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