MONTREAL TO NEW YORK - Academy Travel · 2019. 4. 8. · Academy Travel is proud to offer a new itinerary for lovers of music, history and the arts. It offers diverse performances

MONTREAL TO NEW YORK FINE MUSIC IN HISTORIC CITIES APRIL 28 – MAY 14, 2017 TOUR LEADER: LINDY MONTGOMERY

Overview Academy Travel is proud to offer a new itinerary for lovers of music, history and the arts. It offers diverse performances of classical orchestral and vocal music with equally diverse history, culture and landscapes. The tour begins in French Canada, surveying the cities of Montreal and Quebec City, before heading south via the Maine coastline to historic Boston and vibrant New York. There are three to five-night stays in Montreal, Quebec City, Boston and New York, and a night on the Maine Coastline. As always on our music tours, we first source the performances and then build a sightseeing itinerary around them. This tour includes no fewer than 11 performances by nationally and internationally recognised performers. These range from French Canada’s excellent baroque ensembles and symphony orchestras, to one of the USA’s leading symphony orchestras, a ballet, the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway. Expert musical commentary ensures you get the most from each performance. Sightseeing includes the historical precincts of Montreal, Quebec City and Boston and the coastal scenery of the Atlantic. On top of the music, art lovers are in for a treat, with private viewings and specialist lecturers at leading galleries.

Your tour leader Lindy Montgomery is a graduate of both the University of Sydney and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she taught in the Musicology Department for thirteen years. Lindy possesses a fine soprano voice and has featured as a soloist with ensembles such as the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera and Sydney Chamber Choir. She has travelled widely in Europe and North America and has led an Academy Travel music tour to Germany.

Lindy is excited to be returning to French Canada, not only to experience the beautiful cities in springtime but also for the sophisticated music scene and intimate venues. The proudly maintained French sensibility within a vibrant and progressive culture is truly unique. “I’m really looking forward to hearing Visions de l’Amen in the stunning Salle Bourgie in Montreal. It should provide quite a contrast with the adrenalin rush of Cirque du Soleil!” “Boston beckons, with the lesser known 4th Piano Concerto of Rachmaninoff coupled with Mahler’s most charming and accessible symphony, also a ‘4th’. For American history buffs there is so much of interest in this sophisticated city.” “In New York the choices are beyond comparison. We’ve got Beethoven’s 9th with Juan Diego Flórez at Carnegie Hall and The Met. For me it’s a dead heat between the superstar tenor and Wagner’s Flying Dutchman at the Met.” “The beauty of New York is also in the unexpected – the show with very little fanfare that turns out to be a perfect gem; it’s the shiny glimpses of the Chrysler building, the spectacular views from any number of buildings, the wonderful department stores – the list goes on!”

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email [email protected]

Montreal To New York Fine music in Historic cities

Tour dates: April 28 – May 14, 2017

Tour leader: Lindy Montgomery

Tour Price: $9,980 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $2,970 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Qantas or United

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Montreal (4 nights), Quebec City (2 nights), Kennebunkport, Maine (1 night), Boston (4 nights), New York (5 nights)

Date published: June 27, 2016

Performances on tour

Montreal The Montreal Symphony Orchestra performing Haydn,

Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”

A recital of piano music by Bach and Olivier Messiaen in the beautiful Salle Bourgie

Quebec’s own Cirque du Soleil

Quebec City A private afternoon concert with players from Les Violons

du Roy, one of the world’s leading baroque music ensembles

Boston Boston Symphony Orchestra with conductor Andris

Nelsons and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, playing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Mahler's Symphony No. 4

Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Sleeping Beauty, performed by the Boston Ballet

Sunday afternoon chamber music concert at the delightful Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

New York The New York Philharmonic Orchestra playing

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Wagner’s epic opera The Flying Dutchman at The

Metropolitan Opera A Broadway musical, selected from the 2016-17 season A recital by star tenor Juan Diego Flórez at Carnegie Hall

Optional performances in New York Depending on your interests, the following performances are also available: Jazz at the Lincoln Center Der Rosenkavalier with Renée Fleming at the Met Don Giovanni at the Met Please contact us if you would like to know more about dates, times and prices.

Eleven performances are included. Details of the Sunday recital in Boston and the Broadway musical will be confirmed in October 2016.

After the tenor Juan Diego Flórez popped out his nine shining high C’s in “La Fille du Régiment” at the Metropolitan Opera on Monday night, the crowd rose and cheered. Mr. Flórez obliged with something not heard on the Met stage since 1994: a solo encore.

He sang the aria “Ah! Mes Amis” again, nailing the difficult note – a kind of tenor’s macho proving ground – nine more times. It was one of those thrilling moments that opera impresarios live for.

And, in this case, prepare for. Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, said on Tuesday that he had asked Mr. Flórez weeks ago whether he would be prepared to repeat the aria, if the audience demanded. Mr. Flórez had already done so at other houses, including the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where last year he became the first to violate an encore ban since 1933.

Mr. Flórez agreed to Mr. Gelb’s request, and the orchestra and chorus were warned. A system was established. Mr. Gelb kept an open line on the phone in his box to the stage manager. After the explosive reaction he gave the stage manager the go-ahead. The manager activated a podium light for the conductor, Marco Armiliato.

Mr. Armiliato held out a questioning two fingers to Mr. Flórez.

“He just smiled, and that means ‘Yes,’ ” the conductor said, although Mr. Flórez said yesterday that he did not remember giving a signal. (After the encore, he jokingly held up a third finger.)

Solo encores were common in the 19th century but fell out of fashion as performance practice grew more serious. At the Met they had been explicitly banned for much of the 20th century. Before Monday night the most recent such occasion had been Luciano Pavarotti’s repeating the third-act tenor aria in “Tosca” in 1994, Met officials said.

Mr. Gelb said there would be no encore ban on his watch, to make opera “as entertaining and exciting for the audience as it can be.”

And the rest of the run? “It always depends on what the public wants,” Mr. Flórez said.

By Daniel J. Watkin, New York Times, April 23, 2008

Expect a standing ovation at Mr Florez’ Carnegie Hall recital! Watch Florez sing the big aria from La fille du regiment, with its nine high Cs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aS6M8j3pvQ

Ban on Solo Encores at the Met? Ban, What Ban?

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Friday April 28 Arrive Montreal

The tour begins in our Montreal hotel in the early evening. We will gather at the hotel bar for drinks and finger food and Lindy Montgomery will give you an overview of the tour.

Saturday April 29 Explore Montreal – Performance 1

This morning a local guide shows us the old city and the Old Port district of Montreal. It is a good place to learn about the early history and society of ‘New France’. We share a lunch at a local restaurant. Later on, Lindy Montgomery will give some background to tonight’s recital. (B, L)

Performance details Venue: Salle Bourgie Program: JS Bach, Transcriptions for piano for four hands; John Adams, Hallelujah Junction; Messiaen, Visions de l’Amen for two pianos Performers: Christina and Michelle Naughton, piano

Sunday April 30 Fine art – Performance 2

After a pre-performance talk we visit the nearby Museum of Fine Arts, where a lecturer takes us through the very interesting permanent collection. This afternoon we have a concert by the Montreal Symphony, considered Canada’s leading large orchestra. The program spans the range of the classical period from Haydn to Beethoven. (B)

Performance details Venue: Maison symphonique de Montreal Program: Haydn, Overture to L’isola disabitata; Beethoven, Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano op. 56, ‘triple concerto’; Mozart, Symphony 41, K.551 ‘Jupiter’ Performers: Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Wan (violin), Brian Manker (cello), Francois-Frederic Guy (piano), Bernard Labadie (conductor)

Monday May 1 The greater city – Performance 3

Today we visit the park on Mont-Royal, the pilgrimage oratory of St Joseph’s, with its vast futuristic 1960s interior and the site of the 1967 Montreal Expo. The afternoon is free before this evening’s spectacular performance by Cirque du Soleil, founded in Quebec Province and world famous for its combination of theatre, music and circus acrobatics. (B)

Performance details Venue: La grand chapiteau, Old Port Program: to be announced late 2016 Performers: Cirque du Soleil

Above: Buckminster Fuller’s Biospehere, created for Expo ’67; and Christina and Michelle Naughton mirror each other on piano Below: Cirque du Soleil in action

Begin the tour relaxed

In order to get the most from the tour, especially the performances, we suggest you plan to arrive in North America a few days before the tour commences. Options include a few days in Los Angeles, Vancouver or Toronto before joining the tour in Montreal.

Tuesday May 2 Along the St Lawrence River

This morning we follow the St Lawrence River to Quebec City founded in1608. On arrival a local guide shows us the historic district, a charming mix of grand and modest structures. We dine in our hotel’s restaurant. (B, D)

Wednesday May 3 Explore Quebec – Performance 4

The morning we visit Montmorency Falls. The 84 metre drop to the St Lawrence River is higher than Niagara. Next is the shrine of St-Anne-de-Beaupre, a site of worship since 1658 and testament to the deep religious conviction of the first French Canadians. Late this afternoon we enjoy a very special experience: a private performance by members of Les Violons du Roy, a chamber orchestra which has gained an international reputation since its foundation in 1984. (B)

Performance details Venue: Palais Montcalm Program: Chamber works and excerpts from Purcell’s King Arthur Performers: Les Violons du Roy, soloists tba

Thursday May 4 The Maine Coastline

We depart Quebec this morning and travel south via the scenic White Mountains district. We arrive at Kennebunkport, Maine, in the late afternoon. This small town on an attractive part of the Maine Coast has gained popularity as a holiday destination for the elite, including the extended Bush family. We dine in a local restaurant tonight. (B, D)

Friday May 5 To Boston – Performance 5

This morning is free to explore Kennebunkport or relax. We then drive to Boston, arriving in time to relax before a light dinner and our evening at The Boston Ballet, considered one of the leading companies in the world. (B, D)

Performance details Venue: Boston Opera House Program: Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty Performers: The Boston Ballet, choreography by Marius Petipa with additional choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton

Saturday May 6 Historic Boston – Performance 6

Well before New York, Washington or Los Angeles, Boston was an established and cultured city. After a pre-performance talk, we visit the oldest districts of the city, including the North End, Boston Common and elegant Beacon Hill. Tonight at Symphony Hall we have the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Chief conductor Andris Nelsons and two fine soloists explore a largely late Romantic repertoire. (B)

Above: Chateau Frontenac defines the skyline of old Quebec; and Montmorency Falls, higher than Niagara Below: Andris Nelsons, the dynamic young conductor of the Boston Symphony

Performance details Venue: Symphony Hall Program: Shostakovich, Incidental music to King Lear; Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 4; Mahler, Symph. No. 4 Performers: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Leif Ove Andsnes, piano, Kristine Opolais, soprano

Sunday May 7 A Private Museum – Performance 7

Isabella Stewart Gardner was one of the most remarkable figures of America’s ‘Gilded Age’. She assiduously built up a collection of excellent European Old Masters, and built a Venetian palazzo in which to house them. Today we tour the museum, dine in the cafe there, and enjoy an afternoon concert in the museum’s theatre. The museum’s concert program attracts musicians of the highest order. (B, L)

Performance details Venue: Music Room, Isabella Stewart Gardner Program: chamber or vocal music, details late 2016 Performers: to be announced late 2016

Monday May 8 Fine arts in Boston and Harvard

Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts is one of the nation’s leading institutions. Highlights include the superb collection of French Impressionist paintings and the renowned American collection. We spend the morning at the MFA before heading to Harvard University in nearby Cambridge, the nation’s oldest and arguably most prestigious academic institution. We stroll Harvard Yard and perhaps call in at one of its many museums before heading back to Boston. (B)

Tuesday May 9 To New York – Performance 8

This morning we drive to New York, stopping at the elegant town of New Canaan for a midday break. We arrive in New York in time to settle in to our hotel and relax before tonight’s performance. Tonight at the Lincoln Center the New York Philharmonic and its chief conductor, Alan Gilbert, perform one of the most revered works in the repertoire. (B)

Performance details Venue: David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center Program: Schoenberg, A survivor from Warsaw; Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 Performers: New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Westminster Symphonic Choir, Camilla Tilling (soprano), Eric Owens (bass), Alan Gilbert (conductor)

Wednesday May 10 Explore the city – Performance 9

This morning we tour the downtown area, where the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam was founded. We then explore Grand Central Station, a magnificent Beaux-Arts building.

Above: the Venetian courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum Below: John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark, an iconic early American painting in the MFA, Boston; and the Lincoln Center, New York

Hotels Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All hotels are a comfortable four-star standard. The hotel in Maine is just outside the town and overlooks the coast. Montreal, L’hôtel Le Germain (4 nights)

www.legermainhotels.com

Quebec City, Auberge Saint-Antoine (2 nights) https://saint-antoine.com

Kennebunkport, Maine, Cape Arundel Inn (1 night) www.capearundelinn.com

Boston, The Bostonian (4 nights) www.millenniumhotels.com

New York, The Warwick (5 nights) www.warwickhotelny.com

Lunch is at Cipriani Dolci, overlooking the main vestibule of Grand Central. This evening we attend a Broadway musical, selected from the 2016-17 season (past Academy Travel tours have included Bernstein’s On the Town and Gershwin’s An American in Paris). (B, L)

Performance details Venue: A historic Broadway theatre Program: to be announced October 2016 Performers: to be announced October 2016

Thursday May 11 the Upper East Side

This morning we visit the Frick Collection, a unique museum of European Old Master paintings of the very highest quality. There is then time to call in at the wonderful Neue Galerie to view its fine collection of Viennese Art-Nouveau and Secessionist art and perhaps to stroll home through Central Park. This evening has been set aside to relax or attend a performance of your choice – jazz, opera, dance or theatre (ticket costs not included). (B)

Friday May 12 MoMA – Performance 10

A highlight of our tour is this morning’s private tour of MoMA, New York’s famous Museum of Modern Art, with a museum lecturer. You are free to continue your visit throughout the day. In the late afternoon there is a pre-performance talk, on the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Wagner’s highly dramatic opera, The Flying Dutchman. The starry cast is led by the Met’s incoming music director (photo right). (B)

Performance details Venue: Metropolitan Opera Program: Wagner, The Flying Dutchman Performers: Amber Wagner (Senta), Michael Volle (Dutchman), Yannick Nezet-Seguin (conductor)

Saturday May 13 Lower East Side Performance 11

Today we visit the excellent Lower East Side Tenement Museum to see how ‘the other half lived’. The afternoon is free before tonight’s gala performance, a Carnegie Hall recital by tenor superstar, Juan Diego Flórez. (B)

Performance details Venue: Carnegie Hall Program: Songs and operatic arias Performer: Juan Diego Flórez, tenor

Sunday May 14 Top of the Rock Farewell brunch

Late this morning we visit the ‘Top of the Rock’ observatory for 360-degree views over New York, followed by a farewell brunch. At 3.00pm there is a transfer to New York’s JFK airport for those returning to Australia. (B, L)

Klimt’s portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer (above) – the Woman in Gold and centrepiece of the Neue Galerie; and Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin (below) at the Metropolitan Opera

Final program and second deposit In November 2016 an updated itinerary with most performance details will be published. At this stage we will send you a second invoice for $1,500 to cover the cost of tickets. If you are not satisfied with the range and quality of performances in the final itinerary, you can withdraw from the tour within 14 days of receiving the final version and receive a full refund of your deposit.

Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price Airport transfers included for passengers booking their

flights through Academy Travel All accommodation in selected four star hotels All breakfasts, and selected lunches and dinners in

hotels and local restaurants Land travel by air-conditioned coach, rail or taxi as

required Best available tickets to 11 performances Extensive background notes Background talks Services of expert tour leader throughout tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary Qualified local guides and museum lecturers at some

sites Tips for all services stated as included in the itinerary

Not included International airfares Travel insurance Visa costs Meals and activities not stated as included in this

itinerary Personal expenses such as laundry or internet usage

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Qantas or United who have regular flights to Montreal and home from New York. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries and bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email [email protected]

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

Grade Two

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or

boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.

Weather on Tour In Canada we are travelling in the first days of spring. Expect cool evenings and mornings, around five or six degrees. In the daytime it will warm up to around 15-18 degrees. In the United States it will be noticeably warmer, perhaps reaching the mid-20s in New York. Rainfall is spread fairly evenly across the year in all the places we visit.