GREAT MUSICAL CITIES , VIENNA &

APRIL 16-30, 2018 TOUR LEADER: LINDY MONTGOMERY

GREAT MUSICAL CITIES Overview PRAGUE, VIENNA & BUDAPEST Enjoy orchestral music and of the highest quality in Central Tour dates: April 16-30, 2018 Europe’s most celebrated music venues. Learn about the rich musical traditions of Austria, and the with in-depth background lectures on the music you will hear in live performance. Tour leader: Lindy Montgomery

This 15-day tour visits three of the great music capitals of Central Europe: Tour Price: $9,440 per person, twin share Vienna, Prague and Budapest. As well as attending a series of fine performances, this musical pilgrimage takes you to the places where Single Supplement: $1,950 for sole use of some of the great composers lived and worked. In Budapest, there are double room museums dedicated to Liszt and Bartók, and in Vienna an astonishing number of sites associated with Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. We Booking deposit: $500 per person will also visit two beautifully preserved baroque theatres, one in Český Krumlov and the other the celebrated Estates Theatre in Prague. Recommended airline: Emirates Centrally located four and five star hotels, many meals, tipping and best- Maximum places: 20 available tickets to performances are all included. Walking tours and museum visits with an emphasis on music round out the program. Pre- Itinerary: Prague (4 nights), České Budějovice performance talks enhance your understanding and enjoyment. (1 night), Vienna (5 nights), Budapest (4 nights) Music educator Lindy Montgomery will provide expert commentary on various composers and musical life and the 18th, 19th and early 20th Date published: August 18, 2017 century Austro-Hungarian world. Local guides will provide additional information on specific sites.

Your tour leader

Lindy Montgomery is a graduate of both the University of Sydney and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she taught in the Musicology Department for thirteen years.

Lindy possesses a fine soprano voice and has featured as a soloist with ensembles such as the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera and Sydney Chamber Choir.

She has travelled widely in Europe and North America and has led an Academy Travel music tour to Germany

Enquiries and “Lindy is a superb tour leader and very knowledgeable.” bookings Feedback from tour participants on Lindy Montgomery’s most recent tour For further information and to with Academy Travel – Montreal to New York Music, April 2017 secure a place on this tour please contact Frederick Steyn at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email [email protected] .au

Performance program

Nine performances of opera, orchestral music, chamber music and ballet are included, in some of Central Europe’s most celebrated music venues.

In Prague

 A concert by the Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jac van Steen, featuring pianist Lukas Vondracek, performing works by Prokofjev and Rachmaninov  Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at the historic Estates Theatre  Sir Frederick Ashton’s highly acclaimed ballet The Wayward Daughter

In Vienna Above: Andris Nelsons conducts the Gewandhausorchestra

 The spectacular Vienna State Opera productions of Beethoven’s Fidelio and Verdi’s masterpiece Aida  A concert by the acclaimed Gewandhausorchester Leipzig with pianist Yefim Bronfman, under the musical leadership of Andris Nelsons  A piano recital by Piotr Anderszweski performing works by Mozart and Chopin

In Budapest

 Verdi’s, opulent opera Un Ballo in Maschera at the Erkel Theatre  Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Jukka-Pekka Sarastre

Above: the main entrance of the Vienna State Opera

Above: Estates Theatre, Prague Above: Fidelio at the Vienna State Opera

Detailed itinerary

Included meals are shown with the letters B, L and D.

Monday April 16 Arrive Prague Upon arrival in Prague, make your way to the hotel in the city centre and check-in. If you have booked your air travel through Academy Travel we will organise a transfer from the airport to our hotel. Please note that hotel rooms may not be available until early afternoon. Meet your tour leader Lindy Montgomery for early evening drinks and canapés in the hotel. Overnight Prague (D) Above: Charles Bridge, Prague Tuesday April 17 – Le Nozze di Figaro Below: the extraordinary Astronomical Clock, Prague; the breathtaking vaulted ceiling of Vladislav Hall OLD town Prague The bohemian city of Prague, with its skyline of gothic spires and narrow cobbled streets, is one of Europe’s best-preserved cities. After a talk on this evening’s performance, we take a guided tour to explore the labyrinth of medieval cobbled stone streets of the Old Town including the Municipal House, the finest example of Art Nouveau architecture in Prague, with its fine concert hall named in honour of Smetana. We have a welcome lunch at a local restaurant, then the afternoon is at leisure. This evening we see Mozart’s opera buffa (comic opera) Le nozze di Figaro at the Estates Theatre. Overnight Prague (B, L)

Performance details Venue: Estates Theatre Program: Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro Performers: To be announced

Wednesday April 18 – Prague Symphony Orchestra Castle District This morning we drive to the medieval Castle District, or Hradcany, where we commence our walking tour at the Strahov Monastery with its two famous libraries. We visit St Vitus’ Cathedral, a masterpiece of gothic architecture which was only completed in 1929. Vladislav Hall, with its breathtaking vaulted ceiling, was used for banquets, receptions and even jousting tournaments. After a break for lunch we stroll Nerudova Street, certainly one of Prague´s most picturesque streets filled with interesting house signs to Little Town/Mala Strana. There we find St. Nicholas Church, where Mozart´s Requiem was performed shortly after his death and Beethoven Palace where he lived during his first stay in Prague. We return to Prague with time to refresh before for this evening’s concert by the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Overnight Prague (B)

Performance details Venue: Smetana Hall Program: works by Prokofjev and Rachmaninov Performers: Prague Symphony Orchestra, Jac van Steen (conductor), Lukas Vondracek (piano) Thursday April 19 – The Wayward Daughter

Prague’s rococo and art nouveau The Municipal House, completed in 1911, is perhaps the finest example of Art Nouveau architecture in Prague. Our guided tour takes us through the meeting rooms and exhibition halls culminating in the fine concert hall named in honour of Smetana. The beautiful rococo Estates Theatre was where the premieres of Mozart’s and took place in 1787 and 1791 respectively. It is one of the oldest European theatres operating continuously since 1783. Tonight we see Sir Frederick Ashton’s highly acclaimed ballet. Overnight Prague (B)

Performance details Venue: National Theatre Program: The Wayward Daughter, ballet Performers: To be announced

Friday April 20 eský Krumlov This morning we depart Prague and visit Český Krumlov en- Č route to České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia. Český Krumlov is a picturesque old town and a UNESCO World Heritage site with over three hundred protected medieval buildings arranged in a lovely setting of rolling hills and winding river. We take a guided walking tour of the old town and the impressive castle complex. The highlight of our visit is the superbly preserved baroque theatre. After a break for lunch, we continue on to České Budějovice to check-in to the hotel and take a stroll through the town before dinner. Overnight České Budějovice (B, D)

Saturday April 21 To Vienna Mid-morning, we travel by coach to Vienna, arriving early afternoon. After checking in to the hotel we take a short orientation walk and have dinner together at a local restaurant. Overnight Vienna (B, D)

Sunday April 22 - Gewandhausorchestra Leipzig Vienna’s musical heritage Vienna is a city with an impressive musical legacy. Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Mahler are among the celebrated composers who lived and worked here. Today, our guided tour starts at Pasqualati House, where Beethoven lived on different occasions over a period of about eight years. Several of his most important works were composed here, including the Seventh Symphony. We continue on to the outskirts of the city where Franz Schubert was born. The modest apartment presents an impressive account of his musical development, his circle of friends and the stages of his short life. From here we drive to the village of Heiligenstadt

Images right: the Municipal House in Prague; view of Cesky Krumlov; conductor Jac van Steen leads the Prague Symphony Orchestra where the young Beethoven wrote the so-called ‘Heiligenstadt Testament’ in which he admits his despair at his growing deafness. Finally, we visit Grinzing cemetery where is buried next to his favourite daughter Maria, who died when she was just four years old. We return to Vienna with time to rest before our concert by the Gewandhausorchestra Leipzig with American-Israeli pianist Yefim Bronfman, under the musical leadership of Andris Nelsons. Overnight Vienna (B)

Performance details Venue: Musikverein Program: works by Beethoven and Brahms Performers: Gewandhausorchestra Leipzig, Andris Nelsons (conductor), Yefim Bronfman (piano)

Monday April 23 – Piano recital Vienna’s musical heritage This morning we continue our exploration of Vienna’s musical heritage, starting with St Stephen’s Cathedral where Mozart’s funeral was held. We stroll through the old city to ‘Figarohaus’, where Mozart composed Le nozze di Figaro at the height of his success in the mid-. The afternoon is at leisure for independent exploration of the city prior to this evening’s piano recital by Piotr Anderszewski. Overnight Vienna (B)

Performance details Venue: Konzerthaus Program: works by Mozart and Chopin Performers: Piotr Anderszweski (piano)

Tuesday April 24 - Fidelio Vienna woods Today we drive to the Vienna Woods, first visiting the monastery at Heiligenkreuz, the oldest continuously occupied Cistercian monastery in the world. We continue on to the imperial hunting lodge at Mayerling where the tragic murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf and his lover Baroness Marie Vetsera took place in 1889. We return to Vienna via the lovely spa town of Baden. Beethoven often spent his summers here and in the nearby wine-villages and he completed his great Ninth Symphony here. The evening we see Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, an ode to freedom, justice, and the human spirit. Overnight Vienna (B)

Performance details Venue: State Opera Vienna Program: Beethoven’s, Fidelio Performers: Adam Fischer (conductor), Adam Fischer (Don Pizarro), Peter Seiffert (Florestan), Ricarda Merbeth (Leonore)

Wednesday April 25 - Aida Art in Vienna After a talk on this evening’s performance, we head to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, brimming with works by Europe’s finest painters, sculptors and artisans. Occupying a neoclassical building as sumptuous as the art it contains, the museum takes

Images left: the dazzling Musikverein, Vienna; pianist Piotr Anderszweski; Caravaggio’s Madonna of the Rosary, 1607, at the Kunsthistorisches Museum you on a time-travel treasure hunt from Classical Rome to Egypt and the Renaissance. You will see Roger van der Weyden's Crucifixion triptych, a Memling altarpiece, and Jan van Eyck's portrait of Cardinal Albergati. The picture gallery has 16th- and 17th-century works by German, Dutch, Flemish, and Italian greats. Among them, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Van Dyck, and Dürer. The evening we return to the State Opera to experience Verdi’s Egyptian epic, Aida. Overnight Vienna (B, D)

Performance details Venue: State Opera Vienna Program: Verdi’s, Aida Performers: Jesús López Cobos (conductor), Anita Rachvelishvili (Amneris), Kristin Lewis (Aida), Jorge de Leon (Radames), Paolo Rumetz (Amonasro)

Thursday April 26 Bratislava Departing Vienna, we drive to Budapest via Bratislava, a former capital of Hungary but now capital of Slovakia. On arrival, we have a walking tour of the delightful old town, passing the historic Opera House and St Martin’s Cathedral to St Michael’s Gate. Along the way, we keep our eyes peeled for amusing street sculptures of which there are many. The afternoon we continue on to Budapest where we have dinner together. Overnight Budapest (B, D)

Friday April 27 - un Ballo in Maschera Exploring Pest The great city of Budapest is divided in two by the mighty Danube River. The former city of Buda towers above the river on the right bank, and the former city of Pest sprawls across the wide flat left bank. This morning we have a guided tour of Pest, then visit the old Academy of Music which contains a reconstruction of Liszt’s last Budapest apartment, now the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum, complete with original instruments and memorabilia. We then drive to the great Parliament Building facing the Danube where we have a guided visit of the spectacular interior. The evening we head to the Erkel Theatre to see Un Ballo in Maschera. Verdi’s music in this opera is arguably his most sophisticated and subtle composition, marrying the opulence of French grand opera with innovative developments in Italian opera. Overnight Budapest (B)

Performance details Venue: Erkel Theatre Program: Verdi’s, Un Ballo in Maschera Performers: Massimo Zanetti (conductor), Attila Fekete (Riccardo), Alexandru Agache (Renato), Eszter Sümegi (Amelia)

Saturday April 28 Gödöllö Castle Today we make the short journey to the Gödöllő Royal Palace, the largest baroque manor house in Hungary. It was designed

Images right: Verdi’s, Aida at the State Opera Vienna; sculpture in Bratislava; Parliament Building in Budapest by Antal Mayerhoffer for Count Antal Grassalkovich (1694– 1771), confidante of Empress Maria Theresa, and completed in the 1760s. It was enlarged as a summer retreat for and gifted to Emperor Franz Joseph in the 1870s and soon became the favoured residence of his consort, the much-loved Habsburg empress and Hungarian queen Elizabeth (1837–98), affectionately known as Sisi. We have a guided tour of the magnificent interior of the castle with time to explore the castle grounds or simply relax in the café. Returning to Budapest in the afternoon, the rest of the day and evening are at leisure. Overnight Budapest (B)

Sunday April 29 - Budapest Festival Orchestra Exploring Buda This morning we concentrate on the Buda side, first travelling up Gellert Hill by coach for spectacular views over the Danube, its bridges and the Pest side of the city. We then visit the Bartók Museum – the composer’s former home, and later stroll through the old streets and lanes of Buda around Fisherman’s Bastion and the . After a farewell lunch at a local restaurant, we return to the hotel via the Castle Hill funicular and walk across the famous Chain Bridge which was the first bridge to join Buda with Pest. Our finale performance is a concert by the splendid Budapest Festival Orchestra of Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 8, the last symphony the composer completed. Overnight Budapest (B, L)

Performance details Venue: Müpa Budapest Program: Anton Bruckner Symphony no. 8 in c minor Performers: Budapest Festival Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Sarastre (conductor)

Monday April 30 Departure The tour ends today after breakfast. There is a transfer to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport timed to coincide with departing flights. (B)

Hotels Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All properties are excellent four and five-star hotels, mostly in renovated historic buildings.  Prague, Art Deco Imperial Hotel (4 nights) www.hotel-imperial.cz  České Budějovice, Hotel Budweis (1 nights) www.hotelbudweis.cz  Vienna, Hotel Intercontinental (5 nights) www.vienna.intercontinental.com  Budapest, Hotel Sofitel Chain Bridge (4 nights) www.accorhotels.com/gb/

Images right: the striking Müpa Budapest; Budapest Festival Orchestra; Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest

Tour Price Fitness Requirements

The tour price is $9,440 per person, twin share (land content of THIS tour only). The supplement for a single room is $1,950 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is GRADE TWO required to secure a place on the tour. It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this Final program and tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a second deposit star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature In October 2017, an updated itinerary with most performance extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater details will be published. At this stage we will send you a fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider second invoice for $1,500 to cover the cost of tickets. If you your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. are not satisfied with the range and quality of performances Participation criteria for this tour in the final itinerary, you can withdraw from the tour within 14 This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active days of receiving the final version and receive a full refund of lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of your deposit. physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing Tour Inclusions stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or Included in the tour price several internal flights.  Best available tickets to the performances listed You should be able to:  All accommodation in selected five- and four-star hotels  keep up with the group at all times  Breakfasts daily, plus lunches and dinners as noted in  walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only the itinerary short breaks  Land travel by air-conditioned coach  stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and  Extensive tour notes museums  Background talks  tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold,  Services of an Australian tour leader throughout tour humidity and heat  All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary  walk up and down slopes  Qualified local guides where appropriate  negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,  Tips for all services included in the itinerary which are often uneven and unstable  get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or Not included boat unassisted, possibly with luggage  International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below)  move your luggage a short distance if required  Travel insurance A note for older travellers  Meals not mentioned in itinerary  Expenses of a personal nature If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the Air travel OPTIONS full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your we recommend Emirates which offers flights into Prague and situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. out of Budapest from most Australian cities. Please contact While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the us for further information on competitive Economy, Business physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are included for all passengers booking their flights through are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers. we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition. Enquiries & bookings Weather on Tour For further information and to secure a place on this tour April is a pleasant time to travel in Central Europe with please contact Frederick Steyn at Academy Travel on temperatures ranging on average from 18°C to the low 20s, 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email dropping to 5°C -10°C at night. However you should pack for [email protected] a few days which are cooler. than this, as well as a few warmer ones.