Overview
Scandinavia has long played a distinguished role in the history of music. Denmark has intensified its commitment to this heritage and increasingly offers world-class standards of music, as well as one of the most exciting new opera houses created in recent years – indeed Henning Larsen’s dazzling creation is one of the best equipped in the world.
Copenhagen is a strikingly attractive capital, and a relatively small one. It is an exciting hub of contemporary culture and design with a wealth of museums and art galleries, palaces and theatres. These range from the court theatre at the Christiansborg Palace to the Peacock theatre staging commedia-dell’arte-inspired pantomimes in the pleasure gardens of Tivoli.
The Royal Danish Ballet, founded in 1784, is not only one of the longest established dance companies in the world but also one of the most enjoyable of those performing today. It combines a rich heritage repertory with contemporary creativity.
Day 1
Fly at c. 10.00am from London Heathrow to Copenhagen (British Airways). The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is home to the magnificent benefaction of a brewer. It has collections of Mediterranean antiquities, particularly Roman portrait sculpture, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, Golden Age paintings and much else besides. There is time to settle into the hotel before dinner.
Day 2
Start with a lecture on this evening’s performance. A walk passes the Amalienborg, an ensemble of 1750s palaces, the English church, Gefion Fountain, the Little Mermaid, bastions of the Kastellet and (across the water) the opera house. In the afternoon travel by coach for the opportunity to visit one of the city’s finest art collections (self-guided): the Statens Museum for Kunst, the National Gallery of Denmark, which holds an extensive selection of Danish art from the Golden Age to the present day and a fine collection of European Old Masters. Coach back to the hotel for some free time before dinner and an evening opera at the Copenhagen Opera House: The Barber of Seville (Gioachino Rossini), Robert Carsen (conductor), Line Kromann Revival (director) Kristjan Ingimarsson (choreographer), The Royal Danish Orchestra and Choir, Matteo Beltrami (Dirigent), Liam Bonthrone Grev (Almaviva), Tiziano Bracci Doktor (Bartolo), Valerie Eickhoff (Rosina), Theodore Platt (Figaro).
Day 3
Lecture on the evening’s opera. Cross the water by boat for a tour of the beautiful Operaen (Copenhagen Opera House), built 2000–2005 to the designs of Henning Larsen and others. Free afternoon. The National Museum is recommended (artefacts prehistoric to contemporary, Vikings the highlight) or one of the city’s many other museums and galleries (the tour includes a card granting free admission). An evening ballet at the Old Stage: Don Quixote (music by Ludwig Minkus, choregraphy by Nikolaj Hübbe after Marius Petipa), Matthew Rowe (conductor), cast to be announced.
Day 4
The morning is free. We suggest a visit to the Rosenborg Palace, a fully furnished royal residence from the 17th century. An early afternoon lecture precedes an afternoon opera at the Copenhagen Opera House: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Richard Wagner), Axel Kober/ Jendrik Springer (conductor), Laurent Pelly (director), The Royal Danish Orchestra and Choir, Axel Kober (Dirigent), Johan Reuter (Hans Sachs), Jens-Erik Aasbø (Veit Pogner), Tom Erik Lie (Sixtus Beckmesser), Sofie Elkjær Jensen (Eva), Jens Søndergaard (Fritz Kothner), Jens Christian Tvilum (Kunz Vogelgesang). A light supper is served in the interval.
Day 5
A guided tour of the court theatre at the Christiansborg Palace (confirmed in autumn 2024). Fly to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 5.30pm.
Simon Rees
Simon is a freelance dramaturg, translating opera librettos for singing and surtitles, as well as lecturing and writing on opera, theatre, art and architecture. He is an Associate Lecturer at the Wales International Academy of Voice, and also teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. A novelist, poet and librettist, from 1989 to 2012 he was dramaturg at Welsh National Opera. Website: dramaturg.co.uk
Price, per person
Two sharing: £3,070 or £2,670 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,510 or £3,110 without flights.
Included
Flights (economy class) with British Airways (aircraft: Airbus A320); coach or boat for excursions as specified in the itinerary; accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 3 dinners (including 1 light supper during an interval) with wine, water and coffee; all admissions (120-hour Copenhagen Card); all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
Music
Tickets for 3 performances are included, costing c. £300.
Accommodation
Phoenix Copenhagen: a traditional 4-star hotel close to the Amalienborg Palace.
How strenuous?
We reach the opera house by coach and by boat. Participants need to be fit enough to manage this, the city walks and to cope easily with stair climbing. Average distance by coach per day: 5 miles.
Are you fit enough to join the tour?
Group size
Between 10 and 22 participants.
Travel advice
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Combine with
Indian Summer, 18–29 March 2025
Walking in Sicily, 24–31 March 2025
Florence Revisited, 25–31 March 2025
Val D’Orcia and the Sienese Hills, 10–16 April 2025
The Marmen Quartet, 11–13 April 2025
Welsh National Opera, 11–13 April 2025
'The itinerary was excellent. Copenhagen is a wonderful city and I thoroughly enjoyed the opera experience.'
'I loved the combination of a beautiful city with a very special interest.'
'This is the fourth trip I have done with Martin Randall and once again the whole experience has been first class.'