Overview
Salzburg is that rare thing, a tiny city with world-class standards in nearly everything the discerning visitor – and resident – would want. It is miraculous that such charm, and such grandeur, and, above all, such unparalleled weight of musical achievement, should be concentrated in so small a place.
A virtually independent city-state from its origins in the early Middle Ages until its absorption into the Habsburg Empire in the 19th century, Salzburg’s days of glory had all but slipped into the past by the time Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born there. He became the unwitting instigator, post-mortem, of Salzburg’s transformation from minor ecclesiastical seat to the world’s foremost city of music festivals – there are five of them. The Mozartwoche (Mozart Week) held in January every year celebrates Salzburg’s most famous son with musicians famed worldwide for their Mozart interpretations.
Our tour allows the concerts to be interspersed with a gentle programme of walks and visits to see some of the finest art and architecture in the city. But there is also plenty of free time to relax and gather energies for the performances, and for individual exploration.
The city has several fine museums, Mozart’s birthplace and later family home foremost among them. The city’s principal museum has been re-established in the Archbishop’s palace; the Panorama Museum with an 1829 painting of the city is not to be missed; the cliff-top Museum of Contemporary Art has a café with peerless views over the city.
Day 1
Fly at c. 10am from London Gatwick to Salzburg (British Airways). Introductory lecture and dinner.
Day 2
Morning walk through the heart of the old city with a local guide includes a church by the greatest master of Austrian Baroque, Fischer von Erlach, the late-Gothic Franciscan church and the mighty cathedral, the first major Baroque building north of the Alps. Evening concert at the Großes Festspielhaus with the Vienna Philharmonic, Lahav Shani (cond.), Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin) and Michael Barenboim (viola): Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat minor, K.364; Beethoven, Symphony No.5 in C minor Op.67.
Day 3
A private guided tour of the Mozarteum’s Autograph Vault, containing original letters and manuscripts is followed by a visit to the former Mozart family home. Evening concert at the Mozarteum with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Kirill Gerstein (cond. and piano): Mozart, Overture to ‘Così fan tutte’; Salieri, Piano Concerto No.27 in B flat; Mozart, Piano Concerto in D minor K.466; Salieri, 26 Variations on ‘La folia di Spagna’; Beethoven, ‘Coriolan’ Overture, Op.62 and Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat, Op.19.
Day 4
Visit to the Museum der Moderne, followed by a free afternoon in Salzburg. Evening opera at the Felsenreitschule: 'La Clemenza di Tito' with Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall (cond.), Edgardo Rocha (Tito), Hanna-Elisabeth Müller (Vitellia), Magdalena Kožená (Sesto), Christina Gansch (Servilia), Marianne Beate Kielland (Annio), Salvo Vitale (Publio), Vienna Philharmonia Chorus, Walter Zeh (Chorus Director).
Day 5
Morning concert at the Mozarteum with the Basel Chamber Orchestra, Giovanni Antonini (cond.) and Sabine Meyer (clarinet): Salieri, Overture to ‘Trofonio’s Cave'; Mozart, Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622; Salieri, Overture to ‘Cesare in Farmacusa’; Mozart, Serenade for Orchestra No.9 in D, K.320. A second guided walk includes a visit to the 18th-century Mirabell Gardens. Evening concert at the Großes Festspielhaus with the Vienna Philharmonic, Andrés Orozco-Estrada (cond.), Sol Gabetta (cello), Kathryn Lewek (soprano), Serena Sáenz (soprano), Theodore Platt (baritone), Nahuel Di Pierro (bass): Mozart, Symphony No.32 in G, K.318; Haydn, Cello Concerto No.1 in C; Mozart, Overture to ‘The Impresario’, K.486; Salieri, 'Prima la musica e poi le parole'.
Day 6
Morning concert at the Mozarteum with Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Maximilian Hornung (cello), Lauma Skride (piano): Mozart Piano Trios in B flat K.254, E K.542, B flat K.502 and C K.548. Free afternoon. Evening concert with Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Ivor Bolton (cond.), Anna Prohaska (soprano), Rolando Villazón: Mozart, Overture to ‘Idomeneo’ and selected arias; Salieri, Concerto for Oboe, Violin and Cello in D; J.S. Bach, excerpts from Cantatas BWV31, 57, 127 and 202; Mozart, Symphony No.25 in G minor K.183 ‘Allegro con brio’.
Day 7
Free morning for independent exploration. The flight from Salzburg arrives at London Gatwick c. 7.00pm.
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Price, per person
Two sharing: £4,780 or £4,640 without flights. Single occupancy: £5,490 or £5,350 without flights.
Included
Air travel (Euro Traveller) with British Airways (Airbus A319); accommodation as described below; breakfasts, 1 lunch and 4 dinners with wine; private coach for the airport transfers; all admissions to museums; tips for waiters, drivers and local guides; all state and airport taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
Music
First category tickets to 3 performances and second category tickets to 4 performances are included, costing c. £1,145.
Accommodation
Hotel Bristol: 5-star family-run hotel, excellently located two minutes’ walk from the Mozarteum and just across the river from the Festspielhaus (600 metres). Single rooms are doubles for sole use.
How strenuous?
There is a moderate amount of walking within the old town centre where vehicular access is restricted. The tour is planned on the expectation that participants walk to and from the concert venues.
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
Opera in Paris, 13–17 February 2024
'This was for me the best Martin Randall Tour, and that’s saying a lot.'
'The balance of sightseeing and concerts was well thought out, and made for an educational and entertaining experience that was rich and satisfying.'
'Richard did a wonderful job of preparing us for the concerts. He was interesting and enjoyable company.'
'Richard Wigmore transformed the experience for me – giving depth to my shallow knowledge. There was no musical subject on which he was unable to converse; he made his expertise accessible with enormous fluency and enthusiasm. His lectures flashed by, full of insights and jokes in equal measure. He was always friendly, cheerful and approachable.'