Venice: Pageantry & Piety, 2–7 November 2020 by Martin Randall Travel

Venice

Pageantry & Piety

CELEBRATING MUSIC AND PLACE 2–7 NOVEMBER 2020

Seven concerts of Venetian music in palaces, churches, great halls and St Mark’s Basilica.

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 preconcert talks.

THE THOMAS TALLIS TRAIL 1–3 NOVEMBER 2019 OPERA IN SOUTHERN SICILY 5–11 NOVEMBER 2019 MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE 30 JUNE–7 JULY 2020 MUSIC IN THE LOIRE VALLEY 7–13 JULY 2020 THE DANUBE: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN 24–31 AUGUST 2020 THE DIVINE OFFICE 28 SEPTEMBER–2 OCTOBER 2020 VENICE: PAGEANTRY & PIETY 2–7 NOVEMBER 2020

CONTENTS

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FESTIVAL Discover the festival packages and location.

12.

19.

TRAVEL OPTIONS Travel to Venice with us, or make your own way.

MEET THE MUSICIANS

International musicians of the highest calibre.

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

16.

ACCOMMODATION & PRICES

21. PRE- & POSTFESTIVAL

Extend your time in Italy with one of our tours.

A choice of six of the most comfortable hotels in Venice.

10. DISCOVER THE PLACE

Venice: the most beautiful city on earth.

25. Front cover: Canaletto, ‘Bucentaur’s return to the pier by the Palazzo Ducale’ ©akg-images.

BOOKING

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

Opposite: Venice, Interior of St Mark’s Basilica, detail from a lithograph by Samuel Prout c. 1835. Printed: 29 August 2019.

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INTRODUCTION

VENICE: PAGEANTRY & PIETY

If hearing music in the place for which it was written is a special joy, imagine the experience when that place is the most beautiful city on Earth.

VENETIAN MUSIC IN VENICE. This festival provides a unique opportunity to hear the authentic sound of La Serenissima. The city may be utterly enchanting to look at and its art and architecture among the finest achievements of western civilisation, but the maritime republic happens also to have been the centre of European musical life from the Renaissance to the Age of Baroque. Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Vivaldi – the early music revival has placed these names alongside the great names of the Classical and Romantic periods. But they were not alone: for over 200 years there were countless other composers and performers in Venice, an astonishing profusion of talent which fed the voracious appetite for spectacle and beauty that so distinguished Venetian life, both public and private.

Illustration: Venice, vue d’optique, hand-coloured copper engraving c. 1774.

THE PERFORMERS ARE AMONG THE FINEST LIVING INTERPRETERS OF VENETIAN MUSIC, from Paul McCreesh’s Gabrieli Consort & Players performing A Feast for San Rocco in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco itself, to Vivaldi specialists Modo Antiquo. This veritable roll call of the greatest performers of this repertoire also includes Il Pomo d’Oro, with star soprano Roberta Mameli, the Monteverdi String Band and the ensemble La Serenissima, the UK’s leading exponent of the music of 18th-century Venice.

A PRIVATE CONCERT IN THE BASILICA DI SAN MARCO is the glorious culmination of this superb programme of seven concerts in seven contrasting venues. A fitting finale, Monteverdi’s ‘1610 Vespers’ is performed by Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Consort, whose seminal recording of the piece is arguably the greatest version of all time. For some, a private out-of-hours visit to the Byzantine majesty of St Mark’s is among their lifetime highlights – the addition of sublime music by outstanding artists elevates this experience to indescribable heights. MUSICAL INSIGHT FROM LEADING EXPERTS. Daily talks by lecturers Professor John Bryan and Dr David Vickers elucidate the programme of music and its Venetian context. A METICULOUSLY AND THOUGHTFULLY CURATED EXPERIENCE. The performances are private, being exclusive to participants who take a package which includes accommodation, flights from London, airport transfers, lectures, dinners, interval drinks and much else besides. You may also sign up to walks and visits led by art historians and outstanding guides, and join a pre- or post-festival tour.

INTRODUCTION

THE FESTIVAL PACKAGE

FESTIVAL SPEAKERS

The price includes:

Optional extras:

— A ll seven performances.

—A choice of pre- and post- festival tours or London Day. See pages 21–24.

— Daily lectures on the music. —A ccommodation for 5 nights – choose between 6 hotels. See pages 16–18. —R eturn flights between London and Venice (reduced price if you arrange your own). See page 19. —B reakfasts, two dinners and interval drinks.

—A rriving a day early at your festival hotel. See pages 16–18. —A n optional package of three extra dinners, which means that every evening is spent in the company of other festival participants – full information and prices will be sent to all those booked at a later stage.

— Water taxis between the airport and hotels, and unlimited free use of the vaporetti (water buses). — A ll tips, taxes and obligatory charges.

The spoken word is an important ingredient of the festival. Each morning begins with an introduction to the music and there will be a selection of optional walks and visits, all of which are led by one of our lecturers with a deep knowledge of the city – see page 9. The festival programme was devised in collaboration with David Vickers, who gives talks during the festival. Music historian, critic, journalist, broadcaster and lecturer, David is a leading expert on Renaissance and Baroque music. Outlets include Gramophone and BBC Radio 3, and he teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music. He is co-editor of The Cambridge Handel Encyclopedia and is preparing new editions of Handel operas.

— A detailed programme booklet. Professor John Bryan. Emeritus professor of Music at the University of Huddersfield, and a practising musician, John is a member of the Rose Consort of Viols and has performed with Musica Antiqua. He is an artistic adviser to York Early Music Festival, founded the North East Early Music Forum, is chair of the Viola da Gamba Society and has been guest conductor of York Opera and The Academy of St Olave’s.

— T he assistance of a team of Italian speaking festival staff and a detailed programme booklet.

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THE PROGRAMME

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Arrive a day early Sunday 1 November

Day 1 Monday 2 November

The first concert is preceded by a lecture by Professor John Bryan.

We are offering the option of arriving at your hotel in Venice a day before the festival begins.

Concert, 11.30am and 3.00pm: Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Derelitti Vivaldi: Sonatas & Concertos

Take one of our festival flight options from London, or make your own way independently – see page 19.

Modo Antiquo Federico Sardelli director

If you choose one of our flights, you are met at Venice Marco Polo airport by our festival staff.

The Red Priest’s music written for the Ospedale della Pietà encompassed almost all genres. A selection from the abundant sonatas and concertos for assorted mixed instruments will be performed by Modo Antiquo, including Federico Maria Sardelli’s new reconstructions of incomplete works found in a book that reputedly belonged to Vivaldi’s pupil Anna Maria.

Transfer to Venice by motoscafo.

Take one of our festival flight options from London, or make your own way independently – see page 19. If you choose one of our flights, you are met at Venice Marco Polo airport by our festival staff. Transfer to Venice by motoscafo. For those already in Venice, the day is free until the evening, unless you opt to participate in optional walks or visits. Repeated concerts. Four of our venues are not big enough for the whole audience, so at these, the performance will be repeated.

Day 2 Tuesday 3 November

Santa Maria dei Derelitti is the church attached to the Ospedaletto, one of the four orphanages which were renowned as centres of musical excellence (of which the Ospedale della Pietà was also one). The institution survives as a hospital. The church probably has the best acoustics of any in Venice, and the original screened musicians’ gallery survives. The concert is followed by free time and an independent dinner, unless you choose to attend an optional dinner.

Settle into your chosen hotel before welcome drinks and dinner. If you choose option 6 f lights, you may arrive late to the welcome drinks and dinner. Illustration: ‘A Quiet Rio’, watercolour by Mortimer Menpes, publ. 1904. Photograph opposite: taken on a Martin Randall Festival ©Ben Ealovega.

THE PROGRAMME

Day 3 Wednesday 4 November

We gather in the evening for our concert at the most magnificent of all confraternity premises, La Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Constructed in the 16th century, it was adorned with a magnificent cycle of dynamic and highly-charged canvasses by Tintoretto. In combination with the carved and gilded woodwork, this created one of the most lavish interiors in Venice, and one of the largest.

The Ateneo Veneto was built in the 1590s as the Scuola di San Fantin. Since the confraternity’s dissolution in 1806, the building has become the seat of various cultural societies. The main hall is decorated with elaborate woodwork and paintings (artists include Veronese and Palma Il Giovane). As the hall is small, this performance is to be repeated on consecutive mornings.

late 17th-century musicians employed at St Mark’s under dissimilar circumstances. The disgraced Leipziger fugitive was in exile whereas the maestro was admired across Italy before he settled in Venice.

Concert, 8.00pm: Scuola Grande di San Rocco Feast for San Rocco

Concert, 11.00am: Ateneo Veneto The Fugitive & the Maestro: Rosenmüller & Legrenzi

La Serenissima Adrian Chandler director, violin Joanne Lunn soprano Renata Pokupić mezzo-soprano Sioned Gwen Davies alto Ashley Riches bass-baritone

Gabrieli Consort & Players Paul McCreesh director An Englishman at the feast of San Rocco in 1608 praised that the music directed by Giovanni Gabrieli ‘did even ravish and stupifie all those strangers that never heard the like.’ The splendid celebration is recreated in the original venue with a rich variety of exquisite instrumental sonatas, delectable solo motets and spectacular polychoral masterpieces.

The Monteverdi String Band Oliver Webber director Diverse chamber sonatas for two to five instruments by Rosenmüller and Legrenzi illustrate the exceptional qualities of two

Concert, 5.30pm: La Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista Lotti: Music for Venetian Vespers

Lotti’s famous eight-part Crucif ixus is popular with choirs as a Renaissancestyle motet, but he was an influential contemporary of Handel and Bach – both of whom admired and copied out his works. Seldom performed but preserved in libraries all over Europe, Lotti’s Venetian vespers music in the modern baroque style is brought back to life by La Serenissima. La Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista was one of the greatest of the Venetian scuole – charitable, religious and social institutions that provided platforms for much of the city’s cultural life. The Renaissance transformation of their premises which began in the 1480s culminates in a glorious hall, which was further embellished in the 16th and 18th centuries. The building is not generally open to the public.

Extra dinners You can choose to join three extra dinners on 3, 5 and 6 November. This ensures that you eat in the company of other festival participants on all evenings. Details and prices will be sent to all those booked at a later stage.

The concert is followed by a gala dinner in the Sala delle colonne within the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista.

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THE PROGRAMME

THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Day 4 Thursday 5 November

Day 5 Friday 6 November

A plenary lecture precedes the repeat concert of The Fugitive and the Maestro for the second half of the audience.

The penultimate concert takes place in baroque Palazzo Pisani a Santo Stefano, home to the Venetian conservatoire, which was established in 1876 and named after the Venetian composer Benedetto Marcello. Many of its spacious rooms are decorated with frescoes and the large ballroom is now used as a concert hall. Its now-lost rich art gallery included works by Titian, Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese.

For those who attend this concert on day 3, the day is free after the morning lecture until this evening’s concert. Concert, 11.00am: Ateneo Veneto The Fugitive & the Maestro: Rosenmüller & Legrenzi

Pre-concert drinks, 11.30am or 2.30pm.

See day 3 for programme information.

Concert, 12.00 noon or 3.00pm: Conservatorio di Benedetto Marcello The Harmony of Venice: the inspirations and songs of Barbara Strozzi

The afternoon is free. There is the chance to sign up for optional walks and visits nearer the time.

Il Pomo d’Oro Francesco Corti conductor Roberta Mameli soprano

Concert, 6.15pm or 9.00pm: Ca’ Sagredo Unica lux Venetum: the Myth of Venice

The extraordinary composer-performer Barbara Strozzi (1619–77) published eight collections of works. She studied with Cavalli, who had studied with Monteverdi. A selection of secular music by all three of them recreates the atmosphere of the Venetian academies at which Strozzi unveiled her sophisticated union of poetry and harmony.

The Monteverdi String Band Oliver Webber director

In Echo Gawain Glenton director, cornetto The image of Venice as a great Renaissance power was cultivated not only in the architecture of Palladio and the art of Veronese, but also in secular and sacred music by Willaert, Cipriano, Donato, Croce and both Gabrielis – all employed at St Mark’s, and whose talents advocated the glory of La Serenissima.

Situated on the Grand Canal, the Ca’ Sagredo was largely rebuilt and decorated in the first half of the 18th century. A Baroque stairway leads to a sequence of frescoed halls – one with a ceiling by Giambattista Tiepolo – and culminates in the ballroom, glorious if endearingly past its prime in a quintessentially Venetian way. Again, due to the size of the hall, the concert will be repeated.

Photograph: Taken on a Martin Randall Festival ©Ben Ealovega.

The rest of the afternoon is free, unless you join an optional dinner. Our closing concert takes place in St Mark’s Basilica. St Mark’s was built as the Doge’s chapel and shrine of Venice’s patron saint, Mark the Evangelist, and is now the cathedral. With its quincunx of domes and acres of mosaics, it is the most glorious Byzantine-style building in the West. Begun in the 11th century, embellishment continued through the Middle Ages and beyond.

THE PROGRAMME

‘ Top quality, private performances and immaculate planning and organisation in amazing places.’ Participant on our previous festival in Venice.

Day 6 Saturday 7 November

Transfers to the airport by motoscafo. Fly back to London on one of the festival flight options – see page 19 – or leave the festival independently.

Optional walks and visits: lecturers

Concert, c. 8.30pm: Basilica di San Marco Monteverdi: Vespro della beata Vergine (1610) The Taverner Consort & Players Andrew Parrott director The Monteverdi String Band The English Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble Monteverdi’s virtuoso collection of motets, psalms and Magnif icat was printed shortly before his momentous move from Mantua to maestro di cappella at St Mark’s in Venice. The glorious music of the socalled 1610 Vespers will be presented by

scholar-performer Andrew Parrott and his Taverner Consort, in collaboration with the Monteverdi String Band and the English Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble, as an imagined liturgical celebration of a Marian feast in the early 1600s.

Illustration, above: Basilica di San Marco, lithograph c. 1850.

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Dr Michael Douglas-Scott. Associate Lecturer in History of Art at Birkbeck College, specialising in 16th-century Italian art and architecture. He studied at the Courtauld and Birkbeck College, University of London and lived in Rome for several years. He has written articles for Arte Veneta, Burlington Magazine and the Journal of the Warburg & Courtauld Institutes. Dr R. T. Cobianchi. Art historian and researcher specialising in Italian art and architecture of the Renaissance and Baroque. His particular interests include the iconography of the late Middle Ages and Neoclassical sculpture. More to be confirmed. Full information about walks and visits, with prices, will be sent to all those booked at a later stage.

THE PLACE

DISCOVER VENICE THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY

There are not half-a-dozen cities in the world which surpass Venice for the sheer number of major works of architecture, sculpture and painting.

For the world’s most beautiful city, Venice had an inauspicious start. The site was once merely a collection of mudbanks, and the first settlers came as refugees fleeing the barbarian destroyers of the Roman Empire. They sought to escape to terrain so inhospitable that no foe would follow. The success of the community that arose on the site would have been beyond the wildest imaginings of the first Venetians. By the end of the Middle Ages Venice had become the leading maritime power in the Mediterranean and possibly the wealthiest city in Europe. The shallow waters of the lagoon had indeed kept its safe from malign incursions and it kept its independence until the end of the eighteenth century. ‘Once did she hold the gorgeous East in fee, and was the safeguard of the West, Venice, eldest child of liberty.’

Illustration: Etching c. 1930 by Antoine Gaymard after a painting by J.M.W. Turner.

Trade with the East was the source of that wealth and power, and the eastern connection has left its indelible stamp upon Venetian art and architecture. Western styles are here tempered by a richness of effect and delicacy of pattern which is redolent of oriental opulence. It is above all by its colour that Venetian painting is distinguished. And whether sonorous or poetic, from Bellini through Titian to Tiepolo, there remain echoes of the transcendental splendour of the Byzantine mosaics of St Mark’s. That Venice survives so comprehensively from the days of its greatness, so little ruffled by modern intrusions, would suffice to make it the goal of everyone who is curious about the man-made world. Thoroughfares being water and cars nonexistent, the imagination traverses the centuries with ease.

THE PLACE

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; The attention to detail, the intelligent and creative programme, the kindness of the staff, and the unstinting standard of everything made me feel extraordinarily privileged.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Participant on our previous festival in Venice.

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THE MUSICIANS

MEET THE MUSICIANS

Photograph: Taken on a Martin Randall Festival Â©Ben Ealovega.

THE MUSICIANS

LA SERENISSIMA Established in 1994, La Serenissima is recognised as the UK’s leading exponent of the music of 18th-century Venice and connected composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from manuscript or contemporary sources. La Serenissima has performed nationally and internationally to great acclaim; recent highlights include concerts at Bridgewater Hall, Sage Gateshead and Wigmore Hall, festivals in Franconia, Sablé, Swansea, Valetta and Venice. La Serenissima is proud to have the backing of its Honorary Patron, His Excellency The Italian Ambassador.

Director and violinist Adrian Chandler has dedicated his life to Italian Baroque music. While a student at the Royal College of Music, he founded La Serenissima with whom he has since performed numerous recitals, concerts and operas in major festivals in the UK, Belgium and Italy, as well as in concert series at home and abroad. He has appeared as guest director with various ensembles and in 2020 will make his debut directing Concerto Copenhagen in Denmark.

Photographs, clockwise from top left: Joanne Lunn ©Redpath; Sioned Gwen Davies; La Serenissima ©Eric Richmond; Ashley Riches ©Debbie Scanlon; Renata Pokupić ©Chris Gloag.

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. Seating. Specific seats are not reserved. You sit where you want. Comfort. Seats in the churches are likely to be pews. In another couple of venues heating is inadequate; expect to wear coat and gloves during those concerts.

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. 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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Joanne Lunn is one of Britain’s leading Baroque sopranos. She performs regularly with the Dunedin Consort (John Butt), Concerto Copenhagen, Tafelmusik (Toronto), Cappella Amsterdam, Ensemble Pygmalion and Knabenchor, Hanover. Joanne has also appeared regularly in concert in Moscow as well as with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Croatian mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić is praised for her engaging and expressive interpretation of Baroque, classical and coloratura repertoire. She has appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in The Marriage of Figaro and Faust. An accomplished recitalist, Pokupić works regularly with the internationally acclaimed pianist Roger Vignoles. Coupled with a beautifully rich voice and an impressive range, Welsh mezzosoprano Sioned Gwen Davies is equally at ease in lyric and dramatic roles. Formerly an Emerging Artist with Scottish Opera, Sioned represented Wales at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2017 at St David’s Hall. British bass-baritone Ashley Riches read English at the University of Cambridge, where he was a member of King’s College Choir. He went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and subsequently joined the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House. He has appeared with the English National Opera, Berlin Philharmonic, and Gabrieli Consort. 13

THE MUSICIANS

Photographs, left to right: Paul McCreesh and Gabrieli, both ©Andy Staples.

GABRIELI CONSORT & PLAYERS

MODO ANTIQUO

MONTEVERDI STRING BAND

Gabrieli are world-renowned interpreters of great vocal and instrumental repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Formed as an early music ensemble by Paul McCreesh in 1982, Gabrieli has both outgrown and remained true to its original identity. Over 35 years, the ensemble’s repertoire has expanded beyond any expectation, but McCreesh’s ever-questioning spirit and expressive musicianship remain constant features in the ensemble’s dynamic performances and award-winning recordings. They have been performing on Martin Randall Festivals for over 20 years.

In the 30 years since its formation, periodinstrument orchestra Modo Antiquo has established a worldwide reputation under the direction of flautist Federico Maria Sardelli. Vivaldi and his Roman contemporary Corelli have always been central to its activities, in the concert hall and on disc. Its vibrant recordings of Vivaldi and Corelli concertos have received US Grammy nominations, while Sardelli has directed the orchestra in modern world premières of Vivaldi operas including Motezuma (Rotterdam, 2005) and L’Atenaide (Florence, 2006).

Known for its unique sound and creative programming, Monteverdi String Band is that relatively rare bird: a string ensemble specialising in the early Baroque. Their core repertoire spans from the grand courtly celebrations of the late Renaissance to the virtuosic ensemble counterpoint of the late 17th century, and their unique programmes, featuring poetry, swordsmanship and innovative lighting, have been described by reviewers as an ‘utterly gripping mixture of eroticism and violence’ and ‘the very embodiment of sprezzatura’.

Director Federico Maria Sardelli is also Italy’s leading Vivaldi scholar. He has made his own performing editions of several operas, performed and recorded his own reconstruction of Orlando furioso, and recorded two discs of Vivaldi Discoveries, works unearthed in European archives during the last two decades. He has written a monograph on Vivaldi’s music for flute, and since 2007 has been in charge of the monumental undertaking of assembling a complete list of Vivaldi’s works for the revised Ryom (RV) catalogue – the Vivaldian Köchel.

As well as directing Monteverdi String Band, Oliver Webber appears regularly as guest leader with many ensembles specialising in the music of Monteverdi. Putting research into practice lies at the heart of his work, both in his own performances and in those of the next generation, through his teaching at London’s Guildhall School.

In addition to the Gabrieli, director Paul McCreesh has guest conducted many of the major orchestras and choirs across the globe. He has also established a strong reputation in the opera house and has conducted productions at the Teatro Real Madrid, Royal Danish Opera and Opéra Comique. McCreesh has his own record label, Winged Lion, whose recordings build on his already large catalogue with Deutsche Grammophon. A full list of soloists will be available on our website in autumn 2019.

THE MUSICIANS

IN ECHO

IL POMO D’ORO

TAVERNER CONSORT

Formed by cornetto player Gawain Glenton, In Echo is a diverse ensemble that explores the rich repertoire of the 16th and 17th centuries. Specialising in Renaissance and Baroque music, the ensemble also commissions and performs new music for old instruments. Their debut album Music in a Cold Climate: Sounds of Hansa Europe was released in 2018.

Founded in 2012, the ensemble is characterised by its authentic, dynamic interpretation of operas and instrumental works from the Baroque and Classical period. The musicians are all well-known specialists and are among the best in the field of historical performance practice. Il Pomo d’Oro is a regular guest in prestigious concert halls and festivals all over Europe. Their many recordings include the recent Voglio Cantar (2019) with soprano Emöke Barath on the occasion of Barbara Strozzi’s 400th birthday.

Founded by Andrew Parrott in 1973, the Taverner Choir, Consort & Players, notably in the field of period performance practice, has achieved a fuller understanding of Europe’s vast musical literature. Its work encompasses repertoire from over seven centuries – from early medieval music to new commissions, from intimate chamber music to large-scale choral and orchestral works.

Gawain Glenton is a specialist cornetto player whose work as a soloist and an ensemble musician takes him all over the world. He performs and records with many leading international groups, such as Il Giardino Armonico and The Taverner Consort. Gawain teaches cornetto at the annual Dartington International Summer School and is a co-founder of Sherborne Early Music.

Photographs, clockwise from top left: In Echo; Il Pomo d’Oro; English Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble ©Kippa Matthews; Modo Antiquo.

Born in Arezzo, conductor Francesco Corti studied organ in Perugia, then harpsichord in Geneva and in Amsterdam. Since 2015 he has regularly conducted Les Musiciens du Louvre in a repertoire that spans from A. Scarlatti and Handel to Galuppi and Mozart. He has been invited as a soloist and conductor by the Holland Baroque Society for two European tours of the Brandenburg concertos, and by the Nederlandse Bachvereniging. Soprano Roberta Mameli graduated in singing at the Nicolini Conservatory in Piacenza, and in violin, followed by masterclasses with Bernadette Manca di Nissa, Ugo Benelli, Konrad Richter, Claudio Desderi and Enzo Dara. She is currently considered one of the spearheads in the Baroque repertoire for her versatility and crystalline voice as well as for her great interpretative and acting qualities.

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Conductor Andrew Parrott is perhaps best known for his recordings of preclassical repertory from Machaut to Handel with the Taverner Consort, principally for EMI. He is a former music director of both The London Mozart Players and the period-instrument New York Collegium, and has been Honorary Conductor of the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra since 2006.

ENGLISH CORNETT & SACKBUTT ENSEMBLE Since its formation in 1993, the English Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble has been at the forefront of the early music scene. The group has performed at many major music festivals and concert halls in the UK and abroad, sometimes in collaboration with other ensembles including I Fagiolini, Alamire and Cantus Cölln. They have been involved in many memorable recordings, including Flowers Of Cities All with music from Shakespeare’s London and the award winning Striggio Mass in 40 Parts with I Fagiolini. 15

ACCOMMODATION & PRICES

We have selected six hotels for this festival. All are 4- or 5-star. The hotel is the sole determinant of the different prices for the festival package. There is also the option of arriving at your festival hotel a day early (1 November).

Notes on hotels WiFi. Complimentary at all hotels. Quiet? Though blessedly free of the sound of vehicular traffic, motor boats and street life mean that few hotels can be guaranteed to be absolutely quiet. Rooms vary. As is inevitable in historic buildings, rooms vary in size and outlook. Suites and rooms with views. Some hotels have suites and rooms with views of the Grand Canal. All are subject to availability at the time of booking. For some, prices are only available on request. Photograph ÂŠBen Ealovega, 16

ACCOMMODATION & PRICES

‘ The organisation – travel, accommodation, meals – was impeccable.’ Participant on our previous festival in Venice.

All prices are per person. Price without flights: subtract £160.

NH PALAZZO BAROCCI (4*)

SPLENDID VENICE (4*)

PALAZZO SANT’ANGELO (4*)

A contemporary conversion of a 19thcentury palace on the Grand Canal and part of a reliable hotel group. It is next door to the Palazzo Sant’Angelo (also used on this festival) with a vaporetto stop directly outside as well as its own mooring. Rooms follow the modern theme with light, neutral colour schemes; most bathrooms are equipped with stand-alone showers. Public areas include a breakfast room, a bar – which serves snacks – and a garden. There is no restaurant. Some rooms do not have lift access.

A delightful hotel situated between Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge. Despite the central location the hotel is quiet, with rooms overlooking side canals or an internal courtyard. Public areas include a good restaurant, bar and lounge, library and roof terrace. Bedrooms are light, well-appointed and decorated in a contemporary style. The majority have a bath with shower fitment, though a small number have a stand-alone shower.

The smallest hotel on the festival with just 26 rooms, the Palazzo Sant’Angelo has a warm and personal atmosphere and will exclusively accommodate our group (if all rooms fill). It is well located on the Grand Canal near the Campo Sant’Angelo, less than one minute from the Sant’Angelo vaporetto stop. Rooms are richly decorated in a classic Venetian style, and have views of the canal or hotel courtyard and garden. Bathrooms have sizeable jacuzzi-style bathtubs with an overhead shower fitment. Public areas include a small bar and lounge but no restaurant.

nh-hotels.com PRICES, per person Two sharing

Although the hotel has its own mooring point, water taxis are not always able to arrive at the door during particularly severe acqua alta (high tide) as they cannot pass under the nearby bridges. Hotel and festival staff will be present to assist if we encounter difficulties.

Premium room £3,340 Or if arriving a day early £3,490 starhotelscollezione.com Premium room with PRICES, per person £3,480 Grand Canal view Or if arriving a day early £3,660 Two sharing Junior Suite with Deluxe double £3,730 Grand Canal view £3,710 Or if arriving a day early £3,970 Or if arriving a day early £3,950

sinahotels.com PRICES, per person Two sharing Deluxe room £3,960 Or if arriving a day early £4,240 £4,070 Junior Suite Or if arriving a day early £4,370 Junior Suite with Grand Canal view £4,710 Or if arriving a day early £5,080

Deluxe Suite with Grand Canal view £4,860 Superior double for sole use £4,180 Or if arriving a day early £5,300 Superior double for sole use £3,690 Or if arriving a day early £4,510 Or if arriving a day early £3,910 Single occupancy £3,740 Premium double for sole use £4,320 Classic double for sole use Or if arriving a day early £3,970 Or if arriving a day early £4,670 Premium double for sole use Deluxe double for sole use £4,640 £3,940 with Grand Canal view Or if arriving a day early £5,050 Or if arriving a day early £4,210 Single occupancy

Single occupancy

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ACCOMMODATION & PRICES

HOTEL LUNA BAGLIONI (5*)

HOTEL DANIELI (5*)

HOTEL GRITTI PALACE (5*)

A luxurious hotel that manages to combine Venetian splendour with warm and friendly service. The location is excellent, minutes away from Piazza San Marco and the Royal Gardens but removed from the main thoroughfare. Rooms are spacious and richly furnished in a classic Venetian style; the marble bathrooms are equipped with a bathtub with shower fitment. Public areas are again opulent and attractive, and the restaurant is excellent. Rooms with lagoon or side canal views, or suites, are available on request.

In a central location on the Riva degli Schiavoni, steps away from the Palazzo Ducale and Piazza San Marco and with views over the lagoon. Made up of three ornate palazzi, the Danieli has a wonderful 14th-century staircase and impressive public areas which include a rooftop bar and restaurant, a bistro and ground-floor piano bar. Bedrooms are particularly generous in size, and are comfortably furnished in a traditional Venetian style. Suites are available on request.

The most venerable hotel in Venice situated at the mouth of the Grand Canal just opposite the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute. Occupying the elegant Gothic palace of a 15th-century doge, the style is one of restrained luxury, and with excellent, discreet service. Sensitive restoration has retained its Venetian character; rooms and public areas are sumptuously decorated with Rubelli fabrics, Murano chandeliers and antique furniture. There is a bar, lounge and two restaurants with a terrace area.

baglionihotels.com

danielihotelvenice.com

Suites are available on request.

PRICES, per person

grittipalacevenice.com

Two sharing

PRICES, per person

Deluxe room £4,160 Or if arriving a day early £4,410

Premium room £4,430 Or if arriving a day early £4,720 Two sharing Deluxe room £5,220 Deluxe room £5,140 Or if arriving a day early £5,680 with lagoon view

Single occupancy

Superior double for sole use £4,580 Or if arriving a day early £5,570 Deluxe room with £6,150 Or if arriving a day early £4,920 Grand Canal view Single occupancy Or if arriving a day early £6,820 £5,090 Premium double for sole use Or if arriving a day early £5,510 Single occupancy £6,540 Deluxe double for sole use Or if arriving a day early £7,260

TRAVEL OPTIONS

TRAVEL OPTIONS JOINING & LEAVING THE FESTIVAL

Flights with British Airways from London Heathrow or Gatwick to Venice Marco Polo are included in the price.

ARRIVE A DAY EARLY

Option 1 1st November: depart London Heathrow There is also the option to fly out on 09.00, arrive Venice at 12.10 (BA 578). Sunday 1 November, the day before the 7th November: depart Venice 12.50, arrive festival begins – see the previous three pages London Heathrow at 14.20 (BA 579). for accommodation prices. Option 2 Or you can choose to make your 1st November: depart London Gatwick own arrangements for travel to and 12.35, arrive Venice at 15.40 (BA 2584). from the festival, for which there is a 7th November: depart Venice 12.50, arrive price reduction. London Gatwick at 14.00 (BA 2583). Option 3 1st November: depart London Gatwick 16.55, arrive Venice at 20.00 (BA 2586). 7th November: depart Venice 17.15, arrive London Gatwick at 18.30 (BA 2585).

ARRIVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FESTIVAL Option 4 2nd November: depart London Heathrow 09.00, arrive Venice at 12.10 (BA 578). 7th November: depart Venice 12.50, arrive London Heathrow at 14.20 (BA 579).

Flight changes. It is not possible for us to book flights until late 2019, so times are subject to change.

Option 5 2nd November: depart London Gatwick 12.35, arrive Venice at 15.40 (BA 2584). 7th November: depart Venice 12.50, arrive London Gatwick at 14.00 (BA 2583). Option 6 2nd November: depart London Gatwick 16.55 arrive Venice at 20.00 (BA 2586). 7th November: depart Venice 17.15, arrive London Gatwick at 18.30 (BA 2585). WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

THE NO-FLIGHTS OPTION You can choose not to take any of our flights and to make your own arrangements for joining and leaving the festival. Should you decide to join the festival at Venice Marco Polo Airport at a time which coincides with our flight arrivals, you are welcome to join one of our water-taxi transfers to your hotel. Price reduction for ‘no flights’: £160

PRE- & POST-FESTIVAL TOURS You do not need to choose a f light option, if you choose to book one of these tours. When combined with the festival, they have their own separate arrangements – details can be found in the itineraries on pages 21–24. We charge for return flights (if you are taking them) as part of the tour booking – therefore you pay the ‘no flights’ price for the festival.

Illustration: San Giorgio Maggiore, French engraving c. 1750.

PRACTICALITIES

Fitness for the festival We must stress that it is essential to cope with the walking and stair-climbing required to get to the concerts and other events. The hotels we have chosen are situated in the San Marco and Castello districts, whereas some of the concert venues are on the other side of the Grand Canal in the San Polo district. Venice covers a large area. There are the steps of numerous bridges to negotiate. Water taxis are not always an option. You should be able to walk unaided for at least 30 minutes and to be able to get on and off (sometimes pitching) water buses and taxis. We ask that you take the simple fitness tests on the booking form before booking. 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.

Pre- and post-festival tours in Venice: how strenuous? Mainly, we travel on foot; the nature of Venice makes no other mode feasible. So there is a lot of walking along the flat, and also up and down bridges. Standing around in museums and churches is also unavoidable. Fitness is essential. Participation in our festivals is a very different experience from conventional group travel. No repetitive or redundant announcements, no herding by elevated umbrella, no unnecessary roll calls, little hanging around. We work on the assumption that you are adults, and our staff cultivate the virtue of unobtrusiveness. Though this is a large event, you will often find yourself in smaller groups – the audience is divided between six hotels, and into different restaurants for some of the dinners. For those who are not averse to group activities there are extra meals, walks and visits to sign up to. You choose the level of participation that suits you. We provide sufficient information to enable you to navigate the festival events without needing to be led. However, festival staff are also stationed around the events to direct you if needed.

Why November? November is relatively low season in Venice. Fewer visitors and fewer cruise ships make it much easier to get around and to visit places for which queues or congestion are standard for much of the year. Temperatures can be mild and blue skies can be expected at least for part of the time, though rain is likely. Important for the festival is that at this end of winter unheated buildings may retain a trace of their summer warmth. November is the peak month for acqua alta, the rise in water levels in the canals is such that some streets and squares are inundated. This flooding is related to tides and therefore lasts only for a few hours, but we strongly recommend that you bring waterproof footwear such as full-length wellington boots. Floods of 2–3 feet or more above street level are very rare.

Illustrations: Above: Campo San Giacomo and the Rialto Bridge, 18th-century engraving. Opposite: The Assumption’, steel engraving c. 1870 after the painting by Titian in S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice.

PRE- & POST FESTIVAL TOURS

TINTORETTO, TITIAN & VERONESE

Pre-festival tour 26 October–1 November 2020 (mg 521) 7 days • £3,420 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott Based in Venice throughout, where all three painters were based for much of their lives. An excursion to see Palladio’s Villa Barbaro at Maser, with superb frescoes by Veronese. Sets the artists in the context of a wider-ranging survey of Renaissance art.

ITINERARY Day 1. Fly at c. 12.30pm, London Gatwick to Venice. Cross the lagoon by motoscafo with luggage transported separately. Day 2. Visit the Scuola Grande di S. Rocco – grandest of all confraternity premises, where the halls are decorated with a magnificent cycle of canvasses by Tintoretto. See the churches of S. Pantalon, with Veronese’s final work (St Pantalon healing a Boy), and S. Rocco, with more paintings by Tintoretto. S. Polo houses one of Tintoretto’s animated Last Supper paintings and a Marriage of the Virgin by Veronese. Finally, see the great medieval church of I Frari: Titian’s spectacular Assumption is among the many paintings and sculptures with which it is endowed. Day 3. Spend a morning in the Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice’s major art gallery, where Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese are well represented. Visit the church of S. Sebastiano, to again compare works by all three artists, and see another Tintoretto Last Supper in S. Trovaso. The church of S.ta Maria della Salute was

built in 1631–81 by way of thanks for the deliverance of Venice from the plague and is considered the most important edifice erected in Venice in the 17th century, with several works by Titian and Tintoretto’s Marriage at Cana in the sacristy. Day 4. Travel to Tronchetto by vaporetto and from there drive to Maser to see Andrea Palladio’s Villa Barbaro. Built for two highly cultivated Venetian brothers, Daniele and Marcantonio Barbaro, it contains Veronese’s most important fresco cycle. On returning to Venice, visit the Marciana library at the Museo Correr to see paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese.

S. Salvatore (his Annunciation). The church of San Francesco della Vigna was built in 1534, designed by Sansovino; altarpieces by Veronese and Bellini. Day 7. Motoscafo to Venice airport for a fight to London Gatwick arriving at c. 2.45pm, or continue independently to your festival hotel (you will need to elect to arrive a day early). Saturday 7 November. At the end of the festival, return to London on festival flight option 2 (see page 19).

PRACTICALITIES

Day 5. Visit the Palazzo Ducale, supremely beautiful with its 14th-century pink and white revetment outside, and lateRenaissance gilded halls and paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese inside. Tintoretto’s Il Paradiso, housed here, is one of the world’s largest paintings. Later, cross the bacino to Palladio’s beautiful island church of S. Giorgio Maggiore, which contains another Tintoretto Last Supper. Veronese’s Marriage at Cana is now in the Louvre in Paris, but was originally commissioned for the refectory here, where there is now a full-scale copy.

Price, per person. Two sharing: £3,420 or £3,290 without flights. Single occupancy: £4,220 or £4,090 without flights. If combining with the festival, add the price of arriving a day early on the festival (see pages 16–18).

Day 6. Focus today on the church of the Madonna dell’Orto, burial place of Tintoretto, which contains two of his laterali as well as the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. Visit also the flamboyant church of the Gesuiti, S.ta Maria Assunta, which houses Tintoretto’s Assumption altarpiece and Titian’s Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. See more late Titian at

Accommodation. Hotel Splendid, Venice (starhotels.com): 4-star hotel, close to Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge. (See also page 17).

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Included: flights (Euro Traveller) with British Airways (Airbus 320); vaporetto pass; transport; luggage porterage between hotel and airport; accommodation; breakfasts; 3 dinners, 2 lunches with wine; all admissions, tips, taxes; services of the lecturer.

How strenuous? See page 20. Group size: 8–18 participants. 21

PRE- & POST FESTIVAL TOURS

HISTORIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Pre-festival tour 29 October–1 November 2020 (mg 545) 4 days • £1,870 Lecturer: Professor Robert Adelson Some of Italy’s finest collections of musical instruments, a number in private properties and viewed only by special arrangement. Based in Milan and Cremona, with some free time to explore these historic cities, and excursions to Briosco and Bologna. Recitals on period instruments and the opportunity to meet the collectors.

ITINERARY Day 1: Milan. Fly at c. 10.30am, London Heathrow to Milan. Visit the Musical Instruments Museum at the Castello Sforzesco, with its vast collection of over 800 instruments, including a rare double virginal by Ruckers (Antwerp c. 1600), numerous examples from the Lombard lute and viol tradition and many African and Asian instruments. In the evening, visit a collection in a private palazzo where there is a harpsichord recital and dinner. First of two nights in Milan. Day 2: Milan, Briosco. Drive to Briosco to visit Villa Medici-Giulini, a 17th-century stately residence which houses one of the most important private collections of European keyboard instruments and harps, many of which have been restored to playable condition. There are demonstrations and performances on the instruments, followed by lunch in the villa. Some free time in Milan in the afternoon.

Amati and other families of luthiers whose stringed instruments have been the world’s best for more than 300 years. Learn about the violin in situ at the Museo del Violino (with a performance on a historic violin), and visit a violin-maker’s workshop. Cremona has a splendid central square formed of cathedral, campanile (Italy’s tallest), baptistry and civic palaces, and there is some free time to explore these. Overnight in Cremona. Day 4: Bologna. Continue to Bologna. The Museo della Musica houses a rich collection of scores, portraits and instruments. The private collection of the late-Bolognese scholar Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini, long-admired by specialists, has recently been made available to the public. It is housed in one of Bologna’s oldest churches and traces the history of keyboard instruments from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Non-festival participants fly from Bologna to London Heathrow, arriving c. 8.00pm. Participants joining the festival travel independently by rail (first class), Bologna to Venice, and transfer to your festival hotel (you will need to elect to arrive a day early). Saturday 7 November. At the end of the festival, return to London on festival flight option 1 (see page 19).

Price, per person. Two sharing: £1,870 or £1,700 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,040 or £1,870 without flights. Supplement for combining with the festival: £95 (train ticket from Bologna to Venice) – you will also need to add the price of arriving a day early in Venice (see pages 17–18). Included: flights (Euro Traveller) with British Airways (Airbus 320); private coach; accommodation; breakfasts; 1 lunch, 3 dinners with wine; all admissions, tips and taxes; the services of the lecturer. Accommodation. Hotel De La Ville, Milan (delavillemilano.com): 4-star Belle Epoque style hotel, 50 metres from the Duomo. Dellearti Design Hotel, Cremona (dellearti.com): small, modern boutique hotel, a few metres from the Duomo. How strenuous? There is quite a lot of walking and standing. Some of the walking is uphill or over cobbles. The coach cannot be used within the town centres. Average distance by coach per day: 53 miles. Group size: 10 –22 participants.

Illustration: Cremona, cathedral and baptistry, by I.S. Williams, 1928. Opposite: Venice, watercolour by Sir Alfred East RA, publ. 1914.

Day 3: Cremona. This glorious town in the Po Valley was home to the Stradivari, 22

PRACTICALITIES

PRE- & POST FESTIVAL TOURS

VENICE REVISITED

Post-festival tour 9–14 November 2020 (mg 559) 6 days • £2,770 Lecturer: Dr Susan Steer Explores treasures which are lesserknown, rarely accessible or simply off the beaten track.

Ducale visit areas only seen by special arrangement where prison cells rub shoulders with the Doge’s apartments.

Access to many is by special arrangement; some are still in private hands. Also included is an after-hours visit to the Basilica di San Marco.

Day 3. Head off the beaten track for a guided tour of the Ghetto and its synagogues, around the markets and former trading houses of the Rialto district, and Cannaregio, a tranquil area of the city little known to visitors. Cross to the glass-making island of Murano by private motoscafo to see SS. Maria e Donato, with 12th-century mosaics and pavement, and S. Pietro Martire, with paintings by Bellini and Tintoretto. Afterhours visit to the Basilica di San Marco where the mosaic-encrusted interior is illuminated exclusively for your benefit.

Includes visits to the islands of Murano, San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Lazzarretto Nuovo.

ITINERARY Note that the order of visits outlined here may change and there may be substitutions for some places mentioned. Sunday 1 November, or Monday 2 November: Fly to Venice on festival flight option 2 or 5 (see page 19). Day 1. Non-festival participants fly at c. 12.30pm, London Gatwick to Venice and transfer to the Hotel Splendid by motoscafo. Day 2. A morning walk looks at the identity and social make-up of the Castello sestiere. See two of the orphanages renowned as centres of musical excellence, the Ospedaletto and its church of Sta. Maria dei Derelitti, and the Pietà, where Vivaldi was director of music. Outstanding Renaissance paintings are seen in San Giovanni in Bragora (Cima da Conegliano’s Baptism) and in the Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni (Carpaccio’s stories of saints). In the supremely beautiful Palazzo

Day 4. Visit the great Franciscan church of Sta. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari with outstanding artworks including Titian’s Assumption. The Venetian State Archives are the repository of a millennium of history, stored on some 60km of shelving (special arrangement). The afternoon is dedicated to Venice’s confraternities: the Scuola Grande dei Carmini with paintings by Tiepolo and Scuola Grande di S. Rocco, with compelling paintings by Tintoretto. Day 5. Cross the bacino to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore to see the church, cloisters and conventual buildings of the Benedictine monastery. Here is the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, an impressive cultural centre. Continue to the tranquil Giudecca to see Palladio’s most sophisticated church, Il Redentore. Free afternoon. In the evening visit Palazzo WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

Albrizzi, with some of the finest stucco decoration in Venice (special arrangement). Day 6. Head in the direction of the Lido by motoscafo to visit San Lazzaro, Armenian monastery island and temporary residence of Lord Byron. Continue to Lazzarretto Nuovo, originally a Benedictine monastery which became a quarantine station for maritime travellers. Travel by motoscafo to Venice airport and fly to London Gatwick, arriving c. 6.00pm.

PRACTICALITIES Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,770 or £2,650 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,290 or £3,170 without flights. If you wish to remain in your festival hotel between the festival and the tour, please contact us for a quote for two extra nights (7–9 November). Please note that your time in Venice between the festival and the tour is unaccompanied. Included: air travel (Euro Traveller) with British Airways (Airbus 319); travel and luggage porterage between Venice Airport and hotel; vaporetto pass; accommodation; breakfasts and 3 dinners with wine; all admissions, tips and taxes; the services of the lecturer. Accommodation. Hotel Splendid, Venice (starhotels.com): 4-star hotel, close to Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge. (See also page 17). How strenuous? See page 20. Group size: 10 –18 participants. 23

PRE- & POST FESTIVAL TOURS

VENETIAN PALACES

Post-festival tour 10 –14 November 2020 (mg 560) 5 days • £2,610 Lecturer: Dr Michael Douglas-Scott Explores many of the finest and bestpreserved palaces, once homes to the wealthiest nobles and merchants in Venice (some of which are still in private hands). Access is mainly by special arrangement. Also includes a private after-hours visit to St Mark’s Basilica. 4-star hotel on the Grand Canal.

ITINERARY Sunday 1 November, or Monday 2 November. Fly to Venice on festival flight option 2 or 5 (see page 19). Day 1. Non-festival participants fly at c. 12.30pm, London Gatwick to Venice and transfer to the Hotel Palazzo Sant’Angelo by motoscafo. Dinner this evening is in a privately owned palace, the 16th-century Palazzo Corner Gheltoff Alverà (by special arrangement).

Day 3. Visit the Palazzo Ducale, supremely beautiful with its 14th-century pink and white revetment, late Renaissance gilded halls and paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese. The Palazzo Grimani at Santa Maria Formosa became in the mid-16th century the purpose-built site of the family collection of antiquities, which were then bequeathed to the Venetian Republic. There is an after-hours private visit to the Basilica di San Marco, an 11th-century Byzantine-style church enriched over the centuries with mosaics, sculpture and various precious objects. Day 4. With its elegant tracery and abundant ornamentation, the Ca’ d’Oro on the Grand Canal is the most gorgeous of Venetian Gothic palaces; it now houses the Galleria Franchetti. The 13th-century Fondaco dei Turchi is a unique survival from the era; today it is the natural history museum. In the afternoon visit a privately owned palace, the Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo-Polignac (by special arrangement).

Day 2. See the palazzi on the Grand Canal from the viewpoint of a gondola. The former Casino Venier is a uniquely Venetian establishment that was part private members’ bar, part literary salon, part brothel (by special arrangement). Designed by Longhena (c. 1667) and Giorgio Massari (c. 1751), the Ca’ Rezzonico is perhaps the most magnificent of Grand Canal palaces, and contains frescoes by Tiepolo; it is now a museum of 18th-century art. Visit the grand ballroom of late 17th-century Palazzo Zenobio (by special arrangement).

Day 5. Visit the privately owned 17thcentury Palazzo Albrizzi which has some of the finest stucco decoration in Venice (by special arrangement). Fly to London Gatwick, arriving c. 6.15pm.

Note that the order of visits outlined above may change and there may be substitutions for some places mentioned.

Illustration: Venice, wood engraving c. 1880.

PRACTICALITIES Price, per person. Two sharing: £2,610 or £2,500 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,960 or £2,850 without flights. If you wish to remain in your festival hotel between the festival and the tour, please contact us for a quote for three extra nights (7–10 November). Please note that your time in Venice between the festival and the tour is unaccompanied. Included: flights (Euro Traveller) with British Airways (Airbus 320); vaporetto pass; travel and luggage porterage between hotel and airport; accommodation; breakfasts; 1 lunch, 2 dinners with wine; all admissions, tips and taxes; the services of the lecturer. Accommodation. Hotel Palazzo Sant’Angelo, Venice (palazzosantangelo. com): 4-star hotel on the Grand Canal. (See also page 17). How strenuous? See page 20. Group size: 8–18 participants.

Pre-festival London Day: VENETIAN ART IN LONDON Friday 30 October 2020 (lg 547) Price: £205 Lecturer: Lucy Whitaker For full details, please contact us or visit www.martinrandall.com – booking is available over the telephone or online.

BOOKING FORM

VENICE: PAGEANTRY & PIETY 2–7 NOVEMBER 2020 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?:

Brochures sent by post Yes

E-newsletter

Yes

What prompted this booking? Please be as specific as possible – e.g. did you see an advertisement in a particular publication? Was this brochure the f irst time you heard about the festival? Or did you come across it on our website?: ACCOMMODATION & ROOM-TYPE – see pages 16–18. Please tick: NH BAROCCI (4*) Two sharing

Single occupancy

Premium double

SPLENDID VENICE (4*)

PALAZZO SANT’ANGELO (4*)

Two sharing

Superior double for sole use

Premium double, Grand Canal view

Deluxe double

Single occupancy Superior double for sole use

Premium double for sole use

Junior Suite, Grand Canal view

Single occupancy

Deluxe double

Classic double for sole use

Junior Suite

Deluxe double for sole use

Junior Suite, Grand Canal view Deluxe Suite, Grand Canal view

HOTEL LUNA BAGLIONI (5*)

HOTEL DANIELI (5*)

Two sharing

Single occupancy

Deluxe double

Superior double for sole use

ARRIVE A DAY EARLY Tick to arrive in your hotel on 1 November

Premium double Deluxe double, Lagoon view

SHARING A ROOM? Please tick: Twin beds

Double bed

TRAVEL OPTIONS – see page 19. Please tick one: Arriving 1 November

Arriving 2 November

Option 1: fly from Heathrow

Option 4: fly from Heathrow

Option 2: fly from Gatwick

Option 5: fly from Gatwick

Option 3: fly from Gatwick

Option 6: fly from Gatwick

No flights: making own travel arrangements to and from Venice.

HOTEL GRITTI PALACE (5*) Single occupancy Premium double for sole use

Two sharing

Single occupancy

Deluxe double

Deluxe double for sole use

Deluxe double, Grand Canal view

PRE- & POST-FESTIVAL – see pages 21–24. Tick to add: Tintoretto, Titian & Veronese 26 October–1 November

Venice Revisited 9–14 November

Historic Musical Instruments 29 October–1 November

Venetian Palaces 10 –14 November

Room-type Double for sole use Double room (two sharing)

Twin room (two sharing)

Travel option Group flights: either side of the tour and festival No flights: making your own arrangements NB: you do not need to select a festival f light option

BOOKING FORM

PASSPORT DETAILS & NEXT OF KIN Essential for airlines and 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 (mg 553) 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 (mg 553) 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 By signing this form, you conf irm that you have taken these tests. Please also read ‘f itness for the festival’ on page 20. 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 30 minutes.

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BOOKING DETAILS

Making a booking 1. B ooking 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. O ur 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: — We aim to be fair, reasonable and sympathetic in all our dealings with clients, and to act always with integrity. — We will meet all our legal and regulatory responsibilities, usually going far beyond the minimum obligations. — We aim to provide full and accurate information about our holidays. If there are changes, we will tell you promptly. — If 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 or tour staff. Please read our fitness guidelines (p.20) and take the self-assessment tests described on the booking form; 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 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 Italy. 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 or tour. 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 and/ or tour. Visas are not required for Italy 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 Italy. 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 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.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

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.

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL

THE THOMAS TALLIS TRAIL 1–3 NOVEMBER 2019

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

OPERA IN SOUTHERN SICILY 5–11 NOVEMBER 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.

MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE 30 JUNE–7 JULY 2020 MUSIC IN THE LOIRE VALLEY 7–13 JULY 2020 THE DANUBE: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN 24–31 AUGUST 2020 THE DIVINE OFFICE 28 SEPTEMBER–2 OCTOBER 2020 VENICE: PAGEANTRY & PIETY 2–7 NOVEMBER 2020 UK SHORT CHAMBER MUSIC BREAKS The Wihan Quartet, 29 November–1 December 2019 Rising Stars, 24–26 January 2020 Beethoven at The Castle, 20–24 February 2020 The Leonore Piano Trio, 24–26 April 2020 Albion String Quartet, 19–21 May 2020

Each year there are about 250 expert-led tours for small groups (usually 10 –20 participants), five or six music festivals (such as this, Venice: Pageantry & Piety), a dozen music and history weekends in the UK and around 100 single-day events in London. For over 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 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