WAGNER S RING CYCLE IN NEW YORK APRIL 27 MAY 5, 2019 TOUR LEADER: ROBERT GAY

Transcription

1 WAGNER S RING CYCLE IN NEW YORK APRIL 27 MAY 5, 2019 TOUR LEADER: ROBERT GAY

2 WAGNER S RING CYCLE IN NEW YORK Tour dates: April 27 May 5, 2019 Tour leader: Robert Gay Tour Price: $9,870 per person, twin share Single Supplement: $2,100 for sole use of double room Booking deposit: $500 per person Recommended airline: Qantas or United Maximum places: 20 Itinerary: New York (8 nights) Date published: July 2, 2019 Overview Wagner s four-part music drama, Der Ring des Nibelungen, is considered by many music lovers to be the pinnacle of the Western music tradition. It combines intense, heroic drama with orchestral and vocal writing which is both vast in scale and highly innovative. Academy Travel has conducted tours to Ring Cycles around the world since For 2019, we have selected the Metropolitan Opera of New York s revival of the acclaimed Robert Lepage production, first seen complete at the Met in The production has since been refined, and the 2019 performances will feature an outstanding cast under Swiss maestro Philippe Jordan. There is also the option to attend a performance of Poulenc s Dialogues des Carmélites, a celebrated, but rarely encountered, operatic masterpiece from the mid twentieth century. The itinerary includes eight nights accommodation in midtown New York, Orchestra Prime tickets to four performances, in-depth background talks, several meals and visits to key New York galleries and museums. We have deliberately kept the program relaxed, with lots of free time to undertake individual sightseeing or simply relax and reflect upon the performances. Your tour leader For over 30 years, Robert Gay has presented music history courses for the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney. Over the same period he has designed and escorted more than 80 musical and cultural tours to Europe and America. On tour, Robert will provide a thorough introduction to the performances you see, with detailed pre-performance talks and postperformance reviews. Robert s approach to music is multi-faceted. First and foremost, he links the music to the biographical, historical and social context in which it was created. Secondly, he explains in plain language technical aspects of the music how the composer communicates through sound. Finally, as a trained singer who attends dozens of performances each year, he offers great insight into the qualities of the performances you see on tour. Enquiries and bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on or (outside Sydney) or jamal@academytravel.com.au Robert s enthusiasm for music is infectious, and his skills as an educator and tour leader are exceptional. Since 2010, he has led tours exclusively for Academy Travel. Robert Gay was exceptionally sensitive to the individual needs of tour members. His vast knowledge of musical performance greatly enhanced our enjoyment of this tour. Feedback from Music in Scandinavia, May Robert Gay was, as expected, a wonderfully interesting leader and an enormous asset to Academy Travel. Feedback from Amsterdam to Leipzig, September 2017.

3 REFRESHING THE RING CYCLE In spring 2019, Robert Lepage s innovative production of the ultimate operatic epic, Wagner s four-instalment Der Ring des Nibelungen, returns to the Met stage for the first time since the season. In preparation, the company has already started working to make sure the revival goes smoothly. As with any returning staging, the Met s production department s goal is to faithfully recreate the director s original vision, repairing and updating scenery, machinery, lighting, and other stagecraft as necessary. With the Ring, however, that mission is a bit more complicated than usual. Lepage s production relies on what has become known as the machine, a 90,000-pound apparatus that comprises two dozen 30-foot-long aluminium planks suspended between two 26-foot-tall steel towers, plus the requisite hydraulic machinery to make the planks spin independently and rise and fall in unison. As the machine transforms itself into myriad arrangements, cutting-edge projections and lighting effects provide colour, texture, and detail, allowing all of Wagner s fantastical settings from the cavernous depths of Nibelheim to Brünnhilde s flame-encircled mountain top to materialize on the Met stage. When the production was new, much of the technology necessary to make the vision a reality existed only in prototype form or had never been used in the theatre. Control software for the machine s precisely choreographed transformations had to be written from scratch. Breathtaking three-dimensional projections which adjust in real time as the machine moves and respond interactively to the movement of the singers and the sound of the music were being used onstage for the very first time. The staging was operating at the very edge of what was possible, and some intermittent technical difficulties had to be overcome. In the ensuing years, however, technology has caught up with Lepage s production, and the Met is taking advantage of these advances to make the staging more consistent and reliable. To that end, the machine has been moved from storage into a warehouse in Middletown, New York, which has been converted into a soundstage. There, the Met s stagehands and technical staff will reassemble it, make any necessary repairs, upgrade its automation system and various video projection systems, and thoroughly adjust and test all of its functions. They will also work to make its movements as quiet as possible to minimize any onstage noise. Then, in August, the machine will make its way to the Met for final onstage calibration and testing. Though the performances seem a long way off, this process started a year in advance to make sure that there would be time to do as thorough a job as possible. The more high-tech the production, said Met Production Manager Paul Masck, the more high-tech the work we need to do to maintain the director s vision. This effort will be rewarded in March 2019 when an outstanding cast of leading Wagnerians climbs onto the newly restored machine to bring Wagner s masterpiece to life, set against some of the most dazzling stage spectacles ever created. Jay Goodwin. March 20,

4 The cast The cast of singers assembled for the 2019 New York Ring Cycle is outstanding. Drawn from the best talent around the world, it features two American Wagnerians in leading roles: Christine Goerke as Brünnhilde and rising mezzo star Jamie Barton as Fricka. Star German bass Michael Volle sings Wotan/Wanderer. Eva-Maria Westbroek and Stuart Skelton play the Wälsung twins Sieglinde and Siegmund, and Austrian heldentenor Andreas Schager, who has sung Wagnerian roles in Bayreuth, Berlin and Milan, takes on the role of Siegfried. The cast is led by young Swiss maestro Philippe Jordan who holds the prestigious role of musical director at the Opéra National de Paris, and in 2020 becomes musical director of the Vienna State Opera. He has conducted Ring Cycles in Zurich and Paris, as well as other Wagner operas at Bayreuth and internationally. Cast and creative list Conductor: Philippe Jordan Director: Robert Lepage Sets: Carl Fillion Costumes: François St-Aubin Lighting: Etienne Boucher Wotan/Wanderer: Michael Volle Siegmund: Stuart Skelton Sieglinde: Eva-Maria Westbroek Siegfried: Andreas Schager Fricka: Jamie Barton Brünnhilde: Christine Goerke Hagen: Eric Owens Alberich: Tomasz Koniezny Mime: Gerhard Siegel Fafner: Dmitry Belosselskiy Erda: Karen Cargill

5 Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the letter B, L, D or C for canapés. Get the most from performances In order to fully enjoy the Ring Cycle, we suggest you plan to arrive in the United States at least a day before the tour commences. As well as flights, we are happy to arrange pre-tour accommodation in New York or another US city. Please contact us to discuss the best options. Saturday 27 April Arrival Flights from Australia generally land in the late afternoon, meaning you arrive at the hotel in the early evening. This evening, meet your tour leader and fellow travellers in the hotel for drinks and canapés. (C) Sunday 28 April Introducing the Ring This morning at 10am, Robert Gay gives a 2-hour introductory talk (with coffee break) on Wagner s epic cycle which will place it in its historical context, explore Wagner s use of the Teutonic and Scandinavian source material, and investigate his radical new compositional procedures. Following the talk we enjoy a welcome lunch at Benoit, Alain Ducasse's New York restaurant, just around the corner from our hotel. The later afternoon and evening are free. (B, L) Above: Brünnhilde and her sisters. Opening of Act III of Die Walküre in the Robert Lepage Metropolitan Opera production Below: Come face to face with renowned paintings a detail of Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Monday 29 April Das Rheingold In this morning s pre-performance talk at 10am, Robert provides a detailed analysis of Das Rheingold, which Wagner regarded as a prologue to the three following music dramas. This afternoon there will be a transfer to and from the Metropolitan Museum of Art for those wishing to explore aspects of the collection, or any special exhibitions on show. We depart for the Lincoln Center at 6.30pm and our performance of Das Rheingold commences at 7.30pm. (B) Performance details Venue: The Metropolitan Opera Program: Wagner s Das Rheingold Tuesday 30 April Die Walküre This morning s 10am talk examines Die Walküre, the bestknown opera of the Ring, and the one in which we meet the principal characters of the work. Key narrative elements are introduced and key musical ideas presented. We then head

6 back to the Upper East Side to visit the Frick Collection, an extremely fine house museum of European fine and decorative art assembled by the Pittsburgh steel baron, Henry Clay Frick. At 5.00pm we head to the Lincoln Center, for our performance commencing at 6.00pm. (B) Performance details Venue: The Metropolitan Opera Program: Wagner s Die Walküre Wednesday 1 May Private MoMA Viewing This morning we enjoy a rare privilege, a one-hour private tour of the Museum of Modern Art, given before the museum opens to the public at 10.30am. You are then free to visit the museum for the rest of the day. It is across the road from the hotel, so you can come and go as you please. We enjoy lunch at the Museum s restaurant, The Modern, a Michelin two-star establishment overlooking the sculpture garden. The later afternoon and evening are free. (B, L) Above: the sumptuous Morgan Library, home to countless precious manuscripts, spanning millennia of human history Below: No mythological tale is complete without at least one dragonslaying! Siegfried does the deed in the opera that bears his name Thursday 2 May Siegfried The third music drama in the Ring Cycle, Siegfried, contains perhaps the pivotal episodes and character development of the work. But it is also the least known work of the cycle. This morning at 10am, Robert takes you through the music and plotlines in preparation for this evening s performance. This afternoon we visit the exquisite JP Morgan library, containing one of the world s great collections of books and manuscripts. At 5.00pm we head to the Lincoln Center, for our performance commencing at 6.00pm. (B) Performance details Venue: The Metropolitan Opera Program: Wagner s Siegfried Friday 3 May Chelsea and the High Line Optional Dialogues des Carmélites This morning we head to the fashionable Chelsea district to catch up on this ever-changing neighbourhood. Our first stop is the Whitney Museum. Renzo Piano s masterful building houses the nation s premier collection of American art. As well as its renowned permanent collection, the Whitney features up-andcoming contemporary artists. We then stroll the High Line, an overhead railway that has been converted to a public park, stretching from 15th to 30th streets, adorned with sculpture and street art and passing by some remarkable examples of contemporary architecture. This evening you have the option of returning to the Met for Francis Poulenc s modern operatic masterpiece Dialogues des Carmélites. Incoming Met musical director Yannick Nézet-Seguin leads an outstanding cast, with veteran Finnish soprano Karita Mattila as Mme de Croissy. Tickets will be approximately $US220. (B)

7 Optional performance details Venue: The Metropolitan Opera Program: Poulenc s Dialogues des Carmélites Performers: Isabel Leonard, Adrianne Pieczonka, Erin Morley, Karen Cargill and Karita Mattila Saturday 4 May Götterdämmerung The final work in the Ring Cycle is also the longest, containing grand, dramatic scenes and fine orchestral passages, such as Siegfried s Rhine Journey and his funeral music. After Robert s morning analysis of this towering work, the remainder of the day is free. At 4.30pm we head to the Lincoln Center for our 6.00pm performance. Our farewell dinner takes place at the Met Opera s Grand Tier restaurant during long intervals in the performance. (B, D) Performance details Venue: The Metropolitan Opera Program: Wagner s Götterdämmerung Sunday 5 May Departure The tour ends after breakfast. Afternoon transfers to JF Kennedy airport are included for travellers booking their flights through Academy Travel. (B) Above: The Norns, daughters of Erda, weaving the rope of destiny that links the entire tale of the Ring. Act I of Götterdammerung in the Met Opera production The Warwick Hotel Our four-star hotel is very conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, on 54th Street. We have booked premier-plus grade rooms. These are large and comfortable, each with modern amenities. The hotel is within walking distance of many of New York s most popular attractions. The hotel has just completed a major renovation. Below: Manhattan from the Top of the Rock observatory photo taken by a previous tour participant in 2015 Moving around NY To get to performances in the evenings we will use a private coach. Some of our daytime travel from site to site will also be in taxis. Taxis are much faster than coaches and give us total flexibility in the program. On one or two occasions, we will also use the city s subway system. Please note that there is a moderate amount of walking on this tour. visa requirements In order to enter the United States all travellers are now required to complete an online form, the US government s Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (or ESTA). Full details are available at The cost of the ESTA is currently USD $14 and you should receive an authorisation immediately. Print a copy of your ESTA and carry it with you on your flight.

8 The Metropolitan Opera House at the Lincoln Center

9 Tour Price The tour price is $9,870 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $2,100 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour. Final program & second deposit With publication of this itinerary, a second invoice for $1,500 to cover the cost of tickets is now due. Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price Eight nights accommodation in premier plus rooms at the Warwick Hotel in midtown Manhattan All breakfasts in the hotel, and three meals in local restaurants Land travel by air-conditioned coach or taxi as required Orchestra Prime tickets to all four performances of the Ring Cycle Background notes and background talks Services of Academy Travel expert tour leader All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary Expert local guides at selected sites Tips for all services stated as included in the itinerary Not included Optional performance of Dialogues des Carmélites International airfares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Visa costs Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature Air travel OPTIONS For this tour we recommend Qantas or United who have regular flights to New York. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Taxi transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers. Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on or (outside Sydney) or jamal@academytravel.com.au Fitness Requirements of THIS tour GRADE ONE It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you instead to consider carefully your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. Participation criteria for this tour This Grade One tour is appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility. You should be able to comfortably participate in up to three hours of physical activity per day on most days, including walking at an easy pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, climbing stairs and standing in galleries. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 2-3 kilometres at a moderate to slow pace with only short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums negotiate stairs and bridges get on and off a coach, ferry or boat with steep stairs unassisted move your luggage a short distance if required A note for older travellers If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You may have to miss certain activities and may not get the full value of the tour. Before submitting your booking form, please contact Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition. Weather on tour Late April and early May is one of the most pleasant times of the year to visit New York. Spring has well and truly arrived, and there may even be a burst of warmer early summer weather, with maxima ranging from 18 to 25 degrees. Rainfall in New York is fairly evenly spread across the year, so you may encounter some rainfall during your stay.

10 About Academy Travel Each year Academy Travel organises around 60 journeys to Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas, each focusing on a distinctive historical, artistic or cultural theme. The aim of every Academy Travel journey is to combine the pleasures of independent travel with the benefits and shared enjoyment of a group. Academy Travel is an Australian-owned travel company, founded in The company s staff includes both academic experts and travel professionals with over two decades industry experience. We also have our own office in Rome which organises our tours in Western Europe. This means we have direct control over the selection of hotels, restaurants, coaches and local guides, guaranteeing superior quality. Great itineraries Academy Travel works hard to create itineraries that provide a balanced experience walking tours, museum and gallery visits, live performances, city and countryside. We re proud to be constantly innovating, from opening up new destinations, creating tours around festivals and special exhibitions, to providing unrivalled depth in our residential tours. Like-minded groups Over the years we ve been in operation, we ve developed a loyal band of Academy Travellers, some of whom have travelled with us more than 10 times. They say the small groups (maximum 20, average 17) and distinct themes of our tours attract like-minded travellers and create a relaxed, convivial atmosphere. Long stays Feedback from our clients consistently tells us that creating itineraries with three and four-night stops, or even longer, is far more appealing that rushing from place to place. Wherever possible, we plan our tours around a limited number of stops, making your travels more relaxed and more meaningful. Special Events A private viewing of the Sistine Chapel? Tickets to a sold-out concert by the Berlin Philharmonic? A worldfamous art fair? Access to private homes and gardens? Behind-the-scenes visits? Many of our tours feature access to places and events that are usually not offered on most group tours. Expert tour leaders We work closely with a team of academically qualified and highly experienced tour leaders. They don t just rattle off the facts they help us plan our itineraries and, on tour, freely share their deep knowledge and genuine passion. Most of our tour leaders are still teaching at an advanced level and many are still undertaking academic research. Years of experience Academy Travel was founded in 2004 by a team with decades of prior experience in small group travel. On average, our tour leaders have over 11 years experience, some with 25 or more years. To ensure quality, we have our own office in Rome, Italy and a network of trusted suppliers around the world. ACADEMY TRAVEL TAILORED SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS info@academytravel.com.au academytravel.com.au

11 TO SUBMIT YOUR BOOKING: Complete form on screen. Simply click in the box to fill in your details and press Tab to progress to the next box. Save the completed form and it to us. Or print the form, complete the fields and send it back to us. Name of tour: Departure date: A Your details This is my first tour with Academy Travel I have previously travelled with Academy Travel PASSENGER 1 PASSENGER 2 Your title (Ms, Mrs, Mr, Dr etc): Your full name (as it appears on your passport): Your title (Ms, Mrs, Mr, Dr etc): Your full name (as it appears on your passport): Preferred first name: Date of birth: Preferred first name: Date of birth: Postal Address: Postal Address: State: Postcode: State: Postcode: Phone - Area code: Phone: Phone - Area code: Phone: Mobile: Mobile: Passport number: Expiry date: Passport number: Expiry date: Frequent flyer number(s) Seating (Aisle or window) Frequent flyer number(s) Seating (Aisle or window) Name of next of kin (not travelling with you): Name of next of kin (not travelling with you): Relationship to you: Contact number of next of kin: Relationship to you: Contact number of next of kin: PROOF OF IDENTITY Please provide a photocopy of the photo page of your passport together with this booking form. ROOMING PREFERENCES I am travelling: on my own with a friend or family member. Name of friend or family member (if not passenger 2) I/we would like: a room for sole occupancy a twin-bedded room a double-bedded room B Your special requirements MEAL REQUIREMENTS/ALLERGIES Please indicate below if you have any special dietary requirements. Appropriate meals will be requested for you on all flights and group meals based on this information. PASSENGER 1 PASSENGER 2 I do not have any specific dietary requirements or allergies I have the following specific dietary requirements/allergies I do not have any specific dietary requirements or allergies I have the following specific dietary requirements/allergies MEDICAL CONDITIONS Please indicate below if you have any serious health issue that may affect your travel insurance coverage, your physical capacity to undertake some activities on tour or may otherwise need to be considered by the tour leader/manager during the tour. PASSENGER 1 PASSENGER 2 I have no specific medical condition that Academy Travel needs to know about Academy Travel needs to know about the following medical condition(s) I have no specific medical condition that Academy Travel needs to know about Academy Travel needs to know about the following medical condition(s) Level 1, 341 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: or (outside Sydney) ACADEMY TRAVEL

12 BOOKING FORM C Your travel plans I/we wish Academy Travel to arrange air travel from Australia. Economy Class. Premium Economy Class. Business Class. I/we will organize our own air travel. I/we are undecided about air travel. Please contact us to discuss the available options. I plan to leave Australia before the tour commences. Planned departure date: I intend to take part in the extension tour offered in the itinerary (if applicable). I/we plan to undertake additional travel before/after the tour and would like Academy Travel to organise this (please describe destinations and length of stay required below). To discuss your travel arrangements please contact the travel consultant for your tour. You can also enquiries to info@academytravel.com.au. D Your acceptance of booking conditions PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND SIGN BELOW DEPOSITS A deposit of $500 per person is required to confirm your booking on a tour. Final payment of the tour fee, insurance and any additional travel will be due 60 days before departure. CANCELLATION FEES If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply: More than 60 days before departure: $500* days before tour start: 25% of total amount due days before tour start: 75% of total amount due 14 days or less before departure: 100% of total amount due *This amount may be credited to another Academy Travel tour within 12 months of the original tour you booked. UNUSED PORTIONS OF THE TOUR We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as meals, entry fees, accommodation, flights or transfers. TRAVEL INSURANCE Academy Travel requires all participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance. We offer a comprehensive policy with a reputable insurer if required. PASSPORT AND VISA A valid passport is required for all international travel. If you do not hold an Australian passport you may require a re-entry permit. Some countries require a visa to be issued before you depart Australia. We will advise you of all passport and visa requirements, but it is your responsibility to ensure that you meet passport and visa requirements before you depart. WILL THE TOUR PRICE CHANGE? If the number of participants in a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant change in exchange rates Academy Travel reserves the right to amend the advertised price. If this occurs you will be given the option of canceling your booking and obtaining a full refund. If an Academy Travel tour is forced to cancel you will get a full refund of all monies paid. WILL THE ITINERARY OR AIRLINE CHANGE? Occasionally circumstances beyond the control of Academy Travel make it necessary to change airline, hotel or to make slight amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you of any changes as soon as they occur. FINAL PAYMENT Full and final payment for the tour, airfare travel, insurance and any additional travel you book is due 60 days before departure. Payment may be made by bank deposit, cheque, cash or credit card. Please note there is a surcharge for payments made by credit card. Academy Travel reserves the right to decline the booking or terminate the holiday of any traveller. I/we accept the conditions on this booking form I/we have read the information about the physical requirements of the tour in the detailed itinerary and confirm that I/we are able to meet these requirements. Date: AUTHORISATION By submitting this booking form, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions above and on our website, and the inclusions and non-inclusions listed in the detailed itinerary for the tour. E Deposit payment f How did you hear about this tour? A non-refundable $500 deposit is required for each person listed on this booking form. Please indicate which method you have chosen to pay your deposit: Number of passengers: Amount of deposit: $ Paid directly by cheque (Please make cheques payable to Academy Travel) Paid by credit card (Please complete details below) MasterCard Visa American Express Card Number: 3 or 4 digit security code: Expiry date: Please select where you first heard about this tour: I receive the Academy Travel tour program I receive the Academy Travel weekly s I saw an advertisement online please specify I saw an advertisement in please specify I attended a lecture at... please specify Searching the internet please specify A friend recommended Academy Travel tours Other... please specify Name on card: Amount: $ AUTHORISATION Date: By submitting this booking form you are authorising us to charge the cost of deposits for booking on this tour. No further charges will be made without your prior authorisation. g SEND Please send your completed booking form to: Academy Travel GPO Box 5057 Sydney NSW 2001 Or info@academytravel.com.au or fax it to (02) Additional booking forms can be downloaded from our website: academytravel.com.au /18 ACADEMY TRAVEL TAILORED SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS info@academytravel.com.au academytravel.com.au