June 12 – 22, 2020*
H H H H
T O U R H I G H L I G H T S
• Primeticketsto7majorconcertsin DresdenandtheBachFestivalinLeipzig
• PrivateconcertsandrecitalsinDresden, Leipzig,andWeimer,exclusivetothegroup
• ExcursionstoWeimar,theMeissen Porcelainfactory,PillnitzCastle,andthe mountainsofSaxonSwitzerland
• Privateguidedtourstomajorsitesinboth citiesandelsewhereledbyexpertguides
• Deluxeaccommodationsinfive-starhotels, andfinedining
• CommentarybyWBJC’sJonathanPalevsky throughoutthetrip
• Privateair-conditionedmotorcoach transportationforallactivitiesonthetour
• Freetimeforextrasight-seeing,shopping orrelaxing
*Tour begins June 13 in Dresden
Join WBJC’s brilliant host Jonathan Palevsky for an inspiring music-filled sojorn in the beautifulGermanstateofSaxonynextspring!ThehighlightistheannualBachFestinLeipzig,whereyouwillattendfiveconcertsbysomeoftheworld’smostrenownedBachinterpreters,includinggreatchoralmasterworks,recitalsbyrenownedpianistAngelaHewittandcellistPieterWispelwey,andaperformanceofthegreatB-MinorMassbytheGewandhausOrchestra,theoldestinEurope.InDresden,youwillseeaproductionofRossini’ssparklingcomedy,The Barber of Seville,atoneofthemostbeautifultheatresintheworld,theSemper.Severalprivateconcertsexclusivelyforthegroupaddzesttoourmusicalvoyage.
Asaprelude,yourjourneybeginsinmagnificentDresden,oftencalled“FlorenceontheElbe,”acityliterallyrisenfromtheashesofWorldWarIIdevastation.Fromthere,we’llmakeanexcursioninto“SaxonSwitzerland”withaboatrideontheElbeandtourtherenownedMeissenPorcelainfactory.LeipzighasbeenhometomoremajorcomposerssecondonlytoVienna.WetraceBach’sgeniusinsitesaroundthecityandalsovisitMendelssohn’slasthome.AdaytriptoWeimarfeaturesavisittothemuseumoftheBauhaus,celebratingits100thanniversary.Alongthewaywe’llmeetothertitansofGermanculturesuchasSchumann,Wagner,Liszt,MartinLuther,Goethe,Schiller,andmanyothers.Five-staraccommodations,finediningattoprestaurants,alltheoutstandingmusicandJonathan’sengagingcommentarymakethisagloriousjourneythroughoneofEurope’spremiermusicalandhistoriclandscapes!
Dresden on the Elbe below: Bach statue in front of St. Thomas Church, Leipzig
The Spirit of Bach! Dresden and the Bach Festival in Leipzig
The The Spirit of Bach tour is organized exclusively for WBJC by The Grand Tour Travel Company of Peterborough, NH.
LIMITEDTO 25 PARTICIPANTS
Seville,beguilesus!
Monday, June 15 Saxon SwitzerlandThelushgardensofthe18thcenturyPillnitzCastle,thesummerhomeofSaxony’sElectors,illustrateanearlycompletehistoryoflandscapegardening.Ourcoachtakesusfromthereupintothesandstonemountainscalled“SaxonSwitzerland”,andthefabulousviewsfromBastei.Returningdownstream,weboardthelocalferryandfloatdowntheElbeenjoyingabuffetlunch.Eveningfree.
Tuesday, June 16 Palaces and PaintingsYourdayisfreeinDresden,withanoptionalvisitinthemorningtotheoutstandingcollectionofpaintingsattheAlteMeisterGalleryinthebaroqueZwingerPalace.BeforedinnerontheTheaterplatz,weenjoyaprivateconcertatthelovelyCoselPalais.
Wednesday, June 17 Meissen and Bach’s OrganWebidaufwiedersehentoDresdenandmoveontoLeipzig.Meissenisanamesynonymouswithfine,delicateporcelain,themostfamousintheworld.Onourwaynortheastwetourthefactorywhereitisstillfabricatedinthetraditionalhandmadeprocess.UponarrivalinLeipzig,wecheckintothedeluxeHotelFürstenhof. TheannualLeipzigBachFestival,firstbegunin1904,takesplacealloverthecityinBaroquechurches,impressiveconcerthalls,and
Friday, June 12 Group flight on Lufthansa departs Dulles Airport with arrival the following day.
Saturday, June 13 Wilkommen!ArrivalinDresdenandcheck-inatthelovelyHotelBülowPalais,aRelais&ChateauxpropertyintheBaroqueNeustadtdistrict,littledamagedfromthewar.Ourwelcome dinner isinthehotel’selegant,Michelin-starred,CarousselRestaurant.
Sunday, June 14 Dresden Breakfast dailyatbothhotels.Thismorning,wetourthebeautifulcityofDresdenlyingontheRiverElbe,manyofitshistoricmonumentsvirtuallyrebuiltastheywerebeforetheAlliedbombingofFebruary1945.We’llvisittheremarkable,domedFrauenkircheandtheGreenVaultoficonictreasures.Lunchisinthecenter.ThiseveningatthebeautifulSemperOper,Rossini’swittymasterpiece,The Barber of
Leipzig Town Hall
Meissen Porcelain
Dresden’s Semper Oper
charmingchambervenues.TonightattheThomaskirche(St.ThomasChurch),Bach’smusicalhomefor27yearsandwhereheisburied,thehouseorganistUllrichBöhmeperformsonthemodern“Bachorgan”designedtoresembletheinstrumentplayedonbyBachatanearbychurch.
Thursday, June 18 LeipzigAtourofthehistoriccenterofLeipzigtakesustotheoldtownhall,AuerbachsKellermadefamousbyGoetheinFaust andthesuperbBachMuseum.Lunchisnearby.Tonight,adouble-header:famedBaroquecellistPieterWispelweyperformsBach’ssonatasforvioladagambaat
Leipzig’shistoricTownHall,followedbyaprogramofchoralcantatasperformedbyEmmanuelMusicofBostonatthe
Nikolaikirche,Bach’sotherprincipalworkplace.
Pieter Wispelwey
Friday, June 19 WeimarWeimaranditsrichculturalheritage—thecity
oftheGermanEnlightenmentleadbyJohannWolfgangGoetheandFriedrichSchiller,acenter
ofmusicinspiredbyFranzLiszt,thefoundingoftheBauhausmovementinartandarchitecture,theplacewhere
Germany’sfirstdemocraticconstitutionwassigned—andwhereJohannSebastianBachwascourtorganistfrom1708to1717.Ourtourinthecomposer’sfootstepsendsattheBauhausMuseum.Ashorttripfromtown,EttersburgCastleisourdestinationforanotherexclusiveprivateconcertandlunch.LateafternoonreturntoLeipzigandeveningfree.
Saturday, June 20 Bach and MendelssohnAgranddayofmusic!Atnoon,theeminentCanadianpianistAngelaHewitt,famedforherBachinterpretations,playsthecomposer’sgreatGoldberg Variations.Afterlunch,wevisittheMendelssohnHaus,wherethecomposerlivedthelastfouryearsofhislife,foratourandprivateconcert.Thisevening,theorchestraandchorusfromtheNetherlandsBachSocietyperformschoralcantatasattheNikolaikirche.
Sunday, June 21 A Grand Finale!YourmorningandearlyafternooninLeipzigisfreebeforeagalafinal St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig
below: Gewandhaus Orchestra
Angela Hewitt
Ettersburg Castle, Weimar
Tour Cost: $5,390 per person, ground only, double occupancy. Single supplement: $625. Optional group flight: $1,285, economy on Lufthansa.
Deposit: $1,000 per person firstcome,firstserved.Balance deadline: April 10, 2020. Afterthatdate,callforavailability.
Tour limited to 25 participants or as space allows.
ContactTheGrandTourtoreserveyourplaceonthetourwithacreditcarddeposit,orsendacheckmadepayabletoTheGrandTourforthedepositamountto:WBJCGermanyTour,TheGrandTour,POBox274,Peterborough,NH03458.Registrationmaterialscanbedownloadedfromwww.wbjc.com
Questions?ContactTheGrandTourat800-727-2995orinfo@thegrandtour.com
evening.TheoutstandingGewandhausOrchestra,theoldestcivicorchestraintheworldandwhereMendelssohnonceheldthepostofmusicdirector,concludestheBachFestivalwithhisgreatB-MinorMassattheThomaskirche.Theorchestraisledbytheirmusicdirector,AndrisNelsons,oneofthepreëminentconductorsinmusictoday.OurFarewell DinnerisatoneofLeipzig’sfinestrestaurants.
Monday, June 22 Aufwiedersehen!Thetourendsafterbreakfastandhotelcheck-out.ThegroupflightreturnstoIAD(Dulles)arrivinglaterintheafternoon.
Itinerary is subject to change. Meals inboldare included in the price of the tour.
H O S T , J O N AT H A N PA L E V S K Y
JonathanPalevskyhasbeenapresence
onWBJC-FMairwavesforoverthree
decades!Hejoinedthestaffasapart
timeannouncerin1986andhasbeen
ProgramDirectorsince1990.Originally
fromMontreal,JonathancametoBaltimorein1982to
pursueaMaster’sdegreeinclassicalguitarperformance
andthePeabodyConservatory.Hehashostedjustabout
everyconceivabletimeslotatWBJC,butcanregularlybe
heardhostingtheWBJCOperaPreview,FacetheMusic,
MusicinMarylandandWordonWine.Jonathan’scurrent
off-airobsessionsincludewritingBaltimoreSymphony
Podcasts,playingguitarandhostingCinemaSundaysatthe
CharlesTheatre.Jonathanhasbeenaccompanyingmusical
tourssincethelate1990’sandalwayslooksforwardto
adventureswithWBJC’sintrepidtravelers.
Tour Registration
Andris Nelsons
St. Thomas Church Green Vault, Dresden