - in and in BUSSETO with visits to Verdi’s birthplace in le Roncole and his Villa Sant’Agata and Verdi’s – including La Scala. Also including visits to (Monteverdi’s) CREMONA, (Ancient Roman) BRESCIA and (Donizetti’s) BERGAMO

9 nights : Wednesday 17th October to Friday 26th October, 2 0 1 8

First Class Hotels Luxury Coaches Breakfasts and one Group Meal each day included and top category tickets to F O U R V E R D I O P E R A S  (in the , Busseto)  (at La Scala, Milan)  (at the Teatro Regio, Parma)  Le Trouvère (Verdi’s version of – at the Teatro Farnese)

and T H R E E S P E C I A L C O N C E R T S with Iain and Barbara Scott

$ 6,395 US (ss $1,095 US) 6 Blythwood Gardens Toronto Ontario M4N 3L3 www.opera-is.com (416) 486 8408 [email protected] OPERA-IS

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we will stay at all 4 star H O T E L S check out their websites – I think you will be impressed

2 nights in BUSSETO at the * * * * Hotel http://www.iduefoscari.it/

3 nights in PARMA at the * * * * Maria Luigia Palace Hotel https://www.sinahotels.com/en/h/sina-maria-luigia-parma

2 nights in BRESCIA at the * * * * Vittoria Hotel http://www.hotelvittoria.com/en/index.html

2 nights in MILAN at the * * * * Brunelleschi Hotel http://www.hotelbrunelleschi.net/

I due Foscari Hotel - Busseto

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Busseto

Verdi’s “home town” BUSSETO has a cluster of our pilgrimage sites including the Casa Barezzi and the Teatro Verdi and nearby, we will visit Verdi’s birthplace in Le Roncole and his Villa at Sant’Agata.

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O U R F O U R V E R D I O P E R A S will be … (English surtitles for all performances) at La Scala, Milan “ERNANI” at the Teatro Verdi, Busseto “UN GIORNO DI REGNO” at the Teatro Regio, Parma “ATTILA” at the Teatro Farnese, Parma “LE TROUVÈRE” (French version, staged by Robert Wilson)

The (exquisitely small) Teatro Verdi, in Busseto

AND O U R T H R E E S P E C I A L C O N C E R T S will be … at the Teatro Verdi, Busseto “Youth Orchestra of the Via Emilia” at the Teatro Regio, Parma “Verdi Choral Gala” (with at the Palazzo Farnese, Parma “Voices - at Noon in the Garden”

6 Blythwood Gardens Toronto Ontario M4N 3L3 www.opera-is.com (416) 486 8408 [email protected] OPERA-IS

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DAY 0 Tuesday 16th October, 2 0 1 8 – overnight flights to

 Fly overnight to Milan (independent air)

Maybe consider AC 9104 leaves YYZ leaves 6.20 pm arrives 10.20 am next day (via FRA) ?

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DAY 1 Wednesday 17 th October arrive in MILAN – coach to BUSSETO evening – ORCHESTRAL CONCERT

 Independent arrivals at Milan’s Malpensa airport (MXP) TOUR BEGINS

 Board our Coach for transfer to BUSSETO. (155 km 1 3/4 hours)

 Check in to the * * * * I Due Foscari Hotel (for 2 nights)

 This charming hotel was owned by the great tenor ... and is now the property of his son, Marco Bergonzi.

 6:00 pm RECEPTION and welcome GROUP DINNER at the Hotel.

followed by … (if you are up to it, jet-lag permitting) …

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DAY 1 Wednesday 17th October - evening

8:00 pm to 10:00 pm

ORCHESTRAL CONCERT at the TEATRO VERDI

“THE YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF THE VIA EMILIA”

Music by Rossini and Verdi. (full program not yet available - tba)

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DAY 2 Thursday 18 th October 2018 explore “VERDI-LAND” plus … evening “UN GIORNO DI REGNO”

 10:00 am Coach – guided excursion to the world-famous “Verdi Pilgrimage Sites” around Busseto.

 with Italy’s top Verdi Guide – the incomparable Elena Bonilauri.

 First we will visit his birthplace “the Casa Natale”, and the Church in LE RONCOLE – (where the organ on which he learned to play is now an Italian National Monument).

 Then we will visit his home for the last 50 years of his life – the legendary in SANT’AGATA.

 We will be able to put our hands, very reverentially, on the piano he used to compose every opera from “” on.

6:30 pm GROUP DINNER at the Hotel and later that evening … 6 Blythwood Gardens Toronto Ontario M4N 3L3 www.opera-is.com (416) 486 8408 [email protected] OPERA-IS

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(Thursday 18 th October) …

OPERA 8:30 pm Verdi’s second opera: “UN GIORNO DI REGNO” at the Teatro Verdi, Busseto

THE TEATRO VERDI in BUSSETO is an intimate “jewel box” of an opera house (notice that for this picture they have put in “extra seats”)

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DAY 3 Friday 19 th October, 2018 explore the town of BUSSETO and then travel to PARMA for a GALA CHORAL CONCERT

Morning – continue our guided explorations in BUSSETO with a walking tour led by Elena Bonilauri.

 In the walled city of BUSSETO, we will visit the home of his patron and his first father-in-law, Antonio Barezzi.

 Here the “Friends of Verdi” have created perhaps the finest MUSEUM OF VERDIANA in the world.

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We will have a traditional group picture in front of the statue of the Great Maestro in the town square of Busseto.

Lunch on your own

Afternoon – check out of our hotel and board our coach to PARMA (45 km 45 minutes)

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Friday 19th October (continued)

Check into the * * * * MARIA LUIGIA PALACE HOTEL for 3 nights

6:00 pm GROUP DINNER at MAXIM’S … and then …

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opera tours - opera courses - opera guides at 8:00 pm A special VERDI GALA CHORAL CONCERT in the TEATRO REGIO

with the ARTURO TOSCANINI PHILHARMONIC and the CHORUS of the TEATRO REGIO conducted by ROBERTO ABBADO

GIOACHINO ROSSINI Guillaume Tell Ouverture Introduction: “Quel jour serein”; choeur: “Près des torrents qui grondent”, acte I Choeur dansé: “Hyménée, ta journée”, acte I Pas de six, acte I

GIACOMO MEYERBEER Les Huguenots Conjuration et bénédiction des poignards, acte IV

GAETANO DONIZETTI

Maria Stuarda Inno della morte “O truce apparato”, atto III

Dom Sébastien Marche funèbre: “Sonnez, clairons funèbres”, acte III

GIUSEPPE VERDI

Don Carlos Introduction: “L’hiver est long” , acte I Le ballet de la Reine “La Peregrina”, acte III Messa da “Liber scriptus”, versione 1873, per coro Messa per Rossini “Libera me, Domine"

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DAY 4 Saturday 20 th October, 2018 guided visit of the city of PARMA and evening: “LE TROUVÈRE”

 This morning, our guide, Elena Bonilauri, will show us around the city of PARMA.

 Including …

 THE DUCAL PALACE built in 1561 by Ottavio Farnese

and …

 THE CATHEDRAL (containing the famous 1526 Correggio “Assumption of the Virgin” fresco in the dome)

 and perhaps the most exquisite BAPTISTERY in all of Italy.

1:30 pm GROUP LUNCH at LA FILOMA

Afternoon at leisure

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Saturday 20th October (continued)

Dinner on your own, and then …

8:30 – 11:30 VERDI’s “LE TROUVERE” at the TEATRO FARNESE in the PILOTTA PALACE

This should be one of the biggest highlights of the tour …

“LE TROUVÈRE” Opera in four acts To a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano in a French translation by Émilien Pacini

Music

Léonore ROBERTA MANTEGNA Azucena, la Bohémienne (the Gypsy) NINO SURGULADZE Inès TONIA LANGELLA

Manrique, le Trouvère (The Troubadour) STEFANO SECCO Le Comte de Luna FRANCO VASSALLO Fernand MARCO SPOTTI

Conductor ROBERTO ABBADO Director ROBERT WILSON

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DAY 5 Sunday 21st October, 2018 more explorations of PARMA with DUCAL PALACE CONCERT and evening OPERA: “ATTILA”

Morning free time to explore more of PARMA at your own pace

NOON - VOCAL CONCERT - IN THE DUCAL PALACE GARDENS with students from the PARMA CONSERVATORY

2:00 GROUP LUNCH at LA GREPPIA

Afternoon – at leisure

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Sunday 21st October (continued)

8:00 – 10:20 OPERA – VERDI’s “ATTILA” at THE TEATRO REGIO

Conducted by GIANLUIGI GELMETTI Stage Director ANDREA DE ROSA Attila RICCARDO ZANELLATO Odabella MARIA JOSÉ SIRI Ezio VLADIMIR STOYANOV

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DAY 6 Monday 22nd October, 2018 explore CREMONA Continue to BRESCIA

 Check out and board our coach for the transfer to the ancient town of CREMONA, the home of Monteverdi, of Ponchielli - and of Stradivarius, the greatest of all violin makers.

 GROUP LUNCH in Cremona at IL VIOLINO

 Guided walking tour of CREMONA

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Monday 22nd October (continued)

Late afternoon – board our Coach to BRESCIA (53 km 45 minutes)

6:00 pm Check into the * * * * Hotel V I T T O R I A for 2 nights

Dinner on your own.

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DAY 7 Tuesday 23rd October, 2018 explore BRESCIA

10:00 am guided walking tour of (ancient Roman) BRESCIA

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Tuesday 23rd October continued

1:00 pm GROUP LUNCH at LA VINERIA Afternoon free.

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DAY 8 Wednesday 24th October, 2018 explore BERGAMO Continue to MILAN

Check out and board our coach for BERGAMO (57 km 1 hour)

Colleoni’s tomb

Donizetti’s tomb

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Wednesday 24th October ( continued)

After LUNCH at DA ORNELLA in old BERGAMO

board our Coach to MILAN (65 km 1 hr 10 minutes)

5:00 pm Check into the * * * * B R U N E L L E S C H I H O T E L for 2 nights

Dinner on your own

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DAY 9 Thursday 25th October, 2018 a day to explore VERDI’s MILAN

VERDI’S TOMB - in the Casa di Riposo per i Musicisti

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Thursday 25th October, 2018 (continued)

Afternoon at leisure and preparation for …

5:30 pm FAREWELL DINNER at MARCHESINO

And then …

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The fabled T E A T R O A L L A S C A L A

Note the six tiers of boxes and galleries at La Scala

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Thursday 24th October (continued)

7:30 OPERA – Verdi’s “ERNANI” at La Scala

Conductor Ádám Fischer Staging Sven-Eric Bechtolf

Ernani Francesco Meli Elvira Ailyn Pérez Don Carlo Simone Piazzola Don Ruy Michele Pertusi

Michele Pertusi

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DAY 10 Friday 26 th October, 2018 a final morning in MILAN then fly home …

Final morning – for independent explorations of Milan – TOUR ENDS

Afternoon – fly home

Suggested (independent) flights

AC 9305 leaves MPX 2:30 pm arrives FRA 3:45 pm

Connecting to AC 877 leaves FRA 5:10 pm arrives YYZ 7:25 pm

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To register, please send your deposit with the booking form (see website) to …

G E O R G E H A R D Y at

Georgia Hardy Tours 20 Eglinton Avenue West # 1 1 0 4 Toronto ON M 4 R 1 K 8

(4 1 6) 4 8 3 7 5 3 3 x 1 2 4

[email protected]

Registration number # 2747543

$ 6, 3 9 5 U S p.p. (sharing) Single supplement $ 1, 0 9 5 US. airfare not included

Tour will go if at least 12 people have enrolled by 16th APRIL 2018. Deposits will be returned if there is insufficient enrolment. 6 Blythwood Gardens Toronto Ontario M4N 3L3 www.opera-is.com (416) 486 8408 [email protected] OPERA-IS

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6 Blythwood Gardens Toronto Ontario M4N 3L3 www.opera-is.com (416) 486 8408 [email protected]