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Opera in Vienna - S. Strauss, J. Strauss, Rossini, Wagner
6
days
from
US$5,500
Book today with a deposit from
US$825
30th March 2027 - 4th April 2027
Tour highlights
- Four operas – Salome (R. Strauss), Die Fledermaus (J. Strauss), Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) and Parsifal (Wagner).
- Productions of the highest quality at the Staatsoper and Volksoper.
- Heritage hotel conveniently located near the Staatsoper.
Vienna’s place as one of the world’s musical capitals needs no introduction. Suffice to say that it has been home to perhaps more great composers than any other city. Its major musical institutions are part of a wider and very rich cultural fabric, and our tour puts a special focus on Vienna’s operatic life.
If there is one quintessential Viennese operatic work, it’s Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, premiered in the city in 1874. Boasting a waltz-infused score as intoxicating as the champagne drunk by the society it lampoons, it is a fixture of the Volksoper — the ‘people’s opera’, located a little way out from Vienna’s grand centre but nevertheless an integral part of the city’s operatic life.
The other three works take us to the Staatsoper, in the very heart of the city and one of the high temples of international opera. Each of these operas count among their composers’ outstanding masterpieces. Salome marked Richard Strauss’s operatic breakthrough in 1905 and remains one of the most alluring of all expressionist operas. It packs a compact punch, unlike the slowly unfolding Parsifal, Wagner’s final music drama (1883), which casts a unique hypnotic spell. Counterbalancing with some more comedy, we also see Rossini’s frothy Il barbiere di Siviglia, the 1816 work in which he returned to the same playwright, Beaumarchais, who Mozart had mined 30 years earlier for Le nozze di Figaro in Vienna.
All will be introduced during the daily session of talks and discussions. There are also guided tours on foot to a choice selection of Vienna’s art, architecture and musical heritage, as well as plenty of free time for rest, recuperation and preparation for the next performance.
Itinerary
Fly at c. 12.30pm from London Heathrow to Vienna (British Airways). Arrive at the hotel in time to settle in before dinner.
A talk on the music is followed by a visit to the Hofburg, the sprawling Habsburg palace where we see inter alia the splendid library hall and the Imperial apartments. Free afternoon. Evening opera at the Staatsoper: Salome (R. Strauss), Lorenzo Viotti (conductor), Cyril Teste (director), Jörg Schneider (Herodes), Monika Bohinec (Herodias), Jennifer Holloway (Salome), Tomasz Konieczny (Jochanaan), Devin Eatmon (Narraboth), Stephanie Maitland (Page), Anthony Webb (Fourth Jew).
The daily talk precedes a visit to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, one of the world’s greatest art galleries. Free time in the afternoon. Evening opera at the Volksoper: Die Fledermaus (J. Strauss), Cast to be confirmed. Performed in German with German and English surtitles.
A morning walk through the centre of the inner city includes the Stephansdom, the great Gothic cathedral. After lunch there is free time followed by an evening opera at the Staatsoper: Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini), Antonino Fogliani (conductor), Dave Monaco (Il Conte d’Almaviva), Marco Filippo Romano (Bartolo), Maria Kataeva (Rosina), Erwin Schrott (Don Basilio), Nicola Alaimo (Figaro), Sebastian Wendelin (Ambrogio), Jenni Hietala (Marzellina/Berta).
A visit to the excellent Museum of Applied Arts, especially rewarding for Secessionist (Art Nouveau) furniture and design. Free afternoon followed by a final evening opera at the Staatsoper: Parsifal (Wagner), Simone Young (conductor), Kirill Serebrennikov (director), Ludovic Tézier (Amfortas), Christof Fischesser (Gurnemanz), Matheus França (Titurel), Piotr Beczała (Parsifal), Jochen Schmeckenbecher (Klingsor), Simone Schneider (Kundry), Nikolay Sidorenko (the former Parsifal).
The flight from Vienna to London Heathrow arrives at c. 1.00pm.
Expert speaker
Dr John Allison
Editor of Opera magazine and music critic. He was born in South Africa and completed his PhD degree while playing the piano and working as assistant organist at Cape Town cathedral. Since moving to London in 1989 he has written for publications around the world, authored two books and served on the juries of many international competitions. He co-founded the International Opera Awards in 2013. He reviews for the Daily Telegraph and has previously held positions as music critic on The Sunday Telegraph and The Times.
More tours led by Dr John Allison
Practicalities
Two sharing: US$6,030 or US$5,500 without flights. Single occupancy: US$6,620 or US$6,090 without flights.
Travel by private coach for airport transfers and when venues are not within walking distance; hotel accommodation as described below; breakfasts; 3 lunches and 2 dinners with wine, water, coffee; interval refreshments at 2 of the performances; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer, tour manager and local guides where required.
Music: tickets to 4 performances (1st category) are included. Tickets are confirmed in the autumn.
Grand Hotel Wien: Luxury hotel in a superb location on the Ringstrasse just a short walk to the opera house, traditionally furnished and decorated in a Viennese style. Single rooms are doubles for sole use.
This tour involves a lot of walking in the town centre, and should not be attempted by anyone who has difficulty with everyday walking and stair-climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 6 miles.
Between 10 and 24 participants.
Before booking, please refer to Travel.State.Gov to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting. As a British company we follow the advice of the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
Dates & prices
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2027
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
30th March - 4th April 2027
Speaker:
Dr John Allison
Price:
from US$5,500
(Based on two sharing)Testimonials
“As always with Martin Randall, a completely lovely, almost effortless (for us), happy experience.
”
“John Allison was an excellent speaker and we were privileged to have him.
”
“The itinerary was exciting, providing much of interest in Vienna coupled with four very different operas.
”
“The lecturer was, truly, a reference in musical knowledge and the tour manager managed the reservations everywhere in a wonderful and efficient way.
”
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