NORTHERN : L A SCALA , L AKE COMO & V ERONA Thursday, June 30th through Saturday, July 9th

Bellagio on Lake Como

“One hundred years after its inaugu ration, the ur annual summer Tour to Northern Festival dell’Arena di is an essential Italy remains among our most popular part of the operatic scene... As for the atmo- offerings and is invariably sold out. For sphere: A kaleidoscope of feelings, impressions 2016, our program at the beginning of and colours that makes the city’s amphitheatre OJuly will encompass two performances the focal point of a mass phenomenon at ’s legendary Teatro alla Scala and unmatched anywhere else in terms of scale, three evenings in the spectacular Verona reper toire and results.” , Nov. ’13 Arena – including Verona’s signature production of Verdi’s . Between these “Lake Como remains a place of consummate two prime operatic destinations, we will enjoy partnership between the beauties of nature Piazza delle erbe, Verona a three-night respite in the idyllic village of and those of humanity… Like so many of Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como . It is Italy’s most beautiful villa gardens, those of Como owe their beauty difficult to imagine a more breathtaking site than the Grand Villa to the landscape architecture of two eras: the Renaissance Italian, Serbelloni, where we will relax without any performances. The with its taste for order, and the 19th-century English, with its magnificent views and the intoxicating charm of the village have fondness for illusions of natural wildness.” evoked unanimous enthusiasm from our travelers over the past Fodor two decades. Our itinerary will begin with two nights in the Lombardian “Verona stands on the banks of the Adige in a setting of cypress capital of Milan , with accommodations at the deluxe Hotel de la covered hills.… It is, after Venice, the finest art center in Venetia.” Ville only a short walk from famed . Our pair of Michelin performances in Italy’s most prestigious theatre will be ’s ‘middle period’ masterwork and “La Scala is closer to a cathedral than an auditorium. Here Verdi ’s beloved Viennese comedy Der Rosen - established his reputation and sang her way into opera kavalier . La Scala’s international casts will feature Italy’s ‘Verdi lore. It looms as a symbol – both for the performer who dreams of ’ Leo Nucci as the Doge Boccanegra opposite soprano singing here and for the opera buff who knows every note.…” Giannattasio as Amelia; and the experienced Strauss Fodor interpreters Sophie Koch, Christian Karg and Günther

27 Groissboeck in ‘Rosenkavalier’. The exceptional conductors will be and Myung-Whun Chung . Continuing to Lake Como for three nights at Bellagio’s Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni , our leisurely schedule includes a full dinner with wine each evening . Our third destination is the Northern Italian city of Verona , which has long been among our most important summer destinations due to the Renaissance beauty of the architecture and the overwhelming experience of the outdoor opera performances in the Roman Arena . Our three-night visit will include a trio of the season’s highlights: Verona’s grandiose staging of Verdi’s Aida ; ’s melodic tragedy Carmen , a pinnacle of French 19th century opera; and yet another of Verdi’s consummate romantic achievements, La La Scala Traviata . Each of these popular will be staged in the Arena’s vast outdoor stage which affords the opportunity of truly a small swimming pool. ( We have chosen spectacular productions. Our choice of the five-star Palazzo the Hotel de la Ville because of its ideal Victoria Hotel is again within walking distance of the Arena. location near La Scala and the city’s major sights and museums.) IMPORTANT: Thursday, June 30th, departure from New York’s KENNEDY There will be a performance on our first Airport at 8:30 pm on Alitalia flight #605, arriving at Milan’s evening. If you wish to arrive a day ahead Leo Nucci Malpensa Airport (NOT Milan’s Linate Airport) at 10:40 am on to adjust to the time change, a limited the morning of July 1st. Or independent travel to Milan. number of rooms are available for the additional night of Thursday, June 30th. You should notify us NOW if you do want MILAN: J ULY 1ST & 2 ND the early night at our hotel. ccommodations for three nights included at the Hotel de Early Friday evening, July 1st, a cocktail la Ville , a superior four-star property centrally located on the reception is planned in a private enter - APiazza Fontana only a short walk from La Scala and the tainment area of the hotel. This will be an Carmen Giannattasio exclusive shops of the via Montenapoleone. The stunning Gothic opportunity to meet other members of spires of the Duomo are viewed from the hotel’s higher floors, the Tour. and dining facilities include the Visconteo Bar and a Friday evening at 8:00 pm, our first fashionable restaurant appropriately named L’Opera . The performance at La Scala will be Giu- premises also offer a fitness club and solarium roof terrace with seppe Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra . As the complex Doge, the veteran ‘Verdi baritone’ Leo Nucci has made the title role his own throughout his native Italy and in Zürich and Vienna. The cast will also include the gifted young Italian Dmitri Beloselskiy soprano Carmen Giannattasio as Bocca negra’s daughter Amelia Grimaldi, Russian bass Dmitri Beloselskiy as Fiesco, and Italian tenor Giorgio Ber - Leonardo’s rugi as Gabriele Adorno. The conductor The Last is Myung-Whun Chung , and the staging Supper is by director Federico Tiezzi and set designer Pier Paolo Bisleri . Set against the backdrop of 14th century , the Myung-Wun Chung revised 1881 version contains a sequence of Verdi’s consummate scenes, especially the extended ‘father- daughter’ duet (as Amelia and Boccanegra discover their true relationship) and the magnificent Council Chamber ensemble with the Doge confronting Paolo. Today ‘Boccanegra’ is widely recognized as one of Verdi’s finest achievements. Sung in Italian with English titles. Saturday morning, July 2nd, a short transfer will take us to the church and former Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie , which houses Leonardo da Vinci’s famous masterpiece of The Last Supper , finished in 1498 . Now completely restored, retouched, and free of the shroud of scaffolding, the painting is viewed in the attached refectory, called the Cenacolo . Milan, Duomo marketplace 28 gardens and dramatic mountains bordering Lake Como , the most beautiful of the romantic Italian lakes. The scenery is magnificent around the village of Bellagio, the “Pearl of the Lake”, which enjoys a unique promontory site on the northern shore. The bedrooms are richly furnished in Italianate style, and the dining room is renowned for its imaginative cuisine. There is a large outdoor swimming pool adjacent to the lake shore. Sunday evening, July 3rd, we will enjoy a leisurely dinner at the Sophie Koch Christiane Karg Günther Groissboeck Villa Serbelloni. The view from the terrace overlooking Lake Como and the mountains has been immortalized by such writers (Entry is by appointment only and must be as E. M. Forster, Henry James and Edith Wharton. made months in advance.) Sunday afternoon and all-day Monday and Tuesday are left free During your free time in Milan, you may for relaxing by the Lake and enjoying the shops and sights want to visit one of the city’s priceless art around Bellagio. Just beyond the village lie the extensive Villa museums. The intimate Poldi Pezzoli Melzi gardens for which Bellagio is renowned, offering an Museum of Renaissance masters and the inviting afternoon stroll; and the Palladian Villa Carlotta is easily Brera Gallery of Old Masters are both of accessible by ferry or motor taxi across the lake. There are Zubin Mehta major importance, and La Scala’s Museum many shops in the center of Bellagio and a variety of cafés on the traces the operatic history of Europe’s most lakeshore for a relaxing cappuccino or gelato. (In previous years, famous theatre. The flamboyantly decorative Gothic Duomo our opera schedules have often limited our Bellagio visits to only (Cathedral) and picturesque Galleria of shops and cafés are also two nights. As our travelers have consistently urged us to stay within easy walking distance of our hotel. Italy’s most longer in this beautiful setting, this year’s schedule allows us to fashionable designer boutiques and upscale leather stores are remain for a third night.) only a few blocks away. Dinner is again included at the hotel on our national holiday, At 7:00 pm on Saturday (early curtain), we will return to La July 4th, and Tuesday the 5th. Scala for a performance of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosen - kavalier . The exuberant score evocatively captures the ambience of librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s human comedy, VERONA: J ULY 6TH –8TH set in Vienna in the mid-18th century during the reign of n Wednesday, July 6th, a several-hour bus ride across the Empress Maria Theresa. The Marschallin’s Act I ‘Monologue’, picturesque landscape of Northern Italy will bring us to the soaring lyricism of the Act II ‘Presentation of the Rose’, and O Verona to experience what is probably the world’s grandest the heart-breaking Final Trio in which the Marschallin gracefully opera productions. relinquishes her Cavalier are among the supreme achieve - Our accommodations for three nights with buffet breakfast ments of the entire Strauss/ - are at the deluxe Palazzo Victoria Hotel , which enjoys a perfect von Hof mannst hal partners - location in the heart of the old city within easy walking distance hip. A brilliant cast is headed of the Arena, the Castello Museum and the Piazza delle Erbe. by French mezzo-soprano The Victoria is fully air-conditioned, and the rooms are spacious Sophie Koch offering her and peaceful, reflecting the quiet residential district. We are ‘trouser’ por trayal of Octav - gratified to note that the Victoria has now added its own ian, German soprano Chris - restaurant, thereby achieving an enviable 5-Star designation. tiane Karg as Sophie, and There are also many ‘trattorias’ and cafés between the hotel and German bass Günther the Arena. Groiss boeck as Baron Ochs. This charming town rose to prominence during the Renaissance (The role of the Marschallin and is a walker’s paradise. Of particular appeal during our free has not yet been announced.) time are the Piazza delle Erbe (the central square with its The conductor is Zubin colorful herb market); the 12th century Romanesque Duomo Mehta , and the production is directed by Berlin’s Harry Kupfer with sets designed by Hans Schavenoch . Sung in Bellagio street German with English titles.

LAKE COMO: JULY 3RD –5TH ate Sunday morning, July 3rd, our bus transfer of about an hour and a half will take us north of Milan to the village of L Bellagio. Accommodations for three nights with a generous buffet breakfast included at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio . This sumptuous hotel is surrounded by luxurious La Scala Opera House, Milan 29 (Cathedral); the 14th-century Our performance on Thurs day House of the Capulets in the Arena (9:00 pm) will be (Verona was the historical Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida , prem - home of Romeo and Juliet); iered in Cairo in 1871. Opera and the Old Castle and enthusiasts travel from all over Bridge across the picturesque the world to encoun ter ‘Aida’ in Adige River (the Castello Verona, the Arena’s signature Museum contains an intrigu- production. More than any ing collec tion of Italian paint ing other work, the scope of Verdi’s and sculpture in beau tifully most popular opera and the desig ned modern gal leries backdrop of Ancient Egypt over looking the Adige). during the Pharaohs’ reign have consist ently inspired Verona’s Wednesday evening, July 6th, a direct ors and designers to short walk from the hotel will create an unforgettable exper- bring us to the , Aida in the Verona Arena ience of ‘grand opera’. a vast Amphitheater which ranks as the third largest in the world. To share an opera with Friday evening, July 8th, a pre-opera dinner of Veronese dishes 20,000 enthusiastic Italians is an unforgettable experience! The will be served at Il Torcolo , one of the atmospheric trattorias performances begin after dark and conclude in the early which line the streets in the neighborhood of the Arena. Il morning in a truly festive spirit. The productions emphasize Torcolo’s homemade lasagna has proven to be a favorite dish for expansive staging on the tiers of steps and platforms of the our former travelers. Arena, usually accompanied by the biggest names in opera to Our final opera at 9:00 pm on Friday evening will be Verdi’s fill the huge demands of the environment. The arena is also poignant tragedy, La Traviata . The earliest of the three Verdi renowned for its perfect acoustics, which enable pianissimo works on our Tour, ‘Traviata’ is a richly melodic work capturing phrases to reach all sections of the orchestra (where we will be the Parisian ‘demi-mondain’ decadence of Alexandre Dumas’ seated in the ‘poltronissime’ premium locations ) and sur - iconic 19th century French novel, ‘La Dame aus Camélias’. The rounding ‘bleachers’. In recent years we have heard Sondra score resonates with familiar arias, duets and ensembles, and the Radvanovsky, Maria Guleghina, Deborah Voigt, Daniella Dessì, title role of Violetta is one of the supreme challenges of the , Alexandra Kurzak, Dolora Zajick, Placido soprano repertoire. Domingo, , Fabio Armiliato, Leo Nucci, Renato Bruson, Carlos Alvarez, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, and Paate Saturday, July 9th, departure from Verona’s airport at 12:05 pm Burchuladze in leading roles. on Alitalia flight #1492, arriving at ’s Fiumicino Airport at 1:10 pm. This connects with Alitalia #610, departing Rome at 2:45 Our performance on Wednesday at 9:00 pm will be Georges pm and arriving at New York’s Kennedy Airport at 6:20 pm. Or Bizet’s Carmen . The colorful Spanish milieu of Seville is the independent departure. catalyst for Verona’s gripping production of the tragedy taken from Prosper Mérimée’s original novella of the seductive gypsy, her ardent and obsessed lover Don José, and the swaggering Toreador Northern Italy Escamillo. (All Verona casts will be announced at a later date.) Price per person, based on double occupancy $ 6,900 Thursday morning, July 7th, an introductory walking tour will Single room supplement $ 1,480* familiarize you with the major Renaissance piazzas and monuments of Verona. The afternoon is left free to shop along *We apologize for the high single supplement at our deluxe hotels. the Corso, visit museums, and stroll through the many charming However, single travelers will be accommodated in comfortable side streets which characterize Verona. (You will also be grateful ‘double rooms for single occupancy’. NOT included in our price are for any free time in Verona to rest, because of the very late opera the new Italian city taxes, which you should expect to pay when performances which begin after dusk at 9:00 pm. Bedtime is usually departing the hotels. These small taxes are 5 euros in Milan, 2 between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m.) euros in Bellagio, and 3 euros in Verona (per person per night). PLEASE NOTE: In Bellagio, the first 8 double rooms will be ‘deluxe rooms with Lake View’. The hotel’s singles are ‘classic rooms with garden view’, but upgrades may be available on request at a significantly higher rate. Airfare NOT included. Airfare: Prices are subject to change depending on time of booking. Please contact our agent Linda Botros (back cover) for lowest current fares. You should expect to walk four or five blocks to participate in this Tour, as it is impossible for a bus to reach some of our destinations any closer. Vehicles are not allowed in the inner city of Verona or Bellagio.

Verona on the Adige River 30