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Opera in Vienna - Parsifal with Beczała, Salome, Il barbiere and Die Fledermaus
6
days
from
US$5,500
Book today with a deposit from
US$825
30th March 2027 - 4th April 2027
Tour highlights
- Four operas in five nights at the Staatsoper and Volksoper, from Rossini to Richard Strauss.
- Piotr Beczała and Ludovic Tézier in Serebrennikov’s Parsifal, conducted by Simone Young.
- Erwin Schrott and Nicola Alaimo in Il barbiere; Jennifer Holloway as Salome.
- First-category seats throughout, with interval refreshments and meals with wine.
- The Grand Hotel Wien, on the Ringstrasse a few minutes’ walk from the Staatsoper.
- Daily talks by Dr John Allison, Editor of Opera magazine.
The Staatsoper opened on the Ringstrasse in 1869 with Don Giovanni, and Gustav Mahler directed it for a decade from 1897. It is still the house where an evening’s casting can draw the leading singers of the day. We spend three evenings there and a fourth at the Volksoper, the home of Viennese operetta, in first-category seats throughout. The four works span nine decades, from Rossini’s comedy of 1816 to the expressionism of Salome in 1905.
The centrepiece is Parsifal, Wagner’s final music drama (1882). Simone Young conducts and Piotr Beczała sings the title role, with Ludovic Tézier as Amfortas and Simone Schneider as Kundry. Kirill Serebrennikov’s production moves Wagner’s knights of the Grail into a modern prison, with the hero’s younger self played by an actor alongside him.
Salome takes 100 minutes without an interval. Mahler admired it, but it did not reach the Staatsoper until 1918; Cyril Teste’s production dates from 2023. Jennifer Holloway sings the title role, with Tomasz Konieczny as Jochanaan. Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia brings comedy, with Nicola Alaimo as Figaro and Erwin Schrott as Don Basilio. At the Volksoper we see Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, premiered in Vienna in 1874 and still the genre’s best-loved work.
First-category seats for four performances in five nights, across two houses, are not easily assembled independently. We secure them, and a tour manager takes care of tickets, transfers and the journey out to the Volksoper.
Each morning Dr John Allison, Editor of Opera magazine, introduces the evening’s work. He has written about opera internationally since 1989. Visits on foot take in the Hofburg library, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Stephansdom and the Secessionist collections of the Museum of Applied Arts. The afternoons are free: the Albertina, the Musikverein and the Secession are all within a short walk of the hotel.
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.
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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