Thank you for expressing an interest in this festival. You can book immediately. Please contact us directly or book online through our website. Please note that due to Covid-19, we will not be producing hard copies of our brochures this year. Therefore this document is the only brochure for this festival that will be published.
The Danube: Celebrating Beethoven
CELEBRATING MUSIC AND PLACE 20–27 AUGUST 2021
A musical voyage along Europe’s longest and loveliest river
MARTIN RANDALL FESTIVALS
Martin Randall Festivals bring together world-class musicians for a sequence of private concerts in Europe’s glorious historic buildings, many of which are not normally accessible. We take care of all logistics, from flights and hotels to pre-concert talks.
VENICE: PAGEANTRY & PIETY 2–7 NOVEMBER 2020 POLYPHONY IN PORTUGAL 16–21 MAY 2021 MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE 15–22 JUNE 2021 MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE 20–27 AUGUST 2021 THE DIVINE OFFICE 27 SEPTEMBER– 1 OCTOBER 2021 Please contact us for more information.
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CONTENTS
4.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FESTIVAL
14. DISCOVER THE PLACE
18.
TRAVEL OPTIONS 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
19.
PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR Extend your stay in central Europe with our pre-festival tour, King Ludwig II.
Information about the ship.
10. MEET THE MUSICIANS
International musicians of the highest calibre.
Photograph opposite: taken on the Danube Festival ©Bill Knight. Published: August 2020
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21. BOOKING
The booking form, details of our booking process, and terms and conditions.
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INTRODUCTION
THE DANUBE: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN AN INTRODUCTION
“There are and will be a thousand princes; there is only one Beethoven.” (Ludwig van Beethoven)
The greatest composer of all time. This 26th iteration of our Danube festival focuses on Beethoven a year on from the 250th anniversary of his birth (unfortunately 2020 will live long in the memory for another reason). An eightday celebration of arguably the greatest composer of all time, it includes nine concerts which showcase both the depth and breadth of his musical genius, from his larger masterpieces, such as Symphonies 1 and 7 and glorious Mass in C, to his more intimate piano works and string quartets. A smattering of Schubert provides variation. Musicians of the highest calibre from Austria, Germany and Britain. As with all Martin Randall Festivals, the musicians are among the finest in their fields. They include Imogen Cooper, Roderick Williams obe, the Elias Quartet, Andreas Staier, and the Nash Ensemble. Outstanding local artists also perform, such as the Wiener Kammerchor, Bach Consort Wien and the Haydn Philharmonic. 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.
Illustration opposite: Beethoven, after a painting by Julius Schmid.
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A singularly beguiling combination of music and place. Concerts take place in historic buildings which are some of the most beautiful in the Danube valley – palaces, churches, monasteries and country houses. But the value of the juxtaposition goes deeper. The buildings are often of the same period as the music performed in them, and in some cases there are specific and potent historical associations between the two, such as the Bergkirche in Eisenstadt where Beethoven’s Mass in C was first performed. The performances are private, being exclusive to the participants who take the festival package (see details opposite). The small size of the audience and venues leads to an intimacy that engenders a rare intensity of musical communication. Musical insight from a leading expert. Daily talks by musicologist and leading Beethoven scholar Professor Barry Cooper enlighten, stimulate, and inform.
INTRODUCTION
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 first-class river cruiser, chartered exclusively for the festival audience (130 maximum). Launched in 2015, the Amadeus Silver II is one of the more modern river cruisers in Europe.
Access to the concerts is exclusive to those who take the festival package, the price for which includes:
On board the ship
—N ine private concerts (eight for the Walking Party)
— Daily lectures on the music. Acting as both hotel and principal means of —A ccommodation on a first-class river transport, it enables passengers to attend all the concerts and see some of the finest cruiser for seven nights (or in hotels for the Walking Party). art and architecture in the region without having to change hotel or drive long distances. The itinerary takes you through — R eturn flights between the UK and some of the most picturesque stretches Munich. Reduced price if you choose to of the Danube. opt out of these. See page 18. In many ways, however, this venture is far removed from the usual cruising routine. There is little regimentation, no obligatory seating plan, no on-board entertainment, no intrusive announcements – and absolutely no piped music.
—A ll meals, with wine and other drinks, and interval drinks.
THE WALKING ALTERNATIVE
—A ll tips, taxes and admission charges.
Walking the Danube mixes the concerts with country walks. Eight of the concerts are included, and there are six walks of around two hours beside or close to the Danube. Participants stay in hotels rather than on the ship. The group is limited to twenty-two participants.
—A detailed programme booklet.
Professor Barry Cooper is Professor of Music at the University of Manchester. He is best known for his research on Beethoven, on whom he has written or edited eight books. He has also published a scholarly performing edition of Beethoven’s 35 Piano Sonatas (2007), with extensive commentary. His reconstruction of the original slow movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2011. In 2012 he discovered a hymn setting by Beethoven, ‘Tantum ergo’, which was performed at the Martin Harris Centre (University of Manchester) and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. The Walking Party
—C oach travel for airport transfers and to the concert venues, when not reached on foot.
—T he assistance of an experienced team of German-speaking festival staff. Optional pre-festival tour:
Richard Wigmore is a 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. He has provided much of the artistic direction for this festival and gives daily talks on the music.
—K ing Ludwig II – see page 19.
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THE PROGRAMME
THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Day 1
Day 2
Friday 20 August Passau
Saturday 21 August Grein, Dürnstein
Moor at Grein, a charming little town squeezed between the Danube and the hills with a sixteenth-century Schloss rising to one side. The series of daily lectures begins. It is a short walk from the ship to the main square where the tiny theatre lies hidden within the town hall. Constructed in 1791, it is the oldest working theatre in Austria. Seating fewer than 150, the audience splits and the 60-minute concert is performed twice. Fly from London or Manchester or make your way to Passau independently. For travel options, see page 18. The ship is ready for boarding from 4.00pm. Afternoon tea is available upon arrival. 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. In the early evening, once sailing, there is a reception followed by dinner. Walkers: fly at c. 9.00am 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 in which Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned which cling to a steep hill behind the town.
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Concert, 10.30am & 12.00 noon: Grein, Stadttheater String Quartets Elias Quartet The programme consists of includes two of Beethoven’s quartet masterpieces, early and middle: String Quartets Op.18 No.4 in C minor, Op.74 No.10 in E flat Harp. Return to the ship for lunch and sail downstream through the Wachau, one of the most beautiful stretches of the Danube, and moor at Dürnstein. The loveliest little town on the river, a gorgeous Baroque church is perched on the waterfront – which is the venue for the evening concert. Recital, 6.30pm: Dürnstein Abbey, Prälatensaal Lieder by Beethoven & Schubert Roderick Williams obe baritone Susie Allan piano Linked by their themes of distant or lost love, Beethoven’s revolutionary song cycle
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An die ferne Geliebte, Op.98 and Schubert’s sublime last songs Schwanengesang D957 (‘Swan song’, performed in English) are performed here by one of Britain’s leading song duos. Return to the ship for dinner and sail overnight to Vienna. Walkers: drive along a picturesque road beside the Danube to the little riverside town of Grein. The 10.30am concert is followed by lunch before setting out for an afternoon walk (c. 6 km). Begin in woods of pine, beech and birch to the sound of tumbling streams before descending through upland pastures and farmland. Walk on moderately gentle woodland paths and quiet roads, the few steep sections being fairly short. Catch glimpses of the Danube. Drive back to Dürnstein in time for the evening concert and dinner. Final night here.
THE PROGRAMME
Day 3
Day 4
Sunday 22 August Vienna
Monday 23 August Eckartsau, Bratislava
Moor in Nussdorf, twenty minutes by coach from the centre of Vienna.
The ship is moored in the little Austrian town of Hainburg, where Haydn went to school.
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 magnificent and imperious and the charming and unpretentious. It remains one of the world’s greatest centres of art and music.
Disembark for the short drive to Schloss Eckartsau, a Baroque hunting lodge which was extended for Archduke Franz Ferdinand (he of the Sarajevo assassination 1914). Four years later, until March 1919, it became the last Austrian residence of the last Emperor of Austria. Recital, 11.00am: Eckartsau, Schloss Eckartsau Solo piano: Beethoven
There is time to explore the city and an art gallery or two – the Kunsthistorisches Museum should not be missed – before the 4.30pm concert.
Andreas Staier fortepiano The programme consists of Beethoven Bagatelles and Sonatas.
Concert, 4.30pm: Vienna, Albertina Solo piano: Beethoven
Return to the ship after the concert and sail downstream to Bratislava.
Imogen Cooper piano Famed for her performances of the Viennese classics, Imogen Cooper brings her insights to Beethoven’s late, monumental set of Diabelli variations Op.120, the nineteenth century’s answer to Bach’s ‘Goldbergs’. 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 nineteenth century; our recital takes place in the light-filled, delicately Neo-Classical Hall of the Muses.
After the concert join the ship at Nussdorf for dinner. Sail downstream during the night to Hainburg. Walkers: drive to 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 5.5 km walk on footpaths, country roads and quiet streets. Easy terrain. Visit the apartment in Heiligenstadt into which Beethoven moved in 1802, now a museum. Lunch here. Drive to central Vienna with time to refresh before the afternoon concert. First of three nights in Vienna.
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Now capital of Slovakia, Bratislava was for seventy years the second city of Czechoslovakia and for three hundred years before that the capital (as Pressburg) of the Habsburg rump of Hungary while Ottoman Turks occupied most of the country. Its compact historic centre is a delight, one of the loveliest along the Danube, a dense mesh of unspoilt streets, squares and well restored façades. There are several museums and historic buildings to visit before an early-evening concert.
Illustrations: Left: Dürnstein, German etching 1935; Grein, steel engraving c. 1840. Right: Vienna, watercolour by Donald Maxwell, publ. 1932.
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THE PROGRAMME
THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Day 4 cont.
Day 5 Tuesday 24 August Vienna, Eisenstadt
Moor at Nussdorf, where we return to Vienna for a morning concert at the Konzerthaus. Recital, 11.00am: Vienna, Konzerthaus String Quartets Auryn Quartet The Auryn Quartet performs two great contrasting Beethoven String Quartets: No.11, Op.95 Serioso and No. 9 Op.59, No.3, Razumovsky.
Concert, 5.00pm: Bratislava, Primatial Palace Beethoven Piano Trios Amatis Piano Trio The concert takes place in the Mirror Hall of the Primatial Palace, formerly the seat of the Archbishop of Hungary, now the Town Hall. When completed in 1781 it was the grandest building in Bratislava after the castle. The programme includes Beethoven’s Piano Trios Op.70 No.1 Ghost and Op. 97 Archduke. Return to the ship for dinner and sail upstream to Vienna overnight. Walkers: drive to Eckartsau and attend the morning concert. Picnic lunch here before an afternoon circular walk (c.7 km), in the national park surrounding the Schloss. Drive to Bratislava for the evening concert. Dinner in Bratislava. Return to Vienna for the second of three nights. 8
The prolific architectural firm of Fellner & Helmer designed opera houses and concert halls throughout the Habsburg Empire, but the Konzerthaus (1911–13) was their largest undertaking. The 300seat Schubert-Saal is the smallest of the three auditoria within the complex. Return to the ship for lunch before driving to Eisenstadt, an attractive country town to the south-east of Vienna. It is dominated by a vast seventeenthcentury mansion, the principal seat of the Esterházy family, where many of Haydn’s works were first performed. Up the hill, stands the eighteenth-century Bergkirche, a presbytery of a much larger building that was planned but never built. A successor to Haydn’s late masses, Beethoven’s glorious Mass in C is performed here, where it was premiered in 1807. The church interior is a rococo trompe l’oeil fantasy in pinks and greys.
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Concert, 5.00pm: Eisenstadt, Bergkirche Beethoven Mass in C Wiener Kammerchor Bach Consort Vienna Soloists tbc Sail overnight to Melk, mooring after lunch tomorrow. Walkers: attend the morning concert. Three hours of free time in Vienna for independent exploration before driving to Eisenstadt for some more free time, perhaps to visit the Haydn House museum or the Esterházy Palace. Attend the evening concert before returning to Vienna for the third and final night.
THE PROGRAMME
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Wednesday 25 August Melk
Thursday 26 August Linz
Friday 27 August Passau, Munich
Shortly after lunch Melk Abbey appears ahead, dramatically rising on a rock outcrop beside the Danube. 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.
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, 4.30pm: Melk Abbey, Kolomanisaal Beethoven Septet & Schubert Octet
Concert, 4.00pm: Linz, Palais Kaufmännischer Verein Symphonies Haydn Philharmonic
Our symphonic finale includes Beethoven’s exuberant First Symphony, with which he announced himself as the successor This is a rare chance to hear in the same of Haydn and Mozart, while the Seventh, programme Beethoven’s ebullient Septet in dubbed by Wagner ‘the apotheosis of the E-flat, Op.20 - his greatest popular dance’, was among the greatest triumphs hit in his lifetime - and the ‘twin’ it of his career. inspired, Schubert’s irresistbly tuneful Octet in F, D. 803 Sail upstream overnight from Linz to Passau, with a reception and dinner against Return to the ship for dinner. Sail overnight a backdrop of river and wooded hills to Linz, mooring after lunch tomorrow. receding into the dusk. Nash Ensemble
Walkers: drive to Felbring for a morning 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). Lunch in Melk before a guided tour of the Abbey and the afternoon concert. Return to Dürnstein. Overnight here.
Walkers: a morning walk of c. 6.5km starts with a climb of 15 minutes on a small road into the vine-clad hills overlooking the Danube and dips periodically into shaded gullies with butterflies, abundant wildflowers and red-roofed villages in the valley below. The terrain is easy underfoot as the walk is predominantly on quiet, shaded roads. Return to Dürnstein for some free time before travelling by coach to Vienna Airport. Return to Heathrow at c. 6.40pm.
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The ship moors at Passau and coaches leave for Munich city centre and the airport between 8.30 and 9.30am. See page 18 for the options available for return travel to London. Selecting Option 2 allows for an afternoon of independent sightseeing in Munich.
Illustrations: Left: Eisenstadt, steel engraving c. 1850. Right: Linz, main square and Old Cathedral, aquatint c. 1930. Photograph ©Ben Ealovega (taken on a Martin Randall Festival in 2019).
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THE MUSICIANS
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THE MUSICIANS
MEET THE MUSICIANS
THE AURYN QUARTET
ANDREAS STAIER
HAYDN PHILHARMONIC
An outstanding career spanning thirtythree years, during which time the members have not changed, has made the Auryn Quartet one of the most sought-after chamber ensembles in the world. Their numerous recordings include all of Haydn’s quartets and a complete Beethoven cycle.
Andreas Staier first became world famous as a harpsichordist. After studying with Lajos Rovatkay and Ton Koopman, he worked for three years with the Musica Antiqua Köln.
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.
They have appeared worldwide at venues including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and London’s Wigmore Hall, where they performed a complete cycle of the Beethoven quartets. After four decades together, the Quartet announced have that they will disband at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Whether at the harpsichord or the fortepiano, Staier performs at numerous renowned music festivals worldwide with ensembles such as the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Concerto Köln and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Long-time musical partners include the pianists Alexander Melnikov, Christine Schornsheim and Tobias Koch, the violinists Isabelle Faust and Petra Müllejans and the tenor Christoph Prégardien.
The orchestra has made a name for itself outside the Esterházy Palace thanks to numerous tours and performances throughout Europe, the USA, Japan, Korea and China.
Photographs: Andreas Staier ©Josep Molina; The Auryn Quartet ©Manfred Esser.; Haydn Philharmonic ©Nancy Horowitz. Left ©Ben Ealovega (taken on a Martin Randall Festival in 2019).
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THE MUSICIANS
Photographs: This page, left to right: Roderick Williams ©Ben Ealovega; Susie Allan ©Simon Denison; The Amatis Trio, ©Marco Borggreve; Imogen Cooper ©Sim CanettyClarke. Opposite page, left to right: Wiener Kammerchor ©Michael Farber; Elias String Quartet; Bach Consort Wien ©Julia Wesey; Nash Ensemble ©K. Leighton.
RODERICK WILLIAMS
SUSIE ALLAN
AMATIS TRIO
IMOGEN COOPER
Roderick Williams is one of the most sought after baritones of his generation. He performs a wide repertoire from baroque to contemporary music, in the opera house or on the concert platform worldwide.
Susie Allan, one of today’s most perceptive pianists, performs with international vocal soloists including Emma Bell, Susan Gritton, Rowan Pierce, Jonathan McGovern and Mark Padmore.
Regarded as one of the finest interpreters of Classical and Romantic repertoire, Imogen Cooper is internationally renowned for her virtuosity and lyricism.
He enjoys relationships with all the major UK opera houses and orchestras, as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Russian National Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Cincinnati Symphony, Music of the Baroque Chicago, New York Philharmonic and Bach Collegium Japan.
The Amatis Piano Trio was founded in Amsterdam in 2014. Weeks after forming, the trio won the audience prize at the Grachtenfestival-Concours in Amsterdam, which quickly lead to their debut at the Royal Concertgebouw.
Susie’s long-standing musical partnership with Roderick Williams stretches over twenty years. In an exploration of the three Schubert song cycles, a tour of Scwhanengesang, illustrated with poetry readings by Jenny Agutter, took them both sides of the Atlantic from New York City’s Park Avenue Armory to the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, London.
He was awarded an OBE in June 2017.
They recorded a third disc exploring the songs of Arthur Somervell, in Summer 2019.
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The young, international trio has since emerged as one of the leading piano trios among the new generation, receiving enthusiastic responses from audiences and critics across the UK, Europe and Asia. Winners of the 2015 International Parkhouse Competition in Wigmore Hall, the trio has gone on to win several international prizes and competitions.
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Imogen has a widespread international career and has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Budapest Festival, NHK and London Symphony Orchestras. Recent and future concerto performances include the Berliner Philharmoniker with Sir Simon Rattle, Sydney Symphony with Simone Young, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Thomas Dausgaard and the Aurora Orchestra with Nicholas Collon.
THE MUSICIANS
WIENER KAMMERCHOR BACH CONSORT WIEN
NASH ENSEMBLE
One of Austria’s finest choirs, the Wiener Kammerchor (Vienna Chamber Choir) performs throughout the country and abroad and has made many recordings.
The Nash Ensemble, Resident Chamber Ensemble at Wigmore Hall since 2010, is acclaimed for its adventurous programming and virtuoso performances. It presents works from Haydn to the avant-garde, and is a major contributor towards the recognition and promotion of contemporary composers.
Since its founding in 1947, the Choir has developed into a trend-setting 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.
Bach Consort Wien, cofounded by Rubén Dubrovsky in 1999 in Vienna, is one of Austria’s most important Baroque ensembles. In addition to numerous performances in the Vienna Musikverein, it is regularly present on concert stages throughout Europe. The ensemble found its specific musical language in the intensive study and analysis of J.S. Bach’s work. Soloists have included Verónica Cangemi, Florian Boesch, Bernarda Fink, Carlos Mena, Emma Kirkby, Terry Wey, Deborah York, Antonio Giovannini, Kirsten Blaise, Yetzabel Arias, Yeree Suh, Gianluca Buratto, Daniel Johannsen, Christophe Coin and Erich Höbarth.
Numerous awards and accolades have been won over the years, including The Edinburgh Festival Critics award ‘for general artistic excellence’ and two Royal Philharmonic Society awards. In the 2019/20 season the Nash places the music of Schubert and his contemporaries, at the centre of its annual series.
THE ELIAS STRING QUARTET The Elias Quartet take their name from Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah. They formed at the Royal Northern College of Music where they became Junior Fellows and Associate Quartet. They spent a year studying at the Hochschule in Cologne with the Alban Berg String Quartet. In 2009 the Elias participated in BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists’ scheme and was recipient of a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. As a result, the Elias Quartet mounted ‘The Beethoven Project’: performing Beethoven’s string quartets as cycles. The project culminated with a cycle at Wigmore Hall, recorded live for the Wigmore live label.
More about the concerts Private. All the performances are planned and administered by us, and the audience consists exclusively of those who have taken the festival package. Acoustics. This festival is more concerned with locale and authenticity than with acoustic perfection. The venues may have idiosyncrasies or reverberations of the sort not found in modern concert halls.
Seating. Specific seats are not reserved. You sit where you want. Changes. Musicians fall ill, venues may close for repairs, airlines alter schedules: there are many 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 PLACE
DISCOVER THE PLACE ' Outstanding. It was a quality tour, in a beautiful part of the world, with world class concerts.' Participant on The Danube Festival of Song in 2016.
To write about the Danube is to embark on the life story of a large part of Europe.
This is simply Europe’s biggest river. 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, and 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. 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.
Illustration: Dürnstein, early 20th-century etching by Luigi Kasimir.
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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. 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.
THE PLACE
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ACCOMMODATION & PRICES
ACCOMMODATION & PRICES THE SHIP
PRICES
The Amadeus Silver II 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.
Haydn deck – lowest Two sharing: £3,310 per person Single occupancy: £3,910
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. 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). Cabins on the top decks (Mozart and Strauss) are the most desirable, with floorto-ceiling windows which slide open, and minibars. There are twelve suites (Mozart) measuring 26m 2 with a corner sofa area and small balcony. Cabins on the lowest (Haydn) deck have smaller windows which do not open. There are no single cabins as such but we are allocating some twin-bed cabins for single occupancy.
Strauss deck – middle Two sharing: £3,990 per person Single occupancy: £4,710 Mozart deck – top Two sharing: £4,440 per person Single occupancy: £5,240 Suites – Mozart deck Two sharing: £5,260 per person Not available for single occupancy No flights: if you choose not to take one of the flight options on page 18, there is a price reduction of £170 per person.
Mozart Suite 26.4 m 2
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. www.lueftner-cruises.com
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Mozart/Struass cabin 17.5m 2
Haydn cabin 16m 2
ACCOMMODATION & PRICES
THE WALKING PARTY Richard Löwenherz, Dürnstein (richardloewenherz.at): a lovely old-fashioned hotel occupying a historic building with garden and outdoor pool. Hotel Bristol, Vienna (bristolvienna. com): a 5-star hotel in a superb location on the Ringstrasse near the opera house, traditionally furnished and decorated. PRICES Two sharing, per person: £3,120 or £2,950 without flights Single occupancy: £3,490 or £3,320 without flights
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. We ask that you take the simple fitness tests on page 23 before booking. Photograph: The Danube Festival in 2014 ©Bill Knight
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If you have a medical condition or a disability which may affect your holiday or necessitate special arrangements being made for you, please discuss these with us before booking – or, if the condition develops or changes subsequently, as soon as possible before departure. A higher fitness level is required for the Walking Party. You will need to be in good physical condition, and used to country walking over hilly terrain. There is not always the opportunity to return to the hotel to freshen up before every concert or dinner.
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TRAVEL OPTIONS
TRAVEL OPTIONS JOINING & LEAVING THE FESTIVAL Flights with Lufthansa from London or Manchester to Munich are included in the price. Or you can choose to make your own arrangements for travel to and from the festival, for which there is a price reduction.
FESTIVAL FLIGHT OPTIONS Option 1: Heathrow, lunch at Landshut Friday 20th August: London Heathrow to Munich (LH 2471) departing at 09.00 and arriving at 11.50. 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. Friday 27th August: Munich to London Heathrow (LH 2476) departing at 14.45 and arriving at 15.45. Option 2: Heathrow, free time in Munich Friday 20th August: London Heathrow to Munich (LH 2473) departing at 10.55 and arriving at 13.45. Drive directly from the airport to the ship at Passau, a journey of under two hours.
FLIGHTS FROM OTHER DESTINATIONS It may be possible to book individual flights from alternative destinations - contact us to discuss your requirements.
RAIL OPTION Option 3: by rail It is possible to travel by train from London to Passau, c. 16 hours outbound via Brussels and overnight, arriving early Friday morning. The return journey takes c. 12 hours via Frankfurt and Brussels. Contact us for more information.
THE NO GROUP TRAVEL OPTION You can choose not to take any of our flight options and to make your own arrangements for joining and leaving the ship. You are welcome to join our airport coach transfers if your flights or trains coincide with any of the options above. Price reduction for ‘no flights’: £170.
Friday 27th August: Munich to London Heathrow (LH 2480) departing at 18.40 and arriving at 19.40. Coaches take you first to the centre of Munich, where you have about four hours of free time. Option 3: Manchester Friday 20th August: Manchester to Munich (LH 2501) departing at 10.45 and arriving at 13.40. Drive directly from the airport to the ship at Passau, a journey of under two hours. Friday 27th August: Munich to London Manchester (LH 2502) departing at 15.55 and arriving at 17.00. Coaches take you first to the centre of Munich, where you have about two hours of free time.
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No flights: subtract £170 per person from the prices shown.
CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355
THE WALKING PARTY Friday 20 August: London Heathrow to Vienna (OS 452) departing at 09.05 and arriving at 12.25. Thursday 26th August: Vienna to London Heathrow (OS 455) departing at 17.15 and arriving at 18.40. Price reduction for ‘no flights’: £170.
PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR The price for pre-festival tour King Ludwig II includes the option of a return flight – out at the start of the tour, and back at the end of the festival. All pre-festival tour participants return to the UK on festival flight option 1. We charge for flights, if you are taking them, as part of your pre-festival tour booking. You therefore pay the ‘no flights’ price for the festival. See page 19 for full details.
PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR
KING LUDWIG II AND THE WITTELSBACH PALACES OF BAVARIA
Pre-festival tour 15–20 August 2021 (mh 858) 6 days • £2,680 Lecturer: Tom Abbott Germany’s large and beautiful southeastern state of Bavaria is an established destination for Martin Randall Travel, with a number of tours over the years dedicated to a variety of themes. This tour has a different focus, that of the legendary ‘Swan King’ Ludwig II and the House of Wittelsbach from which he hailed, and his extraordinary architectural and cultural legacy.
with Prussia, Austria and France? Once deposed in 1886, what was the cause of his untimely death? Was it suicide, or did it take place at the hand of murderous detractors? Or was it mere accident? Was he an impotent and irresponsible sybarite or a luminous benefactor of the arts?
Architecturally and artistically, the tour encompasses outstanding examples of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, NeoClassical and Romantic styles as well as Ludwig’s fairytale follies. Historically it examines the eccentric world of one of Europe’s most controversial monarchs and the story of what, until German unification, counted as one of the continent’s most important little states.
Day 1: Schleissheim, Munich. Fly at c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Munich (British Airways). Between airport and city, the palace and garden at Schleissheim form a rare ensemble of Baroque taste from an early 17th-century retreat, through the 1684 Lustheim pavilion at the far end of a canal of absolutist straightness, to the magnificent Neues Schloss, begun 1701 but whose progress continued haltingly into the Rococo period. There is a gallery of Baroque art, sculpted stucco of exceptional quality in the state apartments, Hofgarten (Court Garden) and a collection of Meissen porcelain in Schloss Lustheim. First of two nights in Munich.
It is true that Ludwig II’s predilection for aesthetic absorption over political and legal leadership gained him fierce opposition and criticism, but this handsome young king and his elaborate castles are responsible for a considerable proportion of Bavaria’s appeal today. Ironically, the dream world into which the sovereign retreated in order to escape the responsibilities of state now benefits Ludwig’s former kingdom in a way it never did when he inhabited it. Was he, to quote one of his more defamatory labels, insane? Or simply weak, of solitary disposition, and therefore tragically unsuited to the role imposed upon him at a time of Bavaria’s considerable political fragility and conflict
ITINERARY
Day 2: Munich. The Residenz in the centre of the city was the principal Wittelsbach palace and seat of government; a magnificent sprawl of buildings, courtyards, state apartments and museums of every period from Renaissance to the end of the 19th century. There are fine works of art and sumptuous interiors of the highest importance, especially the Rococo interiors and the Cuvilliés Theatre (subject to conf irmation as the theatre can close for rehearsals at short notice). Free afternoon. WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM
Day 3: Nymphenburg, Linderhof, Murnau. Drive to the city’s outskirts and the palace and park of Nymphenburg, birthplace of Ludwig II. An extensive complex including bathhouses and the Rococo Amalienburg lodge. After lunch drive to Ettal, site of the only one of Ludwig II’s commissioned castles to have been completed. 1870s Linderhof was reputed to have been the King’s favourite castle; it draws, like Herrenchiemsee, on French influences, lavish interiors in Renaissance and Baroque styles, extravagant terrace gardens and Oriental adornments. First of three nights in Murnau am Staffelsee. Day 4: Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein. Drive south to Hohenschwangau castle, site of Ludwig II’s childhood, owned by his parents Maximilian II of Bavaria and Princess Marie of Prussia. Majestic lakeside Alpine location, frescoes featuring medieval Swan-Knight Lohengrin which led to Ludwig II’s obsession with Wagner. Then continue to Neuschwanstein, the famous fairytale turreted castle ordered by Ludwig II in homage to Wagner though never completed. Day 5: Herrenchiemsee. In the countryside southeast of Munich and surrounded by a park, woodland and a great lake, Schloss Herrenchiemsee is a copy of Versailles. Ludwig II’s megalomaniac hymn of homage to the absolutism of Louis XIV, his final folly, brought the Bavarian state to the brink of bankruptcy.
Illustration: Schloss Nymphenburg, engraving c. 1770. 19
PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR
' Tom was absolutely wonderful. His depth and breadth of knowledge was awe inspiring. He is kind, courteous and very thoughtful.' Participant on King Ludwig II in 2018.
Day 6: Berg, Starnberg. Leave Murnau, 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. Fly from Munich, returning to London Heathrow at c. 5.30pm. Those joining The Danube: Celebrating Beethoven, travel by coach from Munich airport to Passau.
LECTURER Tom Abbott. Specialist in architectural history from the Baroque to the 20th century with a wide knowledge of the performing arts. He graduated in Psychology and Art History from Carleton College, Minnesota and studied at the Louvre School of Art History in Paris. Since 1987 he has lived in Berlin and has organised and led many academic tours in
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Germany. Tom has a particular interest in the German and American architectural and artistic modern including the Bauhaus and Expressionism.
PRACTICALITIES Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,680 or £2,440 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,060 or £2,820 without flights. Should you choose to combine this tour with The Danube: Celebrating Beethoven, the festival will be charged at the no-flights price. Please note that it is not possible to combine King Ludwig II with Walking the Danube. Included: air travel (economy class) on scheduled British Airways flights (aircraft: A320); travel by private coach throughout; accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine; all admissions; tips for waiters, drivers and guides; all state and airport taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355
Flights are charged as part of your pre-festival booking, so you take the 'no flights' price for the festival (page 16).
Accommodation: Hotel Torbräu, Munich (torbraeu.de): a well-located 4-star, traditional in style and decor. Hotel Alpenhof, Murnau (alpenhof-murnau.com): a rambling 5-star hotel on the outskirts of Murnau with a country house feel. How strenuous? This is a strenuous tour with long coach journeys and a lot of walking and standing around in the castles and gardens. Average distance by coach per day: 65 miles. Group size: between 10 and 22 participants.
BOOKING FORM
THE DANUBE: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN 20–27 AUGUST 2021 (mh 866) 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. Please complete this section, even if you have told us your preferences before: How would you like to be kept informed about our future tours and events?:
E-newsletter Yes
e-newsletter recipients are the f irst
By post No
Yes
No
to hear about our future plans and newly-launched tour departures.
What prompted this booking? Please be as specific as possible – e.g. did you see an advertisement?
DECK, CABIN & FLIGHT – complete this section to stay on the ship.
Deck
Haydn – lowest Strauss Mozart Mozart- suite
Cabin type
Flight option If you are joining the pre-festival tour, please leave this blank.
Single occupancy cabin
Option 1: London Heathrow; lunch in Landshut on day 1
Twin cabin with beds separate
Option 2: London Heathrow; free time in Munich on day 8
Twin cabin with beds together
Option 3: Manchester
PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR – please tick to book.
KING LUDWIG II 15-20 August 2021 (MH 858) Room type – please tick: Double for sole use
No flights: making your own way to and from the ship.
WALKING THE DANUBE - complete this section to join the walking party. Room type – please tick: Double for sole use Double – two sharing
Flight Option– please tick Flights No flights
Twin – two sharing
Double – two sharing Twin – two sharing Flights – please tick: Group flights: out with the pre-festival tour group and returning with the festival No flights: making your own way to the start of the tour, and onwards at the end of the festival
FURTHER INFORMATION & SPECIAL REQUESTS, including dietary needs:
BOOKING FORM
PASSPORT DETAILS & NEXT OF KIN Essential for airlines and the ship, 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 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 (mh 866) 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. 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. TRANSFERRING FUNDS. I have a refund credit note from a cancelled or postponed tour that I would like to use. Please specify the amount below. 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 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 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 30 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 an optional booking 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 or tour 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 our staff. Please read ‘Fitness for the festival’ on page 17 and take the self-assessment tests opposite; by signing the booking form you are stating that you have passed these tests. If during the festival or tour 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 the festival or tour 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 – www.fco.gov.uk – to ensure you understand the travel advice for Germany, Austria and Slovakia. 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. The insurance must cover, at minimum, medical treatment, repatriation,
loss of property and loss of payments to us in the event that you cancel the festival or tour. 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 or tour. Experience indicates that free travel insurance offered by some credit card companies is not to be relied upon. Passports and visas. From 1st January 2021, i.e. at the end of the Brexit transition period, British passports should be valid for at least six months beyond the end of the festival or tour. If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years will not count towards the 6 months needed. Nationals of other countries should check passport and visa requirements with the relevant consulates. If you cancel. If you have to withdraw from the festival or tour, there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before the festival or tour the deposit would be forfeited. Thereafter a percentage of the total cost of the tour 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 cabin but are travelling with a companion who chooses to continue to participate in the festival, 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 the festival or tour. We may decide to cancel a 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 festival or tour to a troubled region even if the FCO does not advise against travel there. Health and safety. We have a safety auditing process in place and, as a minimum, request that all of our suppliers comply with local health and safety regulations. We ask that you take note of the safety information we provide. 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 festival or tour exactly as advertised. We would try to devise a satisfactory alternative, but if the change represents a significant loss to the festival or tour 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. WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM
Financial protection. Any money you have paid to us for a festival or tour which includes an international flight is protected by our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL, number 3622). Payments for holidays 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 in advance of the festival or tour, you would get your money back, or if we failed after it had begun, the festival or tour 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.
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MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL
VENICE: PAGEANTRY & PIETY 2–7 NOVEMBER 2020
Britain’s leading specialist in cultural travel and one of the most respected tour operators in the world.
POLYPHONY IN PORTUGAL 16–21 MAY 2021
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.
MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE 15–22 JUNE 2021 MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE 20–27 AUGUST 2021 THE DIVINE OFFICE 27 SEPTEMBER– 1 OCTOBER 2021 Please contact us for more information.
In recent years, we have organised about 250 expert-led tours for small groups (usually 10 –20 participants), five or six music festivals , six or seven music festivals (such as this festival, The Danube: Celebrating Beethoven), a dozen music and history weekends in the UK and over 100 singleday events in London. For 32 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
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