Concerts, walks and excursions over Christmas
- Handel’s Messiah with the New York Philharmonic, Ton Koopman, Andreas Scholl, Jörg Dürmüller.
- At the Met: The Magic Flute with Nicole Cabell (Cardiff Singer of the World 2005), La Bohème with Ramón Vargas and Thaïs with Renée Fleming, Michael Schade and Thomas Hampson.
- The New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall with conductor Jaime Laredo.
- Talks on the music by Daniel Snowman and a programme of walks and excursions, some led by local experts.
Please note that the opera tickets cannot be confirmed until August 2008.
NEW YORK’S CAPACITY TO attract the stars in all of the performing arts is possibly unrivalled. The cast lists of the intended programme of music over Christmas certainly reflect this. The Metropolitan Opera, known throughout the opera world simply as the Met, plans its performances around a supply of the world’s leading singers that no other institution of similar stature can equal; and if to Europeans the repertory at times seems cautiously chosen, the level of casting almost always offers huge rewards.
Instrumentally, it’s a similar story, and our tour includes a New York Philharmonic production of Handel’s Messiah with Andreas Scholl and Jörg Dürmüller and a concert with the New York String Orchestra performing at Carnegie Hall.
But music is unlikely to be the only star of the week with one of the most extraordinary, unique cities in the world as ‘backdrop’. Nothing can prepare the first-timer for the awesome impact of its towers, so varied and beautiful, its breathtaking cityscape contrasting with the village-like atmosphere of many of its districts. But perhaps the most remarkable feature of New York – although it would be more precise to say Manhattan – is its undying vitality, allied to its ability for regeneration. New York has never been other than a global leader of fashion and style, a crucible for the contemporary and home to some of the most outstanding museums and art collections in the world. The danger in writing about it is an excessive use of superlatives.
As with all of our music tours, there will be a gentle programme of optional walks and excursions, with care being taken not to tax participants’ energies at the expense of the music. The lecturer will give talks on the operas and concerts, and will be happy to accompany participants to the places and museums visited.