Puccini Opera Festival

THE PUCCINI OPERA FESTIVAL

FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAYS | 9 & 23 AUGUST 2023

Giacomo Puccini was born into a musical family in Lucca on 22 December 1858. As a boy Puccini sang in the choir of the Cathedral of San Martino and later received his musical education at the conservatory in Milan. His first opera, Le Villi, was performed in 1884. For the next forty years, until his death in 1924, Puccini composed operas which today are still the most performed works on the stages of the world’s opera houses. From mid-July to the end of August each year the Puccini Festival is held in Torre del Lago near Lucca on the peaceful shores of Lake Massaciuccoli.

the itinerary

We fly to Pisa airport and transfer to Lucca where we stay for five nights at the 3* Albergo Celide, located just outside the city walls.

This morning we drive to Pistoia, a lovely small town whose fortunes were eclipsed by its more powerful and wealthier neighbours, Lucca and Florence. We will explore the compact historic centre and visit the cathedral of San Zeno, the Baptistery with its typical Tuscan Gothic green and white striped marble. There will be time to enjoy a coffee in the historic Café Valiani – Puccini often stopped by for a caffè macchiato. Returning back to Lucca we will visit the smallest public theatre in the world – the Teatro Vetriano, located just outside the city in the Lucchese Hills. Built in 1890 and donated to the community by an enlightened farmer, the theatre was saved from ruin by FAI – the Italian equivalent of our own National Trust.

Today we begin with a walking tour of Lucca. Highlights include the Duomo where four generations of Puccini’s forebears were organists, and the Church of San Michele in Foro where Puccini was a chorister, another fine example of Pisan Romanesque architecture. This afternoon we visit the villa at Torre del Lago where Puccini lived and worked before staying on for dinner and the opera.

DAY 4

Today we visit two great Tuscan gardens – the Villa Reale at Marlia and the Villa Garzoni with its dazzling water cascades.

5

The morning is spent visiting the Romanesque church of San Frediano and the Villa Guinigi which houses an important collection of local and regional art works. Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca in 1858 and later today we’ll visit his birthplace, now a museum dedicated to the composer’s life and music.

We are collected from the hotel and transferred to Pisa airport for our return flight.

TOUR INFORMATION

DEPARTURE DATE & PRICES

DATE PRICE SINGLE SUPP 9 & 23 August £2,648 £397

Our prices are per person, based on the shared occupancy of a twin/double room. Supplement for single occupancy as shown.

FLIGHT DETAILS

Flights with Easyjet: Depart Gatwick 12.25, arrive Pisa 15.40 Depart Pisa 16.15, arrive Gatwick 17.30 Flight times subject to change – regional departures available on request.

WHAT WE INCLUDE

• Return flights • Five nights’ accommodation with breakfast • Four dinners • All sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities • The services of the Kirker Tour Leader and local guide

DAY

DAY 6

MUSIC PROGRAMME

10 & 25 August: La bohème This is the world’s most popular and best loved opera. The poet Rodolfo is visited by his neighbour, the seamstress Mimi. They fall in love and embark on a bitter-sweet doomed love affair. Unbeknown to Rodolfo, Mimi is terminally ill. In the most heart-wrenching scene in all opera, Mimi expires on her bed. The music tells us that she has died with a series of searing chords as Rodolfo sobs uncontrollably, all hope of love extinguished. 11 August: Turandot An icy and imperious princess’s heart melts against her will when Calaf beats her at her own game and she discovers love and passion. 12 & 26 August: Il Tabarro by Puccini & Duke Bluebeards’s Castle by Bela Bartok First performed on 14 December 1918 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, Il Tabarra is set on a barge on the River Seine tells the story of the poor and struggling people of Paris. It forms the first of Puccini’s magnificent trio of one act operas, Il trittico (The Triptych), which also includes Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi. A grim verismo story of barge-owner Michele and his wife Giorgetta, who has an affair with Luigi. Michele becomes aware of his wife’s infidelity and strangles Luigi, hiding his dead body under his cloak - il tabarro - and revealing the corpse in a macabre denouement. Il Tabarro is being performed as the first half of a double-bill with Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók. First performed on 24 May 1918 at the Royal Hungarian Opera House in Budapest, this short opera is based on the French literary tale La Barbe bleue by Charles Perrault, and features just two singing characters. 24 August: Madama Butterfly The tragic story of Cio-Cio-San who is betrayed by Pinkerton, a cynical American naval lieutenant who returns to Japan to take away their son.