ITALY Verona
Verona Opera Festival July 14–19, 2021 from £2945 per person | with Paul Jackson
This tour will be led by Paul Jackson, MA, SFHEA, a conductor, pianist, musicologist and former Director of Music at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Paul has enjoyed an extensive career as a conductor of opera and also as a chamber musician, performing widely in the UK, Europe and America.
FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour involves a significant amount of walking over cobbles, up and down steps (sometimes without handrails), and potentially in hot sunshine or over wet pavements. A good level of fitness is required to complete the itinerary, although allowances can be made for those with less stamina. The walk from the hotel to the Arena is on flat ground and takes around five minutes. Please note all performances are scheduled to begin at 2100. Day 1 Depart London Gatwick 1315 on Easyjet, arriving Verona 1620. Transfer to Hotel San Luca, Verona, for five nights. Evening introductory talk.
• Enjoy productions of Verdi’s Aida and La traviata, in addition to his monumental Messa da Requiem • Take in in the atmospheric surroundings of Verona’s Arena, our venue for all three performances • Explore the ‘fair Verona’ of Romeo and Juliet, and journey by boat across Lake Garda Established for over one hundred years, Verona’s internationally renowned opera festival ranks as one of the most spectacular in the world. Staged in the awe-inspiring ancient Roman amphitheatre known as the Arena di Verona, the festival has hosted many of the world’s greatest opera singers and some of the most magnificent sets in the classical world. As dusk falls and the candles are lit, we take our seats for two operatic masterpieces followed by one of the best known choral works in the world. Our tour to the 2021 festival begins with a defining opera of the festival: Verdi’s Aida. With its dramatic public scenes and moments of private intimacy, this beloved work comes to life amongst the stunning sets and costumes of Franco Zeffirelli and Anna Anni. Next we will experience perhaps Verdi’s best known opera: La traviata. Based on Alexandre Dumas’ play, The Lady of the Camellias, this deservedly famous 60
work explores themes of forbidden love, personal sacrifice and doomed youth. Overflowing with memorable melodies, this production includes direction and set design by Franco Zeffirelli and costume design by Maurizio Millenotti. On our final evening we have the opportunity to experience a performance of Verdi’s monumental Requiem in the dramatic surroundings of the Arena. With a huge orchestra, double chorus and a full complement of soloists, the Requiem sees Verdi apply his consummate skills as a composer of opera to the concert stage. The Requiem sees music of searing emotion combined with intensely dramatic moments, no more so than in the thrilling and terrifying Dies Irae. In ‘fair Verona’, the city of Romeo and Juliet, we will explore evocative Roman ruins and splendid medieval churches. An excursion will take us to the shores of Lake Garda, which has enchanted writers and travellers from Catullus to Tennyson. In Vicenza we will admire the architectural genius of Palladio, whose articulated classicism graces both private and public buildings in the city, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status. We will stay throughout at the comfortable and elegant Hotel San Luca, located a five-minute stroll away from Verona’s Arena.
Day 2 Morning walking tour of Verona: Arena, Castelvecchio, Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore and cloister. Free afternoon followed by early evening lecture. Evening performance at the Arena: Verdi Aida. Day 3 Further visits in Verona: Duomo, Ponte Pietra, Church of Sant’ Anastasia (exterior), Casa di Giulietta and Roman Theatre. Free afternoon followed by early evening lecture and independent dinner. Evening performance at the Arena: Verdi La traviata. Day 4 Excursion by coach to Lake Garda and its lakeside towns including Riva and Garda (weather permitting). By boat to Limone on the north-western side of the lake, before crossing to Malcesine for dinner. Day 5 Excursion by coach to Vicenza for Teatro Olimpico, followed by Vigardolo for Villa Valmarana. Free afternoon followed by early evening lecture. Evening performance at the Arena: Verdi Requiem. Day 6 Free morning. Depart Verona 1650, arriving Gatwick 1800.
Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. While we will endeavour to deliver this itinerary in full, some elements may be adjusted nearer the time, particularly owing to local weather conditions. Cast and performance details may also be subject to change by the festival office.
Cost of £2945 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, breakfast, four dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £225, double room for single use supplement £495. TOUR CODE: VROP21
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