A Musical Journey in Italy with Maestro Steven Larsen, June 10-22, 2020, 13 days, 11 nights. Venice, Verona, Cremona, Parma, Florence, Chianti ...
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A Musical Journey in Italy with Maestro Steven Larsen, June 10-22, 2020, 13 days, 11 nights.
Venice, Verona, Cremona, Parma, Florence, Chianti, Cortona, Orvieto, and Rome
Register at rockfordsymphony.com!
Day 1: Wednesday, June 10, Depart Rockford/ Chicago (meals in flight)
Meet in Rockford for our private transfer to Chicago O’Hare International Airport for our early evening overnight
flight to Marco Polo Airport, Venice, Italy
Day 2: Thursday, June 11, Venice (dinner)
By mid-morning you are in Bella Venezia where we stay for
two nights. This afternoon’s feature is our private guide for
a walking tour of “Hidden Venice” featuring the grand La
Fenice Theatre, one of the most beautiful opera houses in
the world. Dinner with wine is at a traditional restaurant this
evening.
Maritime Republic of Venice was often popularly called the
"Republic of Music". Because of its trade relations with both the
East and the West, in Venetian music there are the influences of
styles from Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The development of instrumental music for lute and for organ is
noted in the 16th century, for instrumental ensemble in the 17th, and for virtuoso performance in the 18th. Even the
traditional barcarola tunes sung by Venetian gondoliers developed into an important genre of classical music. Opera as a
commercial endeavor started in Venice in the 1630s with the first opera house ever opened to the public. Crucial to the
successful beginnings of opera in Venice was the presence of Claudio Monteverdi, (whom we will discover in Cremona)
whose move to that city from Mantua in 1613 rejuvenated the musical life of Venice. The success of Monteverdi and opera
in Venice led directly to the opening of similar theaters
elsewhere in Italy, where the public was invited to hear the
"new music from the north"—"musica Veneziana". In Venice,
the opera season corresponded to the Carnevale. Historically,
the four most important "hospitals" in the Republic of Venice
(besides caring for the sick and elderly) were, in fact,
orphanages where young children might be taught a useful
trade. One of these trades was music; thus, the hospitals
developed into true music conservatories of the day. Antonio
Vivaldi taught at the Ospedale della Pietà.
Day 3: Friday, June 12, Venice (breakfast, lunch, welcome gathering)
This morning, we will visit the famous Piazza San Marco and enter the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica of San
Marco with our private guide learning why Venice is called “La Serenissima”. The Basilica of San Marco has had
choirmasters since 1318! Composers such as Andrea Gabrieli and Giovanni Gabrieli, both known for antiphonal
compositions of brass music, derived for the acoustics of the
Basilica. The Sacrae Symphoniae (1597) and Canzoni (1608) are
among the first published works of music.
Following our visit to the basilica, we are whisked away in
a private boat to the Island of Murano for a soon-not-to be
forgotten lunch, then make a private visit to Berengo
Studio, an internationally acclaimed private glass-making
furnace, and contemporary art museum where Rockford’s
Nicholas Conservatory statues were created, and who
features glass art by Jaume Plensa, creator of the Crown
Fountain in Millennium Park, Chicago. Free time follows till
we meet for our “Benvenuti in Italia” appetizers and
aperitif welcome gathering.
Day 4: Saturday, June 13, Venice to Verona (breakfast, dinner)
This morning we depart after breakfast by private boat and then
our private vehicle for our one-night’s stay in magical Verona, a
Roman colony since the first century BC and where two of
William Shakespeare's plays are set: Romeo and Juliet and The
Two Gentlemen of Verona. Our private, casual stroll-like tour with
local guide walks us literally over the centuries of history of this
lovely pedestrian-friendly smaller town. After some time to relax,
we have dinner and then we are at the Arena for the performance
of Cavalleria Rusticana ~ Pagliacci [*Tickets optional; available on
a first come, first served basis, see registration sheet].
Built in the first century, the Verona Arena is an open-air Roman amphitheater that’s still fully in use today, making it one
of the best-preserved ancient structures in the world. In its heyday, it held over 20,000 people; there were processions,
circus acts, dancing, and music, but, above all, the gladiator battles. The word “arena” means sand, and it refers to the
sand that covered the floor of the ring to absorb the blood spilled during the fights. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the
theater hosted games and tournaments. The first documented joust took place here in 1590, with all kinds of equestrian
games in 1751; a rhino was shown in the Arena to the wonder of all the spectators. It was the setting for a recent Bollywood
movie called Rockstar in 2011. Its elliptical shape gives the space excellent acoustics.
Day 5: Sunday, June 14, Verona to Cremona via Busseto – “Land of Verdi” (breakfast, lunch)
By private vehicle, we are transferred to Villa S. Agata, the home of Giuseppe Verdi. During our time in “The
Terra of Verdi” we will learn of the maestro’s interesting life and the time of the Risorgimento in Italy, and the
rise of Italy as a nation in the late 19th century. V.E.R.D.I. was a very important acronym for Vittorio Emmanuelle
Re (King) d’ (of) Italy, and the famous Hebrew Slave Chorus from the opera Nabbuccio was considered “the”
anthem of this rising Republic. In the quaint town of Busseto we have
lunch at “Verdi’s” favorite café. Then, we are on to beautiful Cremona
to visit the outstanding Museo del violino, and then check in for our two-
night stay. In 2012, UNESCO named “the traditional violin
craftsmanship of Cremona” as an intangible cultural heritage.”
Since the 12th century, the town has been a musical center, and in the 1600s it
achieved heights in the field of instrument-making that have never been
equaled as the home of a series of legendary luthiers. The Amati family began
a legacy of excellence in violins in Cremona around 1540, passing down their
skills through four generations working over 200 years. It was Andrea Amati,
the first-generation luthier, who introduced the modern violin family by
adopting and popularizing the basic form, shape, size, materials, and method of
construction of the violin, viola, and cello. Andrea’s two sons both raised the
profile of the family business, but it was Nicolo, the third-generation maker, whose instruments are still coveted today. The
Amati workshop also begat some of Cremona’s other legendary maker families. Both Andrea Guarneri and Francesco
Rugeri began as apprentices of the Amatis. Like the Amati, the Guarneri family found its greatest luthier in its third
generation. Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri was known as “El Gesu” and his violins are considered by some to be the best
ever made, with many distinguished musicians performing on his instruments into the 20th century. Giuseppe Guarneri’s
supremacy is challenged only by the legendary and world-renowned Antonio Stradivari—who, of course, hailed from
Cremona as well. Recent scholarship suggests that Stradivari was not a pupil of Nicolo Amati, as had been long thought,
but instead of Rugeri, with whom his early instruments share more in common. Stradivari’s first labels date to the 1660s,
and after a few decades of experimentation and growing reputation, the era between 1700 and 1720 is known as his
golden period. In his lifetime, Stradivari is alleged to have produced 1,116 instruments, nearly 1,000 of which were violins.
About 500 of these violins survive today.
Day 6: Monday, June 15, Cremona for the day (breakfast, dinner)
After breakfast, we make a casual walking tour of this wonderfully pedestrian-friendly community featuring the
Duomo, and a visit to a private luthier where we learn about the art of making stringed instruments. Music and
the culinary arts thrive in Cremona. On your own this afternoon, enjoy the town known for its bell tower called
Torrone, the same name as the famous nougat-like candy. We meet at a special place this evening for dinner to
discover why Cremona is also known for its culinary arts.
Day 7: Tuesday, June 16, Parma to Florence (breakfast, tasting, dinner)
After breakfast, we are on our way by private vehicle to stop at a caseficio for Parmigiano cheese. Here we will
learn of the art and history of Parmigiano and one of the reasons in 2020 Parma has been named “Italy's Capital
of Culture”. We will have a tour and tasting before continuing to near-by Parma, home of Arturo Toscanini.
With our private guide we enter the famous Teatro Farnese
with Piazza Verdi, and the Duomo famed for its frescoes by
Correggio who prefigures the Baroque art of the 17th century
and the Rococo art of the 18th century, and is the visual
accompaniment to the music composed during these eras.
During your lunch on your own, discover the reasons why Parma
is a household name all over the world. Emilia-Romagna, where
Parma lies, produces more origin-protected food and drink than
any other region in Italy. In the plains around Parma you'll find
some of Italy's finest artisans making some of its tastiest
prosciutto, salami, and porcini mushrooms. It's home to the top
school of Italian cooking, Alma, and the only place in Italy to
earn UNESCO’s "creative city" badge for its gastronomy. Then, we continue to Florence, where we stay for two
nights. After a light dinner, we are at the modern Teatro dell’Opera di Firenze for an orchestra-chorus
performance with Maestro of Orchestra della Toscana-Daniele Rustioni and Maestro del Coro-Lorenzo Fratini
[*Tickets optional; available on a first come, first served basis, see registration sheet].
Florence was founded as a colony of the Etruscan city of Fiesole in about 200 BC, later becoming the Roman Florentia. In
the early 12th century the city became a free commune and was ruled by 12 consuls, assisted by a group of merchants.
Later in the 14th century, the Medici family became the rulers. The
most famous was Lorenzo de Medici who sponsored philosophers and
artists. In the early 15th century the study of antiquity—of the glory
that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome—became a
Florentine passion. Because songs were primarily an oral tradition,
only 300 texts have survived, and of these, about 70 contain music.
Much of the repertory from the time of Lorenzo de Medici is preserved
through the Italian devotional laude. These include the instruction
cantasi come (translation: "to be sung to") followed by the title of a
particular carnival song. One example of this is Lorenzo de' Medici's
lauda, "O maligno e duro core" which is sung to "La canzona de'
Valenziani" (Song of the Perfumers). Humanism had come to affect
nearly every discipline—that is, except music. Only a few fragments of ancient Greek music were known during the 15th
century, and, as very few humanists comprehended the notation, the sounding music of the ancients could not be revived
in the same way as their literature. Yet although the music of the ancients could not be recovered, their theories and
attitudes about it could. Due in part to the collection efforts by Florentines, much classical Greek and Latin music theory
was known and studied during the 15th century. Humanists noted that the ancient authors had ascribed powerful effects
to music and advocated that contemporary music too should move the affections of listeners. To this end, 15th-century
theorists tried to understand the way in which ancient Greek music was constructed, including the concepts of mode and
harmony, and apply it to modern music. The metaphor of the harmony in music as a representation of the universal
harmony between man and cosmos or between body and soul was a particularly appealing one. By the mid-16th century
Greek mythology was set to music and staged, “putting the wheels in motion for the first operas to be written and
performed in the late 1500s”. Later the “symphony” was developed.
Day 8: Wednesday, June 17, Florence (breakfast, dinner)
This morning we have a private walking tour of the quintessential sites
of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. With Laura as your
private guide we visit the Church of S. Croce, the burial site of
Michelangelo the artist, Galileo the scientist, and Rossini the musician,
and the site of the Florentine leather school. Continuing our stroll to
Piazza della Signoria, we enter courtyard of Palazzo Vecchio-Uffizi,
concluding at the Duomo complex to gaze upon the world’s largest
free-standing double dome constructed in the early 15th century. We
will also enter the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo to see the original
“Gates of Paradise” by Lorenzo Gilberti and Michelangelo’s last Pietà
meant for his tomb. Free time is then given for lunch on your own and
to enjoy Florence. We meet for an unforgettable dinner with wine this
evening in the “City of Flowers”.
Day 9: Thursday, June 18, Florence to Arezzo, Cortona (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
This morning we depart for a quaint town that has only 40
residents—we are in the “Real Tuscany” for a relaxing day
in the countryside and a traditional, hands-on cooking
lesson, followed by our lunch with wine dining al fresco,
overlooking a beautiful valley in Chianti. From there we
drive through the hills of Tuscany to delightful Arezzo,
where we have a private walking tour of this hilltop town
home of the “Musical Monk”.
Guido d’ Arezzo (living around the year 1000) is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of modern
music. He wrote Micrologus de Disciplina Artis Musicae (A Short Treatise on the Discipline of Musical Art). News of this
treatise soon reached Pope John XIX, who invited Guido to demonstrate his teachings to him in Rome. The Pope was so
impressed by Guido’s innovations that he requested the monk to stay in Rome and instruct the Roman clergy in this new
system, as well as to introduce it into general practice. The foremost of these is the staff notation, which he developed
from the earlier neumatic notation. Although slightly altered, this system of musical notation is still in use today. Another
well-known innovation by Guido is the use of syllables to teach musical notes. It is thanks to Guido that we have ‘do-re-mi’
today. Finally, Guido is believed to have invented the ‘Guidonian hand’, another neumatic device that was used in the
teaching of music.
Before we depart Arezzo, we view the incredible fresco cycle by the Renaissance artist Piero della Francesca and
then arrive at our lodging in the hilltop town of Cortona for one night, and later have a traditional Tuscan dinner
of “mama's cooking”, with wine.
Cortona became a prosperous town between the 8th and
7th centuries BC. There is a large and massive Etruscan
wall that still nearly encircles the modern town of Cortona
and impressive burial sites have recently begun to be
excavated. (The Etruscan Museum was inaugurated in
September 2005). By the third century BC it had become a
Roman colony. On June 24, 217 BC, this area witnessed
the Battle of Lake Trasimeno, fought between Consul
Flamini and Hannibal. This was one of the bloodiest
battles of the Punic Wars. Tradition says that places like
Ossaia, Sepoltaglia, or Sanguineto are named after this battle, from "ossa- bones" and "sepolto-buried" or "sanguine-
blood". During the 553 AD barbarian invasions, Cortona was sacked and destroyed by the Goths. The book or movie of the
same title Under The Tuscan Sun was written by American author Frances Mayes about the home she purchased and
renovated on the backside or shady side of Cortona's hill. The villa's name is Bramasole, meaning "wanting or lacking sun".
This book has brought new prosperity to the town, but ask anyone from Cortona, they will tell you, "Cortona was famous
before! – in fact in the 7th century BC. “
Pinocchio was ‘born’ in Cortona. Collodi, the author, was from this small town, and as you look at the shops, you just feel
the little wooden puppet being made in one of these workshops. Dean Martin or Dino Martino’s family was also from this
area….and the song C’e sara’ sara’ was written about the immigrants who were leaving this area years ago when it was
not so prosperous.
Day 10: Friday, June 19, Cortona to Orvieto (breakfast, dinner)
A highlight of our morning is a private walking tour of the town of Cortona
along with a visit to the world-famous Etruscan Museum and stop into a
private workshop for a demonstration on the history and techniques of
Etruscan jewelry.
Orvieto is about one hour away, where we transfer by private vehicle and
then continue with our private guide for a casual walking tour of this
intriguing 12th century Italian hill town with the Duomo and the famed
frescoes of Luca Signorelli. There is free time to relax and on your own
enjoy this wonderful community and climb the Torre del Moro for
fantastic views over the countryside.
The ancient city was certainly a major centre of Etruscan civilization by the 8th century BC. An interesting survival that might show the complexity of ethnic relations in ancient Italy is the inscription on a tomb in the Orvieto Cannicella necropolis: mi aviles katacinas, "I am of Avile Katacina", with an Etruscan-Latin first name (Aulus) and a family name that is believed to be of Celtic origin. Orvieto, sitting on its impregnable rock controlling the road between Florence and Rome, was a large town. From the 11th century onward, the popes maintained an aggressive political presence here. The importance of its location and papal patronage are seen in the thriving and mixing of the arts and music in Orvieto to this day. Later we meet for dinner and then we are privileged to attend the Participant Concert of the Orvieto Music Festival. An international chamber music festival presented each year during the summer in the stunningly beautiful and largely untouched, 12th-century Italian town of Orvieto. Musicians come together from many countries (including Hong Kong, England, the United States, Canada, and Italy) to perform in medieval churches, outdoor piazzas, “jewel-box” theatres, restored castles, and small-town settings. Orvieto Musical’s founders, Nyela Basney, Angela Yeung, Douglas Hedwig, and Alessandra Visconti, began the festival with the vision of creating an annual opportunity for musicians of all ages to inspire and share music with one another and with appreciative audiences. They worked to create an environment in which musicians could perform together in a non-competitive but excellence-inspiring atmosphere. Day 11: Saturday, June 20, Orvieto to Rome (breakfast, lunch) We depart this mid-morning to The Eternal City—Rome, built to last an eternity … with a stop for lunch before we meet our private guide at The Vatican, for our private tour with reserved admissions, including highlights of the Museums, Sistine Chapel, and the Basilica of St. Peter. We will see from the outside the Castel S. Angelo where, in the opera Tosca, Cavaradossi is sentenced to death in the Castel Sant'Angelo. Tosca commits suicide by throwing herself from this castle's parapets. We stay two nights in Rome.
Day 12: Sunday, June 21, Rome (breakfast, dinner) This morning, the culmination of the RSO Journey to Italy with Maestro Larsen is with the “Pines of Rome” panoramic tour of Rome. We first start with the Pines of the Villa Borghese, with a short walk through the Borghese Gardens, and then with our private tour guide and by vehicle to the Pines Near a Catacomb* (closed on Sundays*) and The Pines of the Appian Way and a walk on the Via Appia before returning to the historic center of Rome for The Pines of the Janiculum and the view over the city of Rome. You have the afternoon at leisure; perhaps you would like to throw three coins in the Trevi Fountain, enjoy lunching in a cafe in Piazza Navona, or count the steps in Piazza Spagna. (An optional tour and reserved tickets to the Ancient Roman Forum and Coliseum is available for this late afternoon.) This evening we meet for an “Arrivederci Roma” dinner, with wine. (Music performances/schedules to be announced with optional tickets available on a first come, first served basis.) Day 13: Monday, June 22, Rome to Chicago/Rockford (breakfast, meals in flight) We depart on our direct flight from Rome FCO/da Vinci airport to Chicago O’Hare airport, arriving mid-afternoon the same day, with private transportation to Rockford. *A Musical Journey in Italy with Maestro Steven Larsen, June 10-22, 2020 itinerary is under copyright and is meant solely for Rockford Symphony Orchestra use, for which it was designed, and no portion of this tour or itinerary may be used without expressed written consent of Laura C. Johnson, Chicago, IL.
A Musical Journey to Italy with Maestro Larsen, June 10-22, 2020, at $6,170.00 per person, based on double occupancy. Inquire for limited availability single supplement accommodations. Non-refundable deposit / first payment by personal or bank check for $1,970.00 per person with completed registration form (copy of valid passport) and signed condition form due by January 28, 2020; second non-refundable payment of $2,430.00 due by February 22, 2020 and third non-refundable payment of balance of $1,770.00 plus extras* (see note below) due by March 31, 2020. Invoices with payment information sent out for second and third payments; a late fee of $25.00 will be added to payments not received by due dates. A portion of the trip may be tax deductible. A Musical Journey to Italy with Maestro Larsen June 10-22, 2020 includes: round trip Rockford-O’Hare air- conditioned private motor coach, round trip economy-class airfare Chicago O’Hare airport to Marco Polo airport Venice, da Vinci FCO airport, Rome to Chicago O’Hare airport, 11 nights of accommodations, daily breakfasts, lunches and dinners as indicated (meals not specifically noted as included as group meals are on one’s own account) with regular water only, wine included where noted, tips to hotel staff, waiters at group meals, local guides, skippers and drivers, services of a native English-speaking (bi-lingual, Italian) private, professional group tour leader, private transportation from Marco Polo airport, Venice, to lodging, to Island of Murano, and to Piazzale Roma, Venice, by private vehicles and boats with professional licensed drivers/skippers, private air conditioned motor coach with professional licensed driver from Piazzale Roma, Venice to da Vinci FCO airport, Rome, private English-speaking, local, licensed tour guides for private tours, museums and site admissions, excursions, and activities and events as noted in the itinerary. A Musical Journey with Maestro Larsen June 10-22, 2020 does not include: passports (must be valid for six months after travel), laundry, beverages such as specialty waters, sodas or wines at group meals unless noted, travelers insurance, upgraded air seats [subject to availability], and any item not specifically denoted, including spontaneous and special events, nor personal activities. (Musical performances in Verona (Day 4: June 13) and Florence (Day 7: June 16) subject to confirmation and tickets/seat selections are optional and at an added expense; pre-selection and payment required; see registration form.) (Day 12: June 21 optional afternoon tour of the Ancient Roman Forum and Coliseum with reserved admission not included; pre-registration and payment required; see registration form). NOTE: No refunds will be given for portions of the Musical Journey, tours-activities or meals not used or attended. Additional expenses incurred because of deviations from the Musical Journey are the responsibility of the person choosing these alternatives. A Musical Journey is based on double occupancy for 24 adults; should this total of 24 adults not be reached, a supplement may be added to the total final package price and third payment. Additional fee for single room lodging applies; available on a limited, first-come, first serve basis (Inquire for additional information and supplement). Third payment amount is subject to final airport taxes and fees, fuel charges, euro-dollar exchange rate, number of participants. A Musical Journey is 100% non-refundable, with traveler’s insurance strongly recommended to be purchased after deposit is made for best and complete coverage from date of initial registration. (Travel Insurance will be quoted to all participants; purchased separately from the package.). Flights are out of Chicago O’Hare, alternative gateway cities may be possible, subject to airline rules and regulations and deviation fees. Limited upgrades, and/or extra legroom seats may be available and coordinated for an additional fee payable separately. A Musical Journey with Maestro Larsen is under copyright and is meant solely for Rockford Symphony Orchestra’s use whom it was designed for, and no portion of this Journey or itinerary may be used without expressed written consent of Laura C. Johnson, Rockford-Chicago, IL. lauracjohnson.arthistorian@gmail.com.
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