Opera in Berlin

Day 1 London to Berlin, Germany.

Fly by scheduled flight. Arrive this afternoon and transfer to the Westin Grand Hotel for a four night stay. Settle into your room before meeting for dinner this evening at a local restaurant. (D)

Day 2 Berlin.

After breakfast we will start our morning city tour of Berlin which will include parts of the old East Berlin and West Berlin, along with the new modern sections of the city. We will see Potsdamer Platz, formerly bisected by the Berlin Wall but today a symbol of the reunited city, the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial before continuing along Unter den linden, once Berlin’s showcase boulevard. Passing Checkpoint Charlie, we will continue to Alexanderplatz and see the TV Tower and of course see remainders of the Berlin Wall. Going west we will drive along the famous Ku’damm, the heart of the former West Berlin. In this period, the Kurfurstendamm could be compared to the Champs Elysees in Paris but since reunification in 1990, the Boulevard became less important and Potsdamer Platz was transformed into the hub of the city. The tour will end at the Reichstag, the seat of the German government, where we will enjoy lunch at the rooftop restaurant for panoramic views over the city. The afternoon is at leisure for independent exploration. The city’s famous Museum Island is only a short walk or train ride away. Meet early this evening for canapés with wine followed by an evening at the Berlin State Opera House for our evening performance. (B, L, C*)

‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)’ by Gioachino Rossini – February departure

Under the code name Lindoro, the wealthy Count Almaviva has conquered the heart of the beautiful Rosina as a supposed student. But Doctor Bartolo, the girl's jealous guardian, intends to marry his ward himself, and therefore tries to keep all admirers away from her. Fortunately, Lindoro is assisted by the cunning barber Figaro, who – more or less cunningly – orchestrates a whole series of entanglements and masquerades.

With Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini, who was only 23 years old, created a witty, tingling, fiery and pulsating masterpiece in the spirit of Italian opera buffa within just three weeks, in which, as is so often the case, the foolish old man is left behind. He used the play "La Précaution inutile ou le Barbier de Séville" by the French poet, secret agent and arms smuggler Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais from 1772 as a model, which tells the prequel to Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Rossini's humorously drawn characters, brilliant solo parts, rousing melodies and fast-paced ensembles come into their own in Ruth Berghaus' timeless production from 1968 (with the ingeniously simple set design by the young Achim Freyer): it is bursting with liveliness and situational comedy and has lost none of its youthful freshness and vital cheerfulness even after more than 400 performances.

‘Don Carlo’ by Giuseppe Verdi – March departure

Verdi’s ‘Don Carlos’, commissioned by the Paris Opera where it premiered in 1867, brought a new direction to the composer’s musical inspiration: a dark and intense score, in which political, religious and moral issues stir characters in the throes of inner torment. This is a story of love and devotion conflicting with political and religious upheaval. Marco Arturo Marelli brings Verdi's epic opera classic to the stage in a visually stunning way. The struggle for freedom and independence under the rule of the absolutist King Philip II is emphasised as a central theme. The unshakeable power of the church, which is chiseled into the foundations of this society, is always present behind everything. conditions.

Day 3 Potsdam & Sanssouci Palace.

This morning, we will drive westwards from the city centre to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Potsdam. We will visit Sanssouci, the Summer Palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The palace, built 1745–1747, was not merely a summer residence but his favourite place. The many rooms of the palace retain their original elegant designs and furnishings and give you a glimpse at the opulence of the age. There will be time to explore the superb gardens as well. After lunch we will enjoy a walking tour through the historic centre of Potsdam taking in the Dutch Quarter with its distinct red brick buildings and the Nikolai Church before returning to Berlin. In the early evening we will meet for canapés with wine before enjoying our evening performance at the Berlin State Opera House. (B, L, C*)

‘Don Giovanni’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – February departure

Sometimes a deterrent example of an evil seducer who is finally given just punishment, then again a symbol of the freedom-loving and unconventional libertine who questions the moral ideas of his time: the figure of the irresistibly attractive, but at the same time unscrupulous Don Juan (or Don Giovanni) is a myth of modern times, among whose numerous arrangements Mozart's "dramma giocoso" stands out.

 At a rendezvous with Donna Anna, womanizer Don Giovanni is startled by her father, the Commendatore. In the ensuing scuffle, Giovanni kills the Commendatore. Anna and her fiancé Don Ottavio swear revenge on the murderer. Donna Elvira, who repeatedly falls for Giovanni's charm, is also upset – especially when his henchman Leporello reports on the true extent of his master's conquests. When Giovanni plans to seduce the young bride Zerlina on the day of the wedding, Elvira intervenes. She finally allies herself with Donna Anna and Don Ottavio to put a stop to the unscrupulous womanizer. But even when Giovanni faces death, he refuses to show remorse ... Mozart and his congenial librettist Da Ponte created a perfect mixture of serious and comic opera with their "dramma giocoso". They ennobled the actually buffonesque material with psychological sensitivity and musical finesse and portrayed the betrayed Elvira and the seduced Anna as serious adversaries who meet the title character at eye level.

‘L’Italiana in Algeri’ by Gioacchino Rossini – March departure

Rolando Villazón tackles one of the great comedies of the bel canto genre. ‘L’Italiana in Algeri’ remains one of the most popular works by Gioacchino Rossini, who is said to have dashed the piece off in less than a month and was a tender 21 years of age when the opera premiered at Venice’s Teatro San Benedetto in 1813. This titillating tale belongs to the ranks of “rescue operas” - a favourite genre of the era that usually stipulated having a beautiful young woman being captured and awaiting torture or death until her heroic beloved arrives on the scene to rescue her. In this case, a resourceful young Italian woman is kidnapped by an Algerian bey yearning for a new wife and outwits him herself – to everyone else's great satisfaction. The title character, Isabella, is one of the wittiest and most wonderful female characters in the entire operatic literature.

Day 4 Berlin.

After breakfast a short coach transfer takes us to Berlin’s largest Palace complex, the Charlottenburg Palace. The palace is embedded in a beautiful garden, with an Orangery, palace park and numerous ancillary buildings. Built between 1695 and 1699 for Sophia Charlotte, wife of King Frederick I of Prussia. After Sophia Charlotte’s death in 1705 the palace and the nearby village was named after her, Charlottenburg. Over the centuries the palace has been added to and expanded and has encapsulated the changing architectural tastes of its residents. During our visit to the palace we will explore the state rooms, the Rococo ballroom known as the Golden Gallery, as well as the Silver Vault that includes stunning gold and silver tableware and the 100 table services that have survived intact. Return to the hotel and the afternoon is free to explore at your own pace. In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 5 Berlin to London.

After breakfast transfer to the airport for the return scheduled flight to London. (B)