In the Footsteps of Chopin
Warsaw - Krakow - Paris2010 sees the 200th anniversary of the birth of Fryderyk Chopin – arguably the world’s greatest composer for the piano – and the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, an event not to be missed.
Join the Friends of the Sydney International Piano Competition of Australia (SIPCA) to Warsaw – and beyond – for the Opening and First Stage of the Competition and special associated events in ‘the Chopin year’.
The tour will begin in Warsaw with a recital by acclaimed pianist Mitsuko Uchida on the occasion of the International Day of Music, followed by the Opening Concert of the competition, with the participation of Martha Argerich and Nelson Friere (available only for the first 20 bookings received). Then follows the First Stage of the competition, one of the most prestigious in the world. In between the concerts, you will visit Zelazowa Wola (where Chopin was born), the Chopin Museum in the Ostrogski Castle and the Royal Łazienski Park to see the famous Chopin Monument and the Belvedere - where Chopin used to give concerts as a young boy.
Travel via Częstochowa, home of Poland's most revered holy shrine, the Black Madonna, to Krakow, the royal capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596, and one of Europe’s leading academic and cultural centres. Discover the well-preserved medieval city centre and fascinating sights such as the former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz and the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Then, as Chopin did, travel from Poland to Paris. While Chopin is most closely associated with his native Poland, it was the decade and a half of his life based in Paris that brought Chopin fame as a virtuoso pianist and as a composer. Visit the Chopin Society and pay tribute at his grave at the Père Lachaise Cemetery as well as enjoying a concert at the Salle Pleyel (where Chopin performed his first — and also his last — Paris concerts), ballet at the Palais Garnier and opera at the Opéra Bastille.
Paris - Palais Garnier
Warsaw - Philharmonic Hall
ITINERARY:
Wed 29 Sep 2010 Depart Australia
Depart Australia on overnight flights to Warsaw (please contact Renaissance Tours for assistance)
Thu 30 Sep 2010 Arrive Warsaw
Arrival at Warsaw’s appropriately named Fryderyk Chopin International Airport. Make your way to the hotel and check-in (taxis readily available, approx PLN40-50 =AUD16-20).
This evening, join Damien Beaumont and fellow music lovers for a welcome dinner. (D)
Fri 01 Oct Warsaw
Morning tour of Warsaw, the political, financial and cultural capital of Poland. Largely destroyed in World War II, Warsaw is today undergoing a renaissance and a building boom similar to that in nearby Berlin. Visit historical sites such as the Ghetto Memorial, the Warsaw Uprising Monument, drive through Royal Łazienski Park-Palace Complex and see the Belvedere Palace, and follow the Royal Route to the wonderfully restored Old Town.
After lunch, the afternoon is at leisure before this evening’s recital by the internationally acclaimed Japanese pianist, Mitsuko Uchida, on the occasion of the International Day of Music (programme to be announced).
Tonight’s performance – and the Chopin Competition events - will take place in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, a few minutes from your hotel. The Warsaw Philharmonic Hall was founded in 1901 on the initiative of a group of Polish aristocrats, financiers and representatives of the music world. The architect, Karol Kozlowski, designed the building in an eclectic style, modelling it on the Paris Opera. The first concert was held on November 5th, 1901. The orchestra performed under the baton of Emil Mlynarski while the featured soloists on this occasion were Wiktor Grabczewski (bass) and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the world famous pianist, composer and future statesman.
In addition to being the permanent home of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonic Hall has played host to the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition since the first competition in 1927.
With the outbreak of World War II, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra suspended its activities and its building was subsequently destroyed. After the war, the ensemble was reassembled in time to perform during the 1947/48 season. Reconstruction of the Philharmonic’s building, in an entirely different style, was completed in 1955. (B,L)
Sat 02 Oct Warsaw
Morning drive out of Warsaw to the small town of Zelazowa Wola, where you will visit the birthplace and childhood house of Fryderyk Chopin (1810-49), Poland's greatest composer and pianist. The museum is housed in a late eighteenth century manor where Chopin spent his early childhood together with his French father, Nicolas Chopin, the private teacher and trainer of Countess's Skarbek children, and his mother, Tekla Justyna Krzyzanowska, a poor relative of the Countess. Return to Warsaw via Brochow village, famous for its Gothic parish church which witnessed many important events in the Chopin family life.
Afternoon at leisure before this evening’s opening concert of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, with the participation of pianists Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire (available only for the first 20 tour bookings received). Argentinean-born Argerich rose to international prominence when she won the seventh International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1965, at age 24. To mark the 150th anniversary of Chopin's death in 1999, Brazilian-born Freire gave a triumphant performance of the composer's Concerto No. 2 in Warsaw. (B,L)
Sun 03 Oct Warsaw
This morning begins the First Stage of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. One of the richest and most prestigious in the world, the competition is open to pianists of all nationalities born in the years 1980–1993 and a list of the 80 participants admitted to the Competition will be announced on 22 April 2010. Over the next three days, you will have the opportunity to attend morning and afternoon sessions and hear up to 16 competitors each day. (B)
Mon 04 / Tue 05 Oct Warsaw
16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. (B)
Wed 06 Oct Warsaw – Krakow
Depart Warsaw for a leisurely day’s drive to Krakow. Stop en route in Częstochowa for lunch and a visit to the Jasna Góra Monastery, the third-largest Catholic pilgrimage site in the world. Home to the beloved icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the monastery is also the national shrine of Poland and the centre of Polish Catholicism. Arrive in Krakow in the late afternoon. (B,L)
Thu 07 Oct Krakow
A full day of sightseeing in Krakow. Begin with a visit to Wawel Castle with its extraordinary collection of 16th century tapestries and Wawel Cathedral, where four centuries of Polish kings and queens are buried. Then to Main Market Square one of the largest town squares in Mediaeval Europe surrounded by palaces and old town houses including the Renaissance Cloth Halls and the Gothic Church of St. Mary’s.
After lunch visit Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter. Established in 1335 by the great Polish King Kazimierz Wielki who appreciated Jewish talents and usefulness for developing the country, Kazimierz is surrounded by defensive walls and has its own Town Hall. The district soon became one of the European centres of Jewish religion, learning and culture. (B,L)
Fri 08 Oct Krakow
Morning visit to the astonishing Wieliczka Salt Mine. Spread over nine levels, it has 300 km of galleries with works of art, altars, and statues sculpted in the salt.
Afternoon at leisure to further explore Krakow on your own. Tonight, subject to performance schedules (announced mid-2010) attend a concert (or opera or ballet) at the Krakow Philharmonic Hall or Slowacki Theatre. (B)
Sat 09 October 2010 Krakow - Paris
Transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Paris (2 hr 20 min).
After arrival at your hotels and lunch, there will be an afternoon walking tour which will introduce you to the area surrounding your hotels. Mid-afternoon check-in at your hotels.
Evening performance at the Palais Garnier of three ballets by Roland Petit by the Paris Opera Ballet. (B,L)
Sun 10 Oct Paris
Full day excursion to Versailles. Start the visit with a tour of the King’s Kitchen Garden and see the newly renovated Hall of Mirrors and State Apartments. After lunch, visit the Queen's Hamlet, the rustic retreat that was built for Marie Antoinette. It is situated in the private section of the park of Versailles, in a secluded spot within reach of Ange-Jacques Gabriel's Petit Trianon, which Louis XV had built for Madame de Pompadour, and which his successor Louis XVI subsequently gave to his queen. (B,L)
Mon 11 Oct Paris
Enjoy a full day tour which will introduce you to the ‘City of Light’. Commencing from your hotel on the ‘Left Bank’, pass through Saint-Germain to St Sulpice, the Luxembourg Gardens, Le Senat and past Les Invalides (tomb of Napoleon). On the ‘Right Bank’, from the Palais de Chaillot with its spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower, you will see the Arc de Triomphe and drive along the Champs Elysées to the Place de la Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries, past the Louvre and the Palais Royal. Finish with a leisurely cruise along the Seine River.
Evening at leisure or optional performance of Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin at the Opera Bastille, including return transfers (price to be confirmed). (B,L)
Tue 12 Oct Paris
While Chopin is most closely associated with his native Poland, it was the decade and a half of his life based in Paris that brought Chopin fame as a virtuoso pianist and as a composer. This morning visit the Chopin Society of Paris, founded in 1911 by Édouard Ganche, Camille Le Senne and Maurice Ravel. Since its inception, the society has cultivated the memory and legacy of Chopin with concerts, exhibitions and other events. Then pay a visit to Chopin's grave in Père-Lachaise cemetery. Other notable personalities also buried in this famous cemetery are Baron Haussmann, Molière, Victor Hugo, Jim Morrison, Sarah Bernhardt, Isadora Duncan, Marcel Proust, Delacroix, Guillaume Apollinaire, Balzac, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas and Edith Piaf.
Afternoon at leisure before a special farewell dinner. (B,D)
Wed 13 Oct Paris
Enjoy a full day of leisure to explore Paris on your own (optional tours available via your hotel concierge, not included in tour cost).
This evening, finish the tour with a concert at the Salle Pleyel by the Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Paavo Jarvi, with violinist Vadim Repin:
PROGRAMME:
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2
(B)
Thu 14 Oct Depart Paris
Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast. (B)
YOUR HOTELS****
Warsaw – Hotel Polonia
Krakow – Holiday Inn
Paris – Victoria Palace or Hotel Le Six
