27th June – 3rd July 2016 (six nights/seven days)

From £1995.00 per person (based on two sharing a twin room, single supplements will apply)

Booking details are at the bottom of this page

Itinerary

Day 1  
We will take a morning flight to Vienna from London Gatwick and on arrival in Vienna we will transfer by coach to our hotel for check in.

After we have settled in, we will take a walking tour of the medieval centre of Vienna including: Am Graben, where we will see the splendid Baroque church of St Peter; take a look at the famous Pestsäule, a late 17th century sculpted Holy Trinity column, built to commemorate victims of the plague the Roman; glance at the Roman ruins in Michaelerplatz, and view the Hofburg complex from the exterior.

A welcome dinner at the Hotel is included.

Day 2

9 am lecture by Peter Medhurst. This morning we visit the magnificent Stephansdom (St Stephan’s Cathedral), a
gothic structure dating largely from the 14th and 15th centuries.  Apart from the spire, the glory of the Cathedral is its ornately patterned, richly coloured roof (left), which is covered by 230,000 glazed tiles. Above the choir on the south side of the building the tiles form a mosaic of the double-headed eagle that is symbolic of the empire ruled from Vienna by the Habsburg dynasty.  From a musical perspective, the Stephansdom was host to Vivaldi’s funeral in 1741, and to Mozart’s 50 years later.  It is also where Mozart hoped one day to become organist, but his early death deprived him of that position.  When we have finished at the Cathedral, we will walk to St Peter’s Church where Peter Medhurst will give a recital of 17th and 18th century organ music including works by Pachelbel, Hadyn, and Mozart.  Lunch is at a local restaurant (included).

In the afternoon we will have a tour of the Mozarthaus (Figaro House, right), Mozart’s home from 1784 to 1787 and his only surviving Viennese residence. It is the largest, most elegant and expensive apartment ever occupied by Mozart and consists of four large rooms, two smaller ones, and a kitchen. It was here that Mozart composed his opera The Marriage of Figaro and three of his ‘Haydn’ Quartets.

The evening will be at Leisure, or there is an optional visit to Vienna State Opera to see Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.  Tickets for this can be ordered in advance from Travel Editions.

Day 3

Today will be spent as a ‘museum’ day by visiting the State Hall National Library, the Imperial Treasury, the Sisi Museum at the Imperial Apartments, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Fine Arts.

The State National Library (right) was created in the early 18th century as a private wing of the Hofburg imperial residence. It was built by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach to plans of his father’s, the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.  The impressive ceremonial room is surmounted by a dome that is beautifully decorated with frescoes by the court painter Daniel Gran. More than 200,000 volumes are on display today, as well as two superb Venetian Baroque globes of the earth and the sky, each with a diameter of over a metre. By contrast, the Sisi Museum in the Imperial Apartments of the Palace shows much personal memorabilia of the life of ‘Sisi’ Elisabeth of Austria, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I.  The exhibition highlights Sisi’s restless, romantic and tragic life (she was assassinated in 1898), revealing a cult status that rivals the late Princess of Wales.  This is followed by lunch at a local restaurant (included).

In the afternoon we will visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Fine Arts (essentially Austria’s National Gallery), which opened its doors to the public in 1891.  Here we will wander through the magnificent galleries viewing its art collection, which includes paintings by Raphael, Arcimboldo, Velázquez, Vermeer (left), and the largest single collection of works by Pieter Brueghel.

The evening will be at Leisure or there is an optional visit to Vienna State Opera to see Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.  Tickets may be booked in advance from Travel Editions.

Day 4

9 am morning lecture.  When the composer Joseph Haydn (right) left England after a spell of work in London in the early 1790s, he returned home with more money than he had earned during the 30 years, or so, that he had worked as court composer to the Esterhazy family. He used this money to buy himself a house in Gumpendorf (today in the suburbs of Vienna) where he spent the last 12 years of his life.  This morning we will visit that house (which also contains a museum dedicated to the memory of Brahms) and see the rooms where Haydn lived and worked and where he composed his final masterpieces, including the Nelson Mass and The Creation.  We then proceed to the first of two houses that are associated with Franz Schubert, the appartment in Kettenbrückengasse, where he died in 1828.  It is probably the most poignant of all museums in the city, and it is where Schubert wrote The Shepherd on the Rock and corrected, on his deathbed, the proofs of Winterreise (left).

After lunch (not included) we go to the Lichtenstein Garden Palace to view the private art collections of the Prince von und zu Liechtenstein, which contain masterpieces from the early Renaissance to the Biedermeier era,
including highlights from the oeuvres of Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Anthony van Dyck, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Frans Hals and Raphael.

Day 5

After this morning’s lecture at the hotel, we will walk to the Kunsthistorisches Museum complex to view the collection of historic musical instruments which range from the Renaissance period through to the 20th century. Particular highlights are the clavichords and Viennese fortepianos, as well as the instruments played by composer-performers such as Beethoven and Chopin.  The walls of the galleries are lined with paintings of great composers, and a particular treasure is the 1823 portrait of Beethoven by Waldmüller. Lunch (not included) will be at leisure before we re-assemble at the Hotel to take the coach to the Palace of Schönbrunn, for a
guided tour, a ‘Deluxe Ticket’ dinner in the restaurant, and a gala concert in the Orangery.

Schönbrunn (right) is a former Imperial summer residence of the Hapsburgs and was developed in the 1740s during the era of the Empress Maria Theresa.  Apart from possessing 1,441 rooms, the Palace contains fine Baroque interiors, stylish furniture and an outstanding picture collection.  It was here, in 1762, in the Mirror Room that the six year old Mozart (left) entertained Maria Theresa.  Years later in 1786, the Emperor, Joseph II, held a ‘friendly’ competition in the Orangery between Mozart and the court composer Antonio Salieri.  Mozart presented his opera The Impresario and Salieri showcased his comedy Prima la musica e poi le parole.  Joseph II preferred Salieri’s offering, and Mozart lost the day.

Day 6

This morning we depart our hotel by coach for the Upper Belvedere Palace, which has breathtaking views of Vienna. It was built between 1717 and 1723 as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy.  As an art gallery, it has had some of its paintings on view to the public since 1776.

We will be given a tour of the art collection, which contains masterpieces by Waldmüller, Friedrich and David. The Belvedere also houses the world’s largest collection of oil paintings by Klimt, a co-founder of the Secession and initiator of both the Kunstschau of 1908 and the Internationale Kunstschau of the subsequent year. The Belvedere’s collection illustrates Klimt’s development from his initial attempts at Historicism to his Secessionist style and late period, in which he also responded to Fauve influences and the younger generation of Austrian artists.  On view will be his famous Kiss 1907-8 (right), as well as his Judith 1901

Following our time at the Belvedere, we take the coach for an afternoon visit to Heiligenstadt, a little village outside Vienna where Beethoven (left) spent the summer of 1802. It was in the appartment (below, right) at Probusgasse No 6 – which we will visit – that Beethoven wrote his famous Testament reflecting his despair over his increasing deafness and his desire to overcome his physical and emotional ailments in order to complete his artistic destiny. Significantly, it was in Heiligenstadt that a large portion of Beethoven’s Third Symphony The Eroica was written, and it is the first of many pivitol and great compositions by Beethoven that were written in moments of adversity (other examples include the String Quartet Op 95 in F minor, and the String Quartet Op 132 in A minor).  A second room in the appartment in Heiligenstadt takes a look at the last months of Beethoven’s life, and his death in the Schwarzspanierhaus, which no longer exists.  Lunch is at leisure

This evening we enjoy a farewell group dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 7

The programme for the morning of the last day has yet to be finalised.  Details will be announced shortly.  Otherwise, the later morning will be at leisure until our transfer by coach to Vienna Airport for our  flight back to London.

End of the tour

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Peter Medhurst music specialist

Peter Medhurst in the Deutsches Historisches Museum, April 2012

Peter Medhurst in the Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin

Peter Medhurst is well-known in the world of the arts as a singer, pianist, scholar and lecturer, who in addition to his appearances on the concert platform and in the lecture hall, sets aside time to devise and lead tours abroad for small groups of art and music connoisseurs.  His particular interests are centred on the music, art and history of Vienna, Salzburg (with its strong Mozart link), Berlin, Halle (Handel’s birthplace), Dresden, Venice (Vivaldi’s birthplace), Rome, and Delft (with its Vermeer and 17th century Dutch School connections) and over the years Peter has been associated with a number of companies including Travel Editions, Cox and Kings, Success Tours, Heritage Travel, Tailored Travel, and Voyages to Antiquity.

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Flights

Easyjet (provisional timings below – subject to change)

Outbound:        London Gatwick/Vienna  11.55/15.10

Inbound:           Vienna/London Gatwick  15.45/17.05

Hotel König von Ungarn, Vienna

This charming hotel – dating back to 1349 – is the oldest in the city and is ideally located for us in the heart of the historical district of Vienna. The Hotel König von Ungarn ajoins the famous Mozart Figaro House and is a moment’s walk from St Stephan’s Cathedral.  Its arched windows and corridors overlook a glass-roofed inner courtyard and as a building it has something of a monastic feel about it (the original inhabitants were priests). Consequently, visitors say that it is like stepping back in time to old Vienna.  Rooms are very comfortably furnished and the hotel has a bar & restaurant. Please visit http://www.kvu.at/ for more information.

Optional operas/ Vienna Boys Choir

Day 2 – Vienna State Opera Le nozze di Figaro – Mozart

Category 1st – £205.00 / Category 2nd – £175.00 / Category 3rd – £155.00

Day 3 – Vienna State Opera Don Pasquale – Donizetti

Category 1st – £195.00 / Category 2nd – £165.00 / Category 3rd – £120.00

Day 6 – Volksoper Wien La Traviata Verdi

Category 1st – £120.00 / Category 2nd – £105.00 / Category 3rd – £80.00

Included

  • Return economy flights to/from Vienna
  • Six nights’ bed and breakfast at the Hotel König von Ungarn, Vienna
  • Breakfast daily, 2 Lunches & 2 Dinners
  • ‘Deluxe ticket’ dinner at Schönbrunn Palace
  • Evening concert in the Orangery at Schönbrunn Palace
  • Transfers and full touring itinerary
  • All entrance fees /local guides
  • Private organ recital by Peter Medhurst
  • Morning lectures
  • Tour manager
  • Expert lecturer – Peter Medhurst
  • Gratuities for local guides and restaurants where meals are included

Not included

  • Holiday insurance (£39pp – if aged 70+ the premium increases to £69pp)
  • Single room supplement (£305.00 per person)
  • Optional opera / concert tickets
  • Personal items such as meals (other than those mentioned) drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc
  • Porterage at the hotel and gratuities for Tour Manager & Lecturer

How to book

Please telephone Travel Editions on 020 7251 0045 to reserve a place.  A deposit of £200 per person (plus insurance premium, if applicable) is required to secure your booking. Bookings will be taken on a first come first served basis, so please book as soon as possible to secure your place. We recommend you that you book by credit or debit card, quoting Vienna (Peter Medhurst).  There is is a surcharge of 2% on credit card booking, but there is no fee on debit cards. Should you wish to pay by cheque, please obtain a booking form from Travel Editions and return it to: Travel Editions Ltd, 69-85 Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4BD. Cheques should be made payable to TRAVEL EDITIONS LTD