The S ALZBURG FESTIVAL Three Operas; Vienna Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra Wednesday, August 24th through Thursday, September 1st Schloss Fuschl “One thing is certain: the musical he Salzburg Festival rre - standards at the Salzburg Festival mains the most prestigious are stratospheric… Great conductors and expensive of all summer and tip-top orchestras in the pit, festivals, renowned for its T high level of artistic achieve - including the Vienna Phil har - monic , and you are in heaven.” ment and its elite atmosphere of Opera News European style. We are gratified that our 2016 Tour will encompass a full Cecilia Bartoli: “Com munication week (seven nights) in this charm - remains her great strength. She com - ing town and a varied and balanced pels one to believe in her; her enthusi - program of six unusual perfor - asm is overwhelming.” mances . Our exciting offerings will Opera News include four major vocal perfor - mances (two staged operas; one Pyotr Beczala: “The Polish tenor’s Salzburg concert opera; Bernstein’s West Side high notes are a source of joy – radi - Story) and two orchestral con - ant, effortless, and well-supported.” certs . Every music aficionado is well aware that Salzburg’s San Francisco Chronicle August performances and leading hotels are already sold out months in advance. All of our tickets have been confirmed. “Gustavo Dudamel is defined by his untiring advocacy of access to music for all. As a symphonic and operatic conductor, his music Last summer’s new staging of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro was making on four continents continues to inspire audiences of all ages.” received with unanimous acclaim and will return with an excep - L.A. Philharmonic tional ensemble cast. Our second opera will be a new production of Charles Gounod’s 19th century French landmark, Faust , starring Joyce DiDonato: “Bel canto of this quality has not been heard at Maria Agresta , Piotr Beczala , and Ildar Abdrazakov . The third Covent Garden for more than a generation… Her name should rank operatic evening will be a concert performance of Otto Nicolai’s in the operatic pantheon alongside the greatest legends of the past.” 18th century rarity, Il Templario , a romantic version of Sir Walter The Telegraph Scott’s novel Ivanhoe, featuring Juan Diego Florez and Joyce DiDonato in the leading roles. Fourth, Leonard Bernstein’s Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez , beloved of opera audiences American classic, West Side Story , promises to be the hottest for his command of the high registers…” The Guardian ticket of the Festival, with the Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel conducting and Cecilia Bartoli assuming the role of Maria. 27 Our first morning on Friday, August 26th, is left free for you to adjust to the time change before this evening’s opera. There will be ample free time during our week to explore the two neighborhoods of Maria Agresta Piotr Beczala Ildar Abdrazakov Salzburg on either side of the Salzach River. The quaint Old Town , with several Mozart Large Festival Museums and many cafes and shops, is best appreciated on foot Hall during the crowded Festival weeks. Late Friday afternoon, we will indulge in the Austrian tradition of Our pair of included orchestral concerts will be the Royal coffee and cake at the Café Fingerlos on nearby Franz Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam under the baton of Josefstrasse. Only a short walk from the Pitter, the Fingerlos Daniele Gatti , in a mostly-French program of works by Saint- offers “the best sweets and cakes in town” (Rainer Hochhauser, Saëns (his Cello Concerto, with soloist Sol Gabetta ), Debussy, our local guide and longtime friend). Dutilleux and Stravinsky; and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in an all-Beethoven evening with Andras Schiff as At 7:00 pm on Friday, we look forward to the new production of the piano soloist. Charles Gounod’s Faust in the Grosses Festspielhaus (Large Festival Hall) . Long admired as one of the world’s masterful With upgraded and renovated accommodations (see para - operas, Gounod’s setting of Goethe’s German classic is filled graph below ) at the classic traditional Pitter Hotel (now a mem - with familiar arias, duets and choral ensembles. The final trio of ber of the Crowne Plaza chain), we have planned an incompara - Margeurite’s redemption and Faust’s capitulation to ble week of music and sightseeing in the foothills of the Alps and Mephistopheles’ bargain for his soul is vintage French opera at tranquil Salzkam mergut Lakes. Old and new friends should its best and never fails to ignite the audience. Salzburg’s cast will respond immediately to avoid disappointment. offer Italian soprano Maria Agresta as Margeurite, the MET’s Polish tenor Piotr Beczala reprising his stylish portrayal of Wednesday, August 24th, departure from Faust, the seductive Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov as New York’s Kennedy Airport at 5:40 pm on Mephistopheles, Russian baritone Alexei Markov as Valentin, Austrian Airlines flight #88, arriving in and Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught in the ‘trouser’ role of Vienna at 8:20 am on the morning of the Siebel. Alejo Pérez is the conductor, and Reinhard von der 25th, This connects with Austrian Airlines Thannen is responsible for both the direction and the scenic #917, departing Vienna at 10:00 am and designs. Sung in French with English and German titles. arriving in Salzburg at 10:50 am. Or indepen - dent travel to Salzburg. Both of our performances on Saturday and Sunday will be at 3:00 pm. On Saturday, August 27th, we will return to the Large Our accommodations in Salzburg are for Joyce DiDonato Festival Hall for the 3:00 pm concert performance of Otto seven nights (with a generous buffet Nicolai’s opera, Il Templario (‘The Knight Templar) . breakfast) at ‘The Pitter’ – a traditional Premiered in 1840 in Turino, this rarity by the composer of ‘The Salzburg hotel centrally located near the Merry Wives of Windsor’ is based on Sir Walter Scott’s most Mirabel Gardens and a short walk from the popular novel, ‘Ivanhoe’. “What is most impressive in musical Mozarteum. The Pitter retains the classic terms is the mastery with which Nicolai explores the expressive Austrian atmosphere that attracts local resi - potential of melody, attesting to his admiration for Vincenzo dents to its several well-known dining areas. Bellini.” (Salzburg Festival). The conductor of the Vienna Both the Rainerstube Keller and the Philharmonic will be Andres Orozco-Estrada , and the sensa - gourmet Imlauer Restaurant serve tional cast will feature ‘bel canto’ specialists Juan Diego Florez regional menus before and after the Festival Juan Diego Florez as Ivanhoe opposite Joyce DiDonato as Rebecca. Sung in performances, and the Plaza Bar is a popular gathering spot for Italian with English and German titles. international visitors. Our twin/double rooms are upgraded to spacious Junior Suites , and our single rooms are upgraded to At 3:00 pm on Sunday, double rooms for single occupancy . Following a major renova - August 28th, our per - tion, the Pitter has recently reopened with important on-site formance of Le Nozze improvements and services. The top floor now offers the Sky di Figaro will be in Restaurant Imlauer for breakfast with a beautiful view over the Haus für Moz - Salzburg, and a fitness, sauna and relaxation area. (IMPOR - art . Salzburg remains TANT: Any additional nights prior to the Tour are on request only.) committed to the major Mozart master - Thursday, August 25th, dinner is planned in the friendly, infor - works, and this revival mal atmosphere of the Stiegelbrau Restaurant nearby the of last year’s new stag - hotel. This will provide an opportunity to meet other members of Lobby of the renovated the Tour. No performance this evening. Pitter Hotel 28 ing will offer an exemplary cast to delineate On Tuesday, the characters of Lorenzo da Ponte’s icono - Aug ust 30th, an clastic 18th century libretto: Czech early pre-con - bass/baritone Adam Plachetka and cert dinner of Austrian soprano Anna Prohaska as typical Austrian Figaro and his betrothed Susanna; Italian dishes will be baritone Luca Pisaroni and German served at the soprano Anett Fritsch as the Count and popular Peters - Daniele Gatti Countess Almaviva; and Russian mezzo- keller in the soprano Margarita Gritskova as Cheru - Baroque square bino. The conductor is Dan Ettin ger , and adjacent to the the production is directed by Sven-Eric Festival venues. Bechtolf with sets designed by Alex Eales . Sung in Italian with English and At 8:30 pm on German titles. Tuesday, we will Riding School; enjoy a con cert Cecilia Bartoli Midday on Monday, August 29th, an excur - by the Royal Concer tge bouw Orch - sion will take us to Schloss Fuschl for a estra Ams ter dam in the Large Festival Gustavo Dudamel gourmet lunch . Situated on the tranquil Hall . Maestro Daniele Gatti will be on shores of Lake Fuschl, the renowned the podium for this acclaimed ensemble’s Schloss is a sanctuary for visitors to Salzburg who have discov - varied program of mostly French works. ered the exceptional cuisine and spectacular setting. Schloss Following Claude Debussy’s Jeux, poème dansé and Henri Fuschl marks the beginning of the popular Salzkammergut resort Dutilleux’ Métaboles pour grand orchestra, the charismatic area and commands the most beautiful view of the entire region. Argentine cellist will be the soloist for Camille Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1. The concert will end with Igor Stravinsky’s virtu - Monday eve - oso Petruschka Ballet Suite. ning, we are among the for - On Wednesday, August 30th, our final event will be a 7:00 pm tunate ticket concert in the Large Festival Hall by Europe’s oldest Leipzig holders for the Gewandhaus Orchestra . This culminating program will be all- 7:30 pm perfor - Beethoven , combining the challenging Piano Concerto No.