Music Along the Danube, 31 August–7 September 2019

Music Along the

Danube

CELEBRATING MUSIC AND PLACE 31 AUGUST–7 SEPTEMBER 2019

A musical voyage through Habsburg heartland via Europe’s most sublime waterway.

MARTIN RANDALL FESTIVALS

It is hard to articulate the joy of our festivals.

World-class musicians playing wonderful music in glorious historic buildings.

A thrilling sequence of private concerts, each contrasting with or complementing the others, receptivity deepened by talks by experts.

Anxieties about practicalities – where to eat? where to park? will we miss the last train home? – all fall away. Everything is highly organised, without the feeling of being regimented. You relax in a bubble of untroubled leisure.

The MRT staff are incredible, both at planning these festivals and at looking after everyone during the event.

Artistically, our festivals rank with all but the grandest. None surpasses them for the merry totality of the experience.

Martin Randall Chief Executive

MUSIC IN BOLOGNA 1–6 NOVEMBER 2018 THE J.S. BACH JOURNEY 13–19 MAY 2019 WEST COUNTRY CHORAL FESTIVAL 7–11 JULY 2019 MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE 31 AUGUST–7 SEPTEMBER 2019 SACRED MUSIC IN SANTIAGO 26 or 28 SEPTEMBER–2 OCTOBER 2019 THE THOMAS TALLIS TRAIL 1–3 NOVEMBER 2019 OPERA IN SOUTHERN SICILY 5–11 NOVEMBER 2019

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Photographs. Main: Eszterháza Palace, ©Bill Knight. Inset photo of Martin ©Emmie Scott.

CONTENTS

4.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FESTIVAL

14.

DISCOVER THE PLACE

17.

TRAVEL OPTIONS We offer a range of ways to travel to and from the festival.

From the Danube Valley to the Imperial splendour of Vienna.

6.

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME The day-by-day itinerary including details of concerts.

16.

ACCOMMODATION & PRICES

18.

PRE-FESTIVAL TOURS Extend your stay in central Europe with one of our pre-festival tours.

Information about the ship, and hotels for the walking party.

10.

21.

MEET THE MUSICIANS

International musicians of the highest calibre.

BOOKING

This brochure was produced in-house. Text compiled by Tim Greenhalgh and Martin Randall, with contributions from Charlotte Crow and Lizzie Watson. Designer: Jo Murray (template devised by Silver Leopard, London).

The booking form, details of our booking process, and the booking conditions.

Printed: 6th September 2018.

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INTRODUCTION

MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE

This festival combines music and architecture in a singularly beguiling way.

Concerts take place in historic buildings which are among the most beautiful in the Danube valley – palaces, churches, monasteries and country houses. But the value of the juxtaposition goes deeper. The buildings are generally of the same period as the music performed in them, and in some cases there are specific and potent historical associations between the two.

Now in its 25th year, the festival is established as a prestigious event in the musical calendar and features musicians of the highest calibre from Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Britain.

The festival explores the music of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, perhaps the richest seam in the world. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Dvořák form the core of this year’s programmes, along with a number of less familiar names. Some of the best-loved music in the Classical and Romantic repertoire is performed as well as little-known pieces.

Illustration: Melk Abbey, lithograph by Alois Hänisch (1866–1937).

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The concerts are private, being exclusive to the hundred or so participants who take a package which includes accommodation, meals, interval drinks, travel by air, river and road, lectures and much else besides.

The small size of the audience and of the venues leads to an informality and intimacy which engenders a rare intensity of musical communication.

Musicians love playing for this festival.

Not only are the venues an inspiring change from conventional concert halls, but the audiences are among the best in the world – attentive, knowledgeable and appreciative.

Musicologist Stephen Johnson, and star historian, Professor Sir Richard Evans, give daily lectures on the ship. Music critic, writer and broadcaster Richard Wigmore leads the walking party.

Their brief is to enlighten and stimulate, not merely to inform, and they are chosen not only for their knowledge but also for their ability to communicate clearly and engagingly.

INTRODUCTION

‘ One of the best holidays that we have ever had in our life.

Your team made the whole thing work so well.’

Participant on a previous MRT Danube Festival.

TRAVELLING IN COMFORT

THE FESTIVAL PACKAGE

THE SPEAKERS

To this exceptional artistic and intellectual experience is added a further pleasure: the comfort and convenience of a firstclass river cruiser, chartered exclusively for the festival audience (150 maximum).

The MS Amadeus Star is one of the most comfortable ships on European waters.

Access to the concerts is exclusive to those who take the festival package, the price for which includes:

Talks by leading experts on the music and the history of the region are another important element.

—N ine concerts (seven for the walking party) and daily lectures.

Stephen Johnson. Writer, broadcaster and composer. For 15 years he presented BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music. His books include Bruckner Remembered, studies of Wagner and Mahler and How Shostakovich Changed My Mind, which examines the effect of music on mental health. His orchestral piece Behemoth Dances had its première by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra in 2016.

—A ccommodation on a first-class river cruiser for seven nights or in hotels for Acting as both hotel and principal means of the walking party – see page 16. transport, it enables passengers to attend all the concerts and see some of the finest — F lights between the UK and Munich art and architecture in the region without for those on the ship, or London and having to change hotel or drive long Vienna for the walking party. Reduced distances. The itinerary takes you through price if you choose to opt out of these. some of the most picturesque stretches of the Danube.

—A ll meals, with wine, and interval drinks. Or for the walkers, 5 dinners In many ways, however, this venture is far and 4 lunches. removed from the usual cruising routine.

There is little regimentation, no obligatory —C oach travel between the airport and seating plan, no on-board entertainment, ship or hotel and to the concert venues, no intrusive announcements – and when not reached on foot. absolutely no piped music.

—A ll tips, taxes and admission charges.

THE WALKING ALTERNATIVE You can opt to join the walking party and mix the concerts with country walks, staying in hotels along the way.

Seven of nine concerts are included, and there are five guided walks of 2–3 hours through ravishing scenery.

—A detailed programme booklet.

—T he assistance of an experienced team of German-speaking festival staff.

Optional pre-festival tours: —K ing Ludwig II – see page 18.

— Vienna’s Masterpieces – see page 19.

Professor Sir Richard J. Evans. Regius Professor Emeritus of History and President of Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge, and Provost of Gresham College, London. He is the author of numerous books on Central European history, including The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power and The Third Reich at War. His most recent book is The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1815– 1914, a volume in the Penguin History of Europe, recently issued in paperback.

Richard Wigmore (The Walking Party) Music writer, lecturer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 3. He writes for BBC Music and Gramophone and has taught classes in Lieder history and interpretation at Guildhall, Trinity Laban and Birkbeck College. His publications include Schubert: The Complete Song Texts and Pocket Guide to Haydn.

—G reat Houses of the Czech Lands – see page 20.

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THE PROGRAMME

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Day 1

Day 2

Saturday 31 August Passau

Sunday 1 September Melk

Continue sailing downstream during the morning through a highly attractive stretch of the Danube flanked by wooded hills, fields and periodic villages. The series of daily lectures begins.

Towards the end of the morning Melk Abbey appears ahead, dramatically rising on a rock outcrop. Disembark here for a visit to the abbey, one of the most brilliant creations of the Age of Baroque, a sequence comprising ceremonial courtyards, guest apartments, hall and library culminating in a church of unsurpassed decorative richness.

Fly from London or Manchester or make your way to Passau independently.

For travel options, see page 17.

Concert, 4.30pm: Melk Abbey, Kolomanisaal Wind Quintets

The ship is ready for boarding from 4.00pm. Afternoon tea is available upon arrival.

London Winds Michael Collins clarinet

Piled up on promontories at the confluence of three rivers, the Bavarian city of Passau is dominated by a great Baroque cathedral and crammed with historic buildings. It was one of the most important episcopal seats in Central Europe and served as a refuge for the Habsburg court in times of danger.

After sailing at 6.30pm there is a reception followed by dinner.

Walkers. Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Vienna. Drive to Dürnstein, perhaps the loveliest little town on the river, where two nights are spent. Walk up to the ruins of a castle where Richard the Lionheart was once imprisoned, and which cling to a steep hill behind the town.

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Central European monasteries enjoyed a final flowering in the 18th century, and many ranked as considerable patrons of music. Mozart was one of innumerable professional musicians who performed at Melk. The concert is in the lavishly frescoed Kolomanisaal, a second-floor hall not normally accessible to visitors.

The programme consists of Danzi’s Wind Quintet No.1, and arrangements for wind quintet of Mozart’s Violin Sonata No.32 K.454, Bartok’s Romanian Dances and Dvořák’s String Quartet No.12 Op.96, American.

Return to the ship and resume sailing downstream overnight to Hainburg.

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Walkers. Drive to Felbring for an afternoon woodland walk through landscapes of beech and pine, with vistas across the Danube Valley. Walk c. 6km on a mixture of grassy footpaths and stony tracks, on level terrain with some downhill and uphill sections (sturdy walking boots are necessary). Arrive in Melk, a delightful little town on the Danube nestling under the abbey. Lunch here. Visit the abbey state apartments and church before the afternoon concert. Final night in Dürnstein.

Illustrations. Top left: Passau, 20th-century etching. Above: Melk Abbey, the chapel, photograph ©Bill Knight.

THE PROGRAMME

Day 3

Day 4

Monday 2 September Eszterháza, Eisenstadt

Tuesday 3 September Vienna

The ship remains moored all day in the little Austrian town of Hainburg, where Haydn went to school.

The ship is moored at Nussdorf, 20 minutes by coach from the centre of Vienna.

Drive from Hainburg into Hungary and to Eszterháza, summer residence of Prince Nikolaus ‘the Magnificent’ of Esterházy and hence Joseph Haydn’s principal place of work for nearly 30 years. Perhaps the most beautiful country house in Central Europe, this late-Rococo, early-NeoClassical confection is being restored to its former glory. Lunch is provided here under a grove of horse-chestnuts (there is a wet- attractive country town to the southweather alternative). east of Vienna. It is dominated by a vast 17th-century mansion, the principal seat Concert, 12.15 & 1.45pm: of the Esterházy family. As at the summer Eszterháza Palace, Haydn Hall palace, many of Haydn’s works were first String Quartets performed here. The concert takes place in the great hall.

Consone Quartet Concert, 4.45pm: The recital takes place in the principal hall Eisenstadt, Schloss Esterházy of the palace, which is a delight – white and Haydn Symphonies gold, 18th-century classicism on holiday.

Many of Haydn’s compositions would Haydn Philharmonic have been performed here for the first Nicolas Altstaedt director time. Seating fewer than a hundred, the audience splits and the 50-minute concert The programme includes Haydn’s is performed twice.

Symphonies No.102 in B flat and No.60 in C, Il distratto.

The programme comprises two Haydn quartets: Op.20 No.4 in D and Op.74 Return to the ship and sail upstream during No.3, Rider. the evening. Moor in Vienna-Nussdorf during the night.

Leave Eszterháza, cross from Hungary to Austria and drive to Eisenstadt, an Walkers. Drive to the Burgenland for a walk of c. two hours through gently rolling countryside of vineyards and fields. Continue by coach to Eisenstadt Photograph, centre: for lunch and free time before attending lunch at Eszterháza Palace, on the the afternoon concert there. First of two Danube Festival in 2014 ©Bill Knight. nights in Vienna.

Principal seat of the Habsburgs for over six hundred years, Vienna became capital of a vast agglomeration of territories that encompassed much of Central and Eastern Europe. The fabric of the city is a glorious mix of the magnificently imperious and the charmingly unpretentious, and it remains one of the world’s greatest centres of art and music.

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There is time to explore the city and an art gallery or two – the Kunsthistorisches Museum should not be missed – before the 4.00pm recital.

Recital, 4.00pm: Vienna, Albertina Lieder by Schubert & Mahler Stuart Jackson tenor Julius Drake piano The Albertina, a Habsburg residence named after a son-in-law of Empress Maria Theresa, is home to one of the world’s greatest collections of prints and drawings. The building was refurbished at the beginning of the 19th century, and the light-filled, delicately Neo-Classical Hall of the Muses where the concert takes place is contemporary with Schubert’s maturity.

Rising star Stuart Jackson joins forces with pianist Julius Drake to perform a programme including Lieder by Schubert and Mahler.

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THE PROGRAMME

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Day 5 Wednesday 4 September Grafenegg, Dürnstein

Disembark for the short drive to Schloss Grafenegg, a medieval country residence, which was augmented with one of Austria’s most flamboyant and successful essays in Gothic Revival.

Recital, 11.00am: Schloss Grafenegg, Gartensaal Solo piano: Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart Kristian Bezuidenhout fortepiano At the end of a procession of salons, elaborately decorated with carved and inlaid woodwork, the 1840s Garden Room is filled with natural light. This is the intimate setting for a recital with renowned fortepianist, Kristian Bezuidenhout. The programme includes Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, Mozart’s Sonata No.14, K.457 and Haydn’s Variations in F minor.

Return to the ship and sail for an hour through the Wachau, one of the most beautiful stretches of the Danube. Moor at Dürnstein, perhaps the loveliest little town on the river. The ruins of a castle in which Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned cling to a steep hill which rears behind, while a gorgeous Baroque abbey church perches on the waterfront. Disembark for some free time before an early evening concert.

After the concert join the ship at Nussdorf, sail upstream and moor towards midnight at Krems.

Walkers. A free day in Vienna with the option of a walking tour of Vienna’s musical history with a local guide. Attend the afternoon recital. Overnight Vienna.

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Concert, 6.00pm: Dürnstein Abbey, Church Vienna: Then & Now Wiener Kammerchor Michael Grohotolsky director

The first of this evening’s concerts sees the Vienna Chamber Choir combine motets by Schubert, Bruckner and Haydn with modern and contemporary works including Max Reger’s Nachtlied (Night Song) Op.138, No.3.

Dinner is on-board the ship before we return to the abbey for a second concert. The venue is the abbey’s principal reception room, handsomely decorated with Neo-Classical frescoes and overlooking the Danube.

Concert, 9.00pm: Dürnstein Abbey, Prälatensaal Time & Dimension Vokalensemble Alxingers A sextet formed in 2010 by members of the Wiener Kammerchor perform an a cappella programme including works by Monteverdi, Debussy and Brahms.

Sail to Vienna-Nussdorf during the night.

Walkers. Drive up the Leopoldsberg, a high hill with fine views over the capital and the Danube valley. Walk down through beech woods, vineyards and salubrious ivy-clad suburbs on a 5.5km walk on footpaths, country roads and quiet streets.

Easy terrain. In the attractive wineproducing village of Heiligenstadt visit the apartment where Beethoven stayed (and wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament). After lunch return to Dürnstein for some free time before the evening concerts either side of dinner. Overnight Dürnstein.

Illustration: Vienna, Palais Ferstel, wood engraving 1890.

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THE PROGRAMME

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Thursday 5 September Vienna

Friday 6 September Linz

Saturday 7 September Passau, Munich

Wake up at Nussdorf. There is more free time in Vienna with the opportunity to join a guided visit at the Belvedere or Otto Wagner’s secessionist masterpiece, the Kirche am Steinhof. Converge for an afternoon concert at the Palais Ferstel, a beautiful, opulent neo-medieval building of the 1860s. It formerly accommodated the stock exchange and a bank and still houses offices, shops and the famous Café Central.

Arrive in Linz, the historic capital of Upper Austria, towards the end of the morning. A picturesque maze of streets, alleys and historic buildings is grouped around the huge market square, only yards from the mooring.

Concert, 3.30pm: Vienna, Palais Ferstel Piano Quintets Wihan Quartet Martin Kasík piano The combination of string quartet and piano makes the piano quintet a singularly powerful ensemble as it joins two selfsufficient forces in a grand partnership.

Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor, Op.34, a dark, mighty work of tremendous scope and Dvorák’s Piano Quintet in A, Op.81 are the twin peaks of the repertoire for this instrumentation.

Sail overnight to Linz, mooring before lunch tomorrow.

Walkers. A morning walk (2.5 hours) follows a small road that climbs into the vine-clad hills overlooking the Danube and dips periodically into shaded gullies, with butterflies, abundant wild flowers and redroofed villages in the valley below. Drive to Vienna after lunch for the afternoon concert before retuning to Dürnstein in the evening.

Concert, 2.30pm: Linz, Palais Kaufmännischer Verein Mozart’s Last Symphonies Gabrieli Paul McCreesh conductor Mozart’s last three symphonies (Nos 39– 41) form an extraordinary trio and a fitting finale to the festival. Written in a miraculous blaze during the summer of 1788, Gabrieli perform all three in chronological order, interspersed with short talks and drinks.

Sail upstream overnight from Linz to Passau, with a reception and dinner against a backdrop of river and wooded hills receding into the dusk.

The ship moors at Passau and coaches leave for Munich city centre and the airport between 8.30 and 9.30am. See page 17 for the options available for return travel to London. Selecting Option 2 allows for an afternoon of independent sightseeing in Munich.

Walkers. Some free time before travelling by coach to Vienna Airport. Return to Heathrow at c. 3.40pm.

Walkers. An easy 1.5-hour walk through open fields and woodland to the Abbey of St Florian. Founded in the eighth century, the Abbey became one of the richest in the Austrian Empire. Drive to Linz for the concert. Return to Dürnstein in time for dinner.

Illustrations. Photograph: Danube walking party participants in 2014 ©Bill Knight.

Right: Munich, wood engraving 1865.

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THE MUSICIANS

MEET THE MUSICIANS

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THE MUSICIANS

LONDON WINDS

MICHAEL COLLINS

HAYDN PHILHARMONIC

A stunning combination of virtuoso players who also enjoy active solo careers, London Winds’ performances are renowned for their technical brilliance, interpretative vision and joie de vivre. Founded in 1988 by British clarinettist Michael Collins, the group is now recognised as one of the world’s most prominent chamber ensembles.

Michael Collins is one of the most complete musicians of his generation. With a continuing, distinguished career as a soloist, he has in recent years also become highly regarded as a conductor. From 2010 –2018 he was the Principal Conductor of the City of London Sinfonia.

The Haydn Philharmonic – orchestra in residence at Esterházy Palace – was founded by Adam Fischer in 1987 as Austro-Hungarian Haydn Philharmonic with the intention of bringing together the best musicians from both countries to perform the works of Joseph Haydn in an effort to overcome the border created by the Iron Curtain.

Regular guests at all the major British festivals, London Winds have performed at the BBC Proms, City of London, Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Bath, Aldeburgh, Edinburgh and Cheltenham.

German-French cellist Nicolas Altstaedt has been Artistic Director of the Haydn Philharmonic since 2015.

One of today’s most soughtafter and versatile artists, he performs and conducts repertoire spanning early music to the contemporary.

Highlights of the 2017/18 season have included Haydn’s Seasons at Esterházy Palace Eisenstadt as well as an extensive tour through Japan.

More about the concerts Private events. These concerts are planned and administered

by Martin Randall Travel. The audience consists exclusively of those who have booked the full festival package or walking tour.

Photographs, top left to right: London Winds and Michael Collins ©Eric Richmond; Haydn Philharmonic ©Nancy Horowitz.

Left: from a performance on the Danube Festival in 2014 ©Bill Knight.

Acoustics. This festival is more concerned with authenticity and ambience than acoustical perfection. While some of the venues have excellent acoustics, others have idiosyncrasies not found in modern concert halls.

Seating. Specific seats are not reserved. You sit where you want.

Changes. Musicians fall ill, venues require restoration, airlines alter schedules: there are many unforeseeable circumstances which could necessitate changes to the programme. We ask you to be understanding should they occur.

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Floods and droughts.

We cannot rule out changes to the programme arising from exceptionally high or low water levels on the Danube, either of which may bring river traffic to a halt. These might necessitate more travel by coach or the loss of a concert, though we would always try to minimise the impact on the itinerary.

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THE MUSICIANS

MEET THE MUSICIANS

STUART JACKSON

JULIUS DRAKE

Stuart was a choral scholar at Christ Church, Oxford, studying Biological Sciences, before completing his training at the Royal Academy of Music in 2013 where he studied with Ryland Davies.

He won second prizes at both the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition and at the Hugo Wolf Competition in Stuttgart.

Pianist Julius Drake enjoys an international reputation as one of the finest instrumentalists in his field, collaborating with many of the world’s leading artists, both in recital and on disc.

Concert highlights this season include Messiah and St Matthew Passion on tour with the Orchestra of the 18th Century and Messiah with the Hallé Orchestra and John Butt.

Stuart also makes his debut at English National Opera as Narraboth in Salome.

KRISTIAN BEZUIDENHOUT

Kristian Bezuidenhout is one of today’s most notable and exciting keyboard artists, equally at home on the fortepiano, harpsichord, and modern piano. Born in South Africa in 1979, he began his His passionate interest in song studies in Australia and now has led to invitations to devise lives in London. He first gained song series for Wigmore Hall, international recognition at London, the BBC and The Royal the age of 21 after winning Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. the prestigious first prize, and A series of song recitals – Julius audience prize in the Bruges Drake and Friends – in the Fortepiano Competition. historic Middle Temple Hall in London, has featured recitals Kristian is a regular guest with many outstanding vocal with the world’s leading artists including Sir Thomas ensembles and in 2013 he was Allen, Olaf Bär, Iestyn Davies, nominated as Gramophone Veronique Gens, Sergei Magazine’s Artist of the Leiferkus, Dame Felicity Lott, Year. Recent releases include Simon Keenlyside and Sir Volume 2 of Mozart Piano Willard White.

Concertos with the Freiburger Barockorchester.

Photographs, from left: Stuart Jackson ©Gerard Collett; Julius Drake ©Marco Borggreve; Wiener Kammerchor ©Armin Bardel; (top) Kristian Bezuidenhout ©Marco Borggreve.

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WIENER KAMMERCHOR One of Austria’s finest choirs, the Wiener Kammerchor (Vienna Chamber Choir) performs throughout the country and abroad and has made many recordings. Since its founding in 1947, the Choir has developed into a trendsetting international ensemble for the modern interpretation of choral music. It occupies a place on the Austrian cultural scene and at a range of important European festivals that would otherwise be difficult to fill.

Their conductor, Michael Grohotolsky, teaches at Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts and is also a freelance voice coach and lecturer.

THE MUSICIANS

WIHAN QUARTET

MARTIN KASÍK

GABRIELI

CONSONE QUARTET

Formed in 1985, the Wihan quartet has developed an outstanding reputation for the interpretation of its native Czech heritage, and of the many classical, romantic and modern masterpieces of the string quartet repertoire.

Martin Kasík ranks among the foremost Czech pianists today. He has won many prizes including the prestigious New York Young Concert Artists Competition in 1999 where he was also awarded the Pasadena Symphony Soloist Prize. Other honours include First Prize in the Prague Spring Competition in 1998, the 1999 Akzo Nobel Prize, and the prestigious Davidoff Prize, awarded to him in 2000.

Founded by Paul McCreesh in 1982, Gabrieli Consort & Players are world-renowned interpreters of great choral and instrumental repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Their performances encompass major works from the oratorio tradition, virtuosic a cappella programmes and mouldbreaking reconstructions of music for historical events.

Formed at the Royal College of Music in London, the Consone Quartet explores Classical and early Romantic repertoire on period instruments.

The Quartet’s recording of Dvorák Op.34/Op.105 was chosen as a ‘Recording of the Year’ by BBC Music Magazine.

The Quartet has won many International Competitions including The Prague Spring Festival and the Osaka ‘Chamber Festa’. In 1991, they won both the First Prize and the Audience Prize in the London International String Quartet Competition.

Martin has given concerts at many major European venues as well in as the USA and Asia.

He has appeared as a soloist with a number of orchestras including the New York Chamber Orchestra and Prague Symphony Orchestra.

Photographs, clockwise from top: Gabrieli ©Andy Staples; Consone Quartet ©G.C. Steedman; Wihan Quartet ©Liz Isles.

They are regular visitors to the world’s most prestigious concert halls, and their recordings have garnered numerous international awards.

2019 is the twenty-first year of fruitful collaboration between the Gabrieli and Martin Randall Travel.

Winners of the 2016 Royal Over-Seas League Ensemble Prize, they recently recorded their first CD of Haydn and Mendelssohn on the Ambronay Label as alumni of the EEEmerging (Emerging European Ensembles) Scheme in France.

The group has performed around the UK and Europe and on tour in South America.

Their conductor and artistic director Paul McCreesh is not only recognised as one of the most authoritative and exciting conductors of the earlier repertoire, on the concert platform and in the opera house, but is also much sought after across Europe as a guest conductor for later music.

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THE PLACE

DISCOVER THE PLACE THE RIVER DANUBE

To write about the Danube is to embark on the life story of a large part of Europe.

Unlike every other long river between the Urals and the Bay of Biscay, this majestic stream has never been the possession of any single state or even of any single empire – whether Frank or Slav, Magyar, Teuton or Turk. Through all geo-political obsessions, the Danube has moved with serene impartiality.

This is simply the biggest river of Europe.

From its origins in south-western Germany, the Danube flows to the Black Sea over a course of about 1,750 miles, gathering force from waters which drain 300,000 square miles, passing through ten countries. More than three hundred often furious tributaries pour their national waters into the Danube, but the river placidly swallows them all.

Illustration: The Danube at Persenbeug, early 20th-century etching

by Luigi Kasimir.

A wonderful diversity of scene complements the ethnic, linguistic and national variety. The stretch of river between Passau and Bratislava is one of the loveliest lengths of riparian scenery anywhere in the world. Its monuments are many and remarkable. And nowhere on Earth can match the Danube region for its contribution to the canon of Classical music over the course of several hundred years.

‘ An unimaginably blissful experience.’

Participant on a previous Danube Festival.

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To travel with the Danube is a European experience. There may be no better way of growing into the knowledge of why Europe, even this middle Europe of so many conflicts in the past, has been more than the sum of its parts; and of why these parts, however little they may have seemed to belong to each other (much less love each other), have remained members of one body and segments of one civilisation.

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THE PLACE

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ACCOMMODATION & PRICES

ACCOMMODATION & PRICES THE SHIP, HOTELS THE SHIP

Haydn

The Amadeus Star is one of the newest ships in the Lüftner fleet, and one of the most comfortable river cruisers in Europe. The multinational crew is dedicated to the highest standards of service.

sofa area and small balcony.

Cabins on the lowest (Haydn) deck have smaller windows which don’t open. There are no single cabins as such but we are allocating some twin-bed cabins for single occupancy.

With a floor area of 16m 2 (Haydn deck) or 17m 2 (Strauss and Mozart decks) the cabins are reasonably spacious by the standards of river cruisers. All have windows to the outside and are equipped with the facilities one would expect of a first-class hotel such as adjustable air-conditioning, telephone, TV and safe.

Bathrooms have showers only.

Special attention has been paid to noise insulation.

The public areas include the lounge and bar, a library area and a restaurant which can seat everyone at a single sitting.

The sun deck has a tented area for shade.

In layout and furnishings the cabins are identical, the significant differences being the size of windows and height above water level (higher cabins enjoy better views and fewer stairs).

Strauss deck – middle Two sharing: £3,970 per person Single occupancy: £4,760

Cabins on the top decks (Mozart and Strauss) are the most desirable, with floor-toceiling windows which slide open, and minibars. There are twelve suites (Mozart) measuring 26m 2 with a corner

Suites – Mozart deck Two sharing: £5,180 per person Not available for single occupancy

Strauss

Mozart

www.lueftner-cruises.com PRICES Haydn deck – lowest Two sharing: £3,290 per person Single occupancy: £3,940

Mozart deck – top Two sharing: £4,410 per person Single occupancy: £5,290

No flights: subtract £170 per person from the prices above.

THE WALKING PARTY Hotels. Richard Löwenherz, Dürnstein (richardloewenherz. at): lovely old-fashioned hotel occupying a historic building with garden and outdoor pool.

Hotel Bristol, Vienna (bristolvienna.com): 5-star hotel in a superb location on the Ringstrasse near the opera house, traditionally furnished and decorated.

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PRICES – per person Two sharing: £3,270 per person, or £3,080 without flights.

Single occupancy: £3,640 or £3,450 without flights.

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Suite: 26m 2

Cabin: 16m 2 or 17.5m 2

TRAVEL OPTIONS

TRAVEL OPTIONS JOINING & LEAVING THE FESTIVAL We are offering a choice of three scheduled Lufthansa flights to Munich, from London or Manchester.

FESTIVAL FLIGHT OPTIONS

Please note that each outbound flight is tied to a particular inbound flight. You cannot mix flights from different options.

Saturday 31st August Fly from London Heathrow to Munich (LH 2471) departing 09.00, arriving 11.45. Break the drive to Passau with lunch at Landshut, a former capital of Bavaria. There are two hours here; it should be possible to see the main street with its Renaissance and Baroque house fronts, the great Gothic church of St Martin or the precociously Italianate Renaissance ducal palace.

Option 1: London Heathrow

Saturday 7th September Return to London Heathrow (LH 2476) departing Munich 14.40 and arriving in London at 15.45.

Fitness for the festival Quite a lot of walking is necessary to reach the concert venues and to get around the towns visited. The ship has a lift, but some of the venues do not. Participants need to be averagely fit, sure-footed and able to manage everyday walking and stairclimbing without difficulty.

Option 2: London Heathrow

THE NO-FLIGHTS OPTION

Saturday 31st August Fly from London Heathrow to Munich (LH 2473) departing at 10.55, arriving 13.40.

Drive from the airport to the ship at Passau, a journey of under two hours.

You can choose not to take any of these flights and to make your own arrangements for joining at Passau, boarding the ship between 4.00pm and 6.00pm. You are welcome to join one of the group transfers from Munich Airport.

Saturday 7th September Return to London Heathrow (LH 2480) departing Munich 18.35, arriving in London at 19.40. Coaches take you first to the If you have a medical condition or a disability centre of Munich, where you have about which may affect your holiday or necessitate four hours of free time. special arrangements being made for you, please discuss these with us before booking Option 3: Manchester – or, if the condition develops or changes subsequently, as soon as possible before Saturday 31st August departure. There is no age limit but we do Fly from Manchester to Munich (LH 2501) ask that you assess your fitness by trying the departing 10.45, arriving 13.45. Drive simple exercises on the booking form. directly from the airport to the ship at Passau, a journey of under two hours.

Fitness for walkers: this is a walking tour, graded ‘moderate’. It is essential for Saturday 7th September participants to have appropriate walking Return to Manchester (LH 2502), footwear, be in good physical condition and departing Munich 15.55, arriving 17.00. to be used to country walking with uphill and Coaches take you first to the centre of downhill content. There are a few Munich, where you have about two hours moderately steep climbs, but no walk is more of free time. than 6 miles or 3 hours. There is not always the opportunity to return to the hotel to Note that it is not usually possible to arrange freshen up before every concert or dinner. connecting f lights between Manchester and (Please see www. martinrandall.com/about- other regional UK airports. us for our walking tour grading system.)

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Price reduction for ‘no flights’: £170.

THE WALKING PARTY Saturday 31st August Fly at 09.05 from London Heathrow to Vienna.

Saturday 7th September Fly from Vienna to London Heathrow, arriving at 18.40.

PRE-FESTIVAL TOURS These have their own outbound flight arrangements. See pages 18–20 for details.

All pre-festival tour participants then return to the UK on festival flight option 2.

Illustration: Linz, aquatint c. 1930.

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PRE-FESTIVAL TOURS

KING LUDWIG II & THE WITTELSBACH PALACES OF BAVARIA

Pre-festival tour: 26–31 August 2019 (mf 663) 6 days • £2,480 Lecturer: Tom Abbott Explore eight royal palaces and castles set against the breathtaking backdrop of Germany’s most beautiful state.

Cuvilliés Theatre (subject to conf irmation).

Free afternoon.

Day 3: Nymphenburg, Linderhof, Art and architecture from the Renaissance Murnau. Drive to the palace and park of Nymphenburg, birthplace of Ludwig II. An through to Late Romanticism, much of it extensive complex including bathhouses opulent and theatrical. and the Rococo Amalienburg lodge. After lunch drive to Ettal, site of the only one of The lives, loves and legacies of King Ludwig II’s commissioned castles to have Ludwig II and the House of Wittelsbach, been completed. 1870s Linderhof was rulers of Bavaria for over 700 years. reputed to have been the King’s favourite castle; it draws, like Herrenchiemsee, ITINERARY on French influences, lavish interiors in Renaissance and Baroque styles, Day 1: Schleissheim, Munich. Fly at extravagant terrace gardens and Oriental c. 9.00am from London Heathrow adornments. Please note: the Venus grotto to Munich. The palace and garden at is closed for renovations until 2020. First of Schleissheim form a rare ensemble three nights in Murnau am Staffelsee. of Baroque taste from an early 17thcentury retreat, through the 1684 Day 4: Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein.

Lustheim pavilion at the far end of a Drive south to Hohenschwangau, site of canal of absolutist straightness, to the Ludwig II’s childhood. Majestic lakeside magnificent Neues Schloss, begun 1701 Alpine location, frescoes featuring but whose progress continued haltingly medieval Swan-Knight Lohengrin which into the Rococo period. There is a led to Ludwig II’s obsession with Wagner. gallery of Baroque art, sculpted stucco of exceptional quality in the state apartments, Then continue to Neuschwanstein, the Hofgarten (Court Garden) and a collection famous fairytale turreted castle ordered

by Ludwig II in homage to Wagner though of Meissen porcelain in Schloss Lustheim. never completed.

First of two nights in Munich.

Day 6: Berg, Starnberg. Drive to Berg and the mock Gothic castle to which Ludwig II retreated from his ministers, and where he was placed under house arrest after his forced abdication in 1886 on grounds of insanity. Lake Starnberg surrounds the castle and is the scene of Ludwig II’s death and that of his doctor, officially by drowning. Visit the Memorial Chapel and have lunch in Starnberg. Drive to Munich airport to deposit those returning to London (arriving c. 5.30pm). Continue by coach to Passau to meet the festival. Or of you are joining the walking party, fly to Vienna (additional cost for flight: £100).

PRACTICALITIES Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,480 or £2,310 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,820 or £2,650 without flights.

Included: flights (economy class) with British Airways (aircraft: A320); private coach; hotel accommodation; breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners with wine; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.

Accommodation. Hotel Torbräu, Munich (torbraeu.de): well-located 4-star, Day 5: Herrenchiemsee. In the countryside traditional in style and décor. Hotel Day 2: Munich. The Residenz was the southeast of Munich and surrounded by a principal Wittelsbach palace and seat Alpenhof, Murnau (alpenhof-murnau.com): park, woodland and a great lake, Schloss of government; a magnificent sprawl of rambling 5-star hotel on the outskirts of Herrenchiemsee is a copy of Versailles. buildings, courtyards, state apartments Murnau with a country house feel.

Ludwig II’s megalomaniac hymn of homage and museums of every period from Renaissance to the end of the 19th century. to the absolutism of Louis XIV, his final How strenuous? A strenuous tour with There are fine works of art and sumptuous folly, brought the Bavarian state to the long coach journeys and a lot of walking brink of bankruptcy. interiors of the highest importance, and standing. Average distance by coach especially the Rococo interiors and the per day: 65 miles.

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CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

Group size: 10 –22 participants.

PRE-FESTIVAL TOURS

VIENNA’S MASTERPIECES ART COLLECTIONS OF AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL

Pre-festival tour: 27–31 August 2019 (mf 664) Lecturer: Patrick Bade 5 days • £1,980 Day 3. In a park a few minutes from the hotel see the Art Nouveau former metro stations by Otto Wagner and the Also the key architectural monuments and great Baroque Church of St Charles. The excellent Vienna Museum traces the city’s characteristic streetscape. history through art and artefacts. In the afternoon visit the Secession Building Perfectly located 5-star heritage hotel. which contains Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze, the magnificent Great Hall of the Court ITINERARY Library and the excellent small gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts, which houses a Day 1. Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Vienna and drive to the hotel. masterpiece by Hieronymus Bosch.

Walk to the Kunsthistorisches Museum Day 4. Walk through picturesque streets (Art History Museum), one of the world’s and squares passes private palaces and greatest collections of Old Masters. For this first visit concentrate on the northern public buildings such as the Gothic Revival schools, especially the early Netherlandish city hall and the Neo-Classical Parliament.

The Leopold Collection comprises school, the famous Bruegels, Rubens, excellent examples of the arts from the Rembrandt and Vermeer. turn of the 19th century. The afternoon Day 2. The splendid Belvedere Palace now is spent in the Kunsthistorisches Museum again, this time concentrating mainly on houses the national collection of Austrian Italian pictures – Bellini, Titian, Bellotto. art, medieval, Baroque, Biedermeier There is also the recently re-displayed and Secessionist – Klimt and Schiele. An Kunstkammer here, an outstanding afternoon walk around the Roman and collection of metalwork and sculpture. medieval core of the city takes in the Cathedral, the greatest of Gothic buildings in the Danubian lands, distinguished for its Day 5. Visit the Museum of Applied late mediaeval sculpture, and the Hofburg, Arts, an outstanding collection from all eras and places, well displayed. Travel the sprawling winter palace of the Habsburgs. The precious regalia and objets by train to Passau to join the festival, or remain in Vienna if meeting the walking d’art in the Schatzkammer (Treasury) are party. (Those returning to London f ly from the best of their kind.

Vienna, arriving at Heathrow at c. 3.40pm.)

Focuses on the best of the art in the city – painting, sculpture and decorative arts.

PRACTICALITIES Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,980 or £1,770 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,250 or £2,040 without flights.

Included: flights (economy class) with Austrian Airlines (Airbus A320), coach travel; hotel accommodation; breakfasts, 3 dinners with wine; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer.

Accommodation. Hotel Bristol (bristolvienna.com): 5-star hotel in a superb location on the Ringstrasse near the opera house, traditionally furnished and decorated.

How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking on this tour and standing around in galleries. Tram is used on some occasions.

Group size: 10 –22 participants.

Flights are charged as part of your pre-festival tour booking, so you take the ‘no flights’ price for the festival (page 16).

Illustrations.

Opposite: Linderhof, wood engraving 1887.

Above right: Vienna, Josefsplatz, engraving c. 1810.

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19

PRE-FESTIVAL TOURS

GREAT HOUSES OF THE CZECH LANDS BOHEMIA & MORAVIA

Pre-festival tour: 23–31 August 2019 (mf 660) 9 days • £3,090 Lecturer: Dr Jarl Kremeier A selection from one of the densest collections of country houses and town palaces in Europe.

Prosperous and progressive for most of their history, Bohemia and Moravia were favoured territories for aristocratic estates.

Renaissance houses and decoration of the 16th century particularly feature, Baroque is brilliantly represented, Neo-Classical and Gothic Revival not far behind.

To read the detailed itinerary, please visit www.martinrandall.com, see our 2019 brochure, or contact us.

With an exceptional density of great houses, the Czech Republic, comprising the historic provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, is an essential destination for anyone who cares for country houses and town palaces. With variety also being as much a feature as profusion, visitors are invariably surprised and delighted by the riches that are to be seen in the relatively undiscovered countryside beyond Prague.

Around the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, a period of renewal after a time of troubles, there was a veritable mania for building. Houses in rumbustious Baroque styles arose, sometimes sophisticated, often provincial, usually delightful, always impressive. The Age of Neo-Classicism is also handsomely represented. Many parks and gardens succumbed at this time to the fashion for the English landscaped style. Also partly of British inspiration was the Gothic Revival, and the 19th century produced a large number of mansions shaped by the spirit of Romanticism.

Nearly all the houses retain first-rate furnishings and works of art. On the whole state custodianship has been adequately caring, but since the collapse of Communism a number of properties have been returned to their pre1948 owners. Every year there are improvements to be seen as growing prosperity allows for restoration and more enlightened curatorship.

Natural beauty is also a feature of the tour, with ravishing countryside and a deep rurality which has vanished from much of the rest of Europe.

The Middle Ages had an impact on some of the houses where incorporation of the masonry of a castellar predecessor affected the present plan or appearance.

Reception of Italian Renaissance architecture was precocious, and there are arcaded courtyards of an elegance and scale which are unparalleled elsewhere in Europe. There is also some outstanding decoration of the 16th century.

Illustration: Cesky Krumlov, early-20th-century woodcut.

20

CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

PRACTICALITIES Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,090 or £2,850 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,370 or £3,130 without flights.

Included: flights (economy class) with British Airways (Airbus A320); private coach; private transfer by car to Passau for those joining the festival, or to Vienna for the walking party; hotel accommodation; breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners with wine; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and local guide/interpreter.

Accommodation. Hotel Château Liblice (chateau-liblice.com): 4-star hotel converted from an 18th-cent. house.

Grandezza Hotel, Brno (hotelgrandezza. cz): newly opened luxury boutique hotel.

Hotel U Hraběnky, Telč (hotel-uhrabenky. cz/en): the only usable hotel for many miles around; fairly old-fashioned, if adequately equipped. Hotel Stekl, Hluboká nad Vltavou (hotelstekl.cz): 4-star hotel converted from an auxiliary building belonging to the neighbouring mansion.

How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking, some of it up slopes or up steps.

Average coach travel per day: 87 miles.

Group size: 10 –22 participants.

BOOKING FORM

MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE 31 AUGUST–7 SEPTEMBER 2019 NAME(S) – We do not use titles on documents issued to festival and tour participants unless you want us to by including them here: Participant 1:

Participant 2:

Contact details for all correspondence: Address

Postcode/Zip

Country

Telephone (home) Mobile E-mail T ick if you are happy to receive your festival and booking documents online, where possible – and confirm your e-mail address above.

Marketing preferences – I would like to receive regular updates on MRT tours and events: By post (once a month at most) Yes

By e-mail (weekly)

No

Yes

No

What prompted your booking? e.g. an advert in a specific publication, an e-mail from us, receiving this brochure: DECK, CABIN & FLIGHT – complete this section to stay on the ship. See pages 16–17 for details.

Deck

Cabin type

Flight option If you are joining a pre-festival tour, please do not tick a f light option.

Single occupancy cabin Haydn – lowest

Twin cabin with beds separate

Option 1: Heathrow, lunch in Landshut on the first day.

Strauss – middle

Twin cabin with beds together

Option 2: Heathrow, free time in Munich on the final day.

Mozart – top

Suite with beds separate – Mozart only

Option 3: Manchester

Suite with beds together – Mozart only

No flights: making your own way to and from the ship.

WALKING PARTY – complete this section to stay on land and take country walks.

Room type

Flights

Double for sole use Double – two sharing Twin – two sharing

Group flights: taking the flight arrangements (page 17).

No flights: making your own way to and from Vienna.

PRE-FESTIVAL TOURS – please tick to book. See pages 18–20 for details.

Tour King Ludwig II 26–31 August 2019 (mf 663) Vienna’s Masterpieces 27–31 August 2019 (mf 664) Great Houses of the Czech Lands 23–31 August 2019 (mf 660)

Room-type

Double for sole use Double – two sharing Twin – two sharing

Flights Either f ly out with the tour and back with the festival (on option 2), or make your own arrangements: Group flights No flights

FURTHER INFORMATION & SPECIAL REQUESTS, including dietary needs:

BOOKING FORM

PASSPORT DETAILS & NEXT OF KIN Essential for airlines and the ship/hotels, and in case of emergency. Please use capital letters for your passport details.

Title

Surname

Date of birth (dd/mm/yy)

Forename(s)

Place of birth

1.

2.

Passport number

Place of issue

Next of kin name

Relation to you

Issue date (dd/mm/yy)

Expiry date (dd/mm/yy)

1.

2.

Telephone number(s)

1.

2.

PAYMENT. We prefer payments by bank transfer, cheque or debit card. We can also accept payment by credit card. All money paid to us is fully protected regardless of payment method.

Please tick one option: BANK TRANSFER. Please use your surname and the festival code (mf 665) as a reference and ask your bank to allow for all charges.

Account name: Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Bank: Handelsbanken, 2 Chiswick High Road, London W4 1TH. Account number: 8663 3438. Sort code: 40-51-62.

Transfers from non-UK bank accounts: please instruct your bank to send payment in pound sterling (GBP). IBAN: GB98 HAND 4051 6286 6334 38. Swift/BIC code: HAND GB22.

CHEQUE. I enclose a cheque payable to Martin Randall Travel Ltd – please write the festival code (mf 665) on the back.

DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD. I authorise Martin Randall Travel to contact me by telephone to take payment from my Visa credit/Visa debit/Mastercard/AMEX. Please tick payment amount: EITHER Deposit 10% of total booking cost.

OR Full balance Required if you are booking within 10 weeks of departure.

Carbon offset donation: tick to add £5 per person. We support the India Solar Water Heating project (visit www.martinrandall.com/sustainable-tourism for details).

TOTAL: £ I have read and agree to the Booking Conditions and Privacy Policy (www.martinrandall.com/privacy) on behalf of all listed on this form.

Signature: Date:

FITNESS TESTS Please also read ‘fitness for the festival’ on page 17. By signing this form, you conf irm that you have taken these tests.

1. C hair stands. Sit in a dining chair, with arms folded and hands on opposite shoulders. Stand up and sit down at least eight times in 30 seconds.

2. S tep test. Mark a wall at a height that is halfway between your knee and your hip bone. Raise each knee in turn to the mark at least 60 times in two minutes.

3. A gility test. Place an object three yards from the edge of a chair, sit, and record the time it takes to stand up, walk to the object and sit back down. You should be able to do this in under seven seconds.

An additional indication of the f itness required, though we are not asking you to measure this, is that you should be able to walk unaided at a pace of three miles per hour for at least half an hour at a time, and to stand for at least 15 minutes.

Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House Barley Mow Passage London W4 4GF, United Kingdom

Martin Randall Australasia PO Box 1024 Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia

North America 1155 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 USA

Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 Fax +44 (0)20 8742 7766 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com

Tel 1300 55 95 95 New Zealand 0800 877 622 Fax +61 (0)7 3371 8288 anz@martinrandall.com.au

Tel 1 800 988 6168 usa@martinrandall.com ATOL 3622 | ABTA Y6050 | AITO 5085

BOOKING DETAILS

Making a booking 1. Booking option. We recommend that you contact us first to make a booking option which we will hold for seven days. To confirm it please send the booking form and deposit within this period – the deposit is 10% of your total booking price.

Alternatively, make a definite booking straight away through our website.

2. Definite booking. Fill in the booking form and send it to us with the deposit. It is important that you read the Booking Conditions at this stage, and that you sign the booking form. Full payment is required if you are booking within ten weeks of departure.

3. Our confirmation. Upon receipt of the booking form and deposit we shall send you confirmation of your booking. After this your deposit is nonreturnable except in the special circumstances mentioned in the Booking Conditions. Further details about the festival may also be sent at this stage, or will follow shortly afterwards.

Booking Conditions Please read these. You need to sign your assent to these booking conditions on the booking form.

Our promises to you: —W e aim to be fair, reasonable and sympathetic in all our dealings with clients, and to act always with integrity.

—W e will meet all our legal and regulatory responsibilities, usually going far beyond the minimum obligations.

—W e aim to provide full and accurate information about our holidays. If there are changes, we will tell you promptly.

— I f something does go wrong, we try to put it right.

Our overriding aim is to ensure that every client is satisfied with our services.

What we ask of you. That you read the information we send to you.

Specific terms: Our contract with you. From the time we receive your signed booking form and initial payment, a contract exists between you and Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Eligibility. You must be in good health and have a level of fitness that would not impair other participants’ enjoyment by slowing them down or by absorbing disproportionate attention from festival staff. Please read Fitness for the festival (p.17) and take the selfassessment tests described on the booking form; by signing the booking form you are stating that you have passed these tests. If during the festival it transpires, in the judgement of our staff, that you are not able to cope, you may be asked to opt out of certain visits or to leave altogether. This would be at your own expense. We reserve the right to refuse to accept a booking without necessarily giving a reason.

Foreign Office advice. Before booking, please refer to the FCO website (fco.gov.uk) to ensure you understand the travel advice for Austria and Germany.

Non-UK citizens should look at the advice issued by their governments, which may differ significantly.

Insurance. It is a requirement of booking that you have adequate holiday insurance cover. This must cover, at minimum, medical treatment, repatriation, loss of property and loss of payments to us in the event that you cancel your booking. If you are making your own

arrangements for international travel, please ensure you have insurance that protects you in the rare event of Martin Randall Travel cancelling the festival.

Experience indicates that free travel insurance offered by some credit card companies is not to be relied upon.

Passports and visas. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of the festival.

Visas are not required for Austria and Germany for UK or other EU citizens, or for citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Nationals of other countries should ascertain whether visas are required in their case, and obtain them if they are.

If you cancel. If you have to cancel your booking after confirmation, there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before departure the deposit would be forfeited.

Thereafter a percentage of the total cost of your booking will be due: up to 57 days: between 56 and 29 days: between 28 and 15 days: between 14 days and 3 days: within 48 hours:

deposit only 40% 60% 80% 100%

If you cancel your booking in a double or twin room but are travelling with a companion who chooses to continue to participate, the companion would have to pay the single-occupancy price.

We take as the day of cancellation that on which we receive written confirmation of cancellation.

If we cancel. We may decide to cancel the festival or tour if there were insufficient bookings for it to be viable (though this would always be more than eight weeks before departure). We would refund you with everything you had paid us.

Safety and security. Cancellation may also occur if civil unrest, war, natural disaster or other circumstances amounting to force majeure arise in the region to which the festival or tour was due to go. If the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel, we would either cancel or adjust the itinerary to avoid risky areas. We would also treat sympathetically a wish to withdraw from a tour or festival to a troubled region even if the FCO does not advise against travel there. In the event of cancellation before departure we would give you a full refund; costs incurred due to curtailment after departure should be covered by your individual insurance policy.

Health and safety. We subscribe to the health and safety legislation of the countries visited. The generally high standards of the UK are not found everywhere; regulations may diverge in particular in the areas of accessibility, handrails and seatbelts.

With rare exceptions, all the hotels and ships we use have undergone a safety audit, by our staff or by independent consultants on our behalf.

The limits of our liabilities. As principal, we accept responsibility for all ingredients of a festival or tour, except those in which the principle of force majeure prevails. Our obligations and responsibilities are also limited where international conventions apply in respect of air, sea or rail carriers, including the Warsaw Convention and its various updates.

If we make changes. Circumstances might arise which prevent us from operating a tour or festival exactly as advertised. We would try to devise a satisfactory alternative, but if the change represents a significant loss to the tour or festival we would offer compensation. If you decide to cancel because the alternative we offer is not in your view an adequate substitute, we would give a full refund.

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Financial protection. Any money you have paid to us for a tour or festival which includes an international flight is protected by our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL, number 3622). Payments for tours or festivals which do not include a flight from/to the UK are protected by ABTA – The Travel Association. So, in the (highly unlikely) event of our insolvency before departure, you would get your money back, or if we failed after the tour or festival had begun, it would be able to continue and you would be returned to the UK at its conclusion. Clients living elsewhere who have arranged their own flights should ensure their personal travel insurance covers repatriation in the event of holiday supplier failure.

Financial protection: the official text. We are required to publish the following. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays which include international flights, by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 3622. When you buy an ATOL protected flight inclusive holiday from us you receive an ATOL Certificate.

This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. Most of our flights and flightinclusive holidays on our website and in our brochure are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected.

If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. In order to be protected under the ATOL scheme you need to be in the UK when you make your booking and/or one of the flights you take must originate or terminate in the UK with the group.

We provide full financial protection for our package holidays that do not include a flight, by way of a bond held

by ABTA The Travel Association.

We will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where we aren’t able do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable). If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme.

You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the nonprovision of the services, including any claim against us (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims maybe re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

English Law. These conditions form part of your contract with Martin Randall Travel Ltd and are governed by English law. All proceedings shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Privacy. By signing the booking form you are stating that you have read and agree to our Privacy Policy, which can be found online at www.martinrandall.com/privacy.

23

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL

MUSIC IN BOLOGNA 1–6 NOVEMBER 2018

is Britain’s leading specialist in cultural travel and one of the most respected tour operators in the world.

THE J.S. BACH JOURNEY 13–19 MAY 2019 WEST COUNTRY CHORAL FESTIVAL 7–11 JULY 2019 MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE 31 AUGUST–7 SEPTEMBER 2019 SACRED MUSIC IN SANTIAGO 26 or 28 SEPTEMBER–2 OCTOBER 2019 THE THOMAS TALLIS TRAIL 1–3 NOVEMBER 2019 OPERA IN SOUTHERN SICILY 5–11 NOVEMBER 2019 MID-WEEK & WEEKEND CHAMBER MUSIC Endellion String Quartet, 15–17 October 2018 The Albion Quartet, 23–25 November 2018 Rising Stars, 25–27 January 2019 The Nash Ensemble, 1–3 March 2019 The Heath Quartet, 5–7 April 2019 Fitzwilliam String Quartet, 14–16 May 2019

MRT aims to produce the best planned, best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours and events available. They focus on art, architecture, archaeology, history, music and gastronomy, and are spread across Britain, continental Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, India, China, Japan and the Americas.

Each year there are about 250 expert-led tours for small groups (usually 10 –20 participants), six or seven music festivals (such as this festival, Music Along the Danube), a dozen music and history weekends in the UK and over 100 single-day events in London.

For nearly 30 years the company has led the field through incessant innovation and improvement, setting the benchmarks for itinerary planning, operational systems and service standards.

To see our full range of cultural tours and events, please visit www.martinrandall.com

Please contact us for more information.

Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House Barley Mow Passage London W4 4GF, United Kingdom

Martin Randall Australasia PO Box 1024 Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia

North America 1155 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 USA

Tel +44 (0)20 8742 3355 Fax +44 (0)20 8742 7766 info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com

Tel 1300 55 95 95 New Zealand 0800 877 622 Fax +61 (0)7 3371 8288 anz@martinrandall.com.au

Tel 1 800 988 6168 usa@martinrandall.com