CHOPIN 200TH ANNIVERSARY: WARSAW, WROCLAW & DUSZNIKI ZDROJ
Nestling at the foot of the Orlicke Mountains in south-west Poland lies the inviting spa town of Duszniki Zdroj. A ski resort during winter, in the summer months Duszniki Zdroj is renowned for its scenic backdrop of forests and parks, its relaxing walks and, above all, for its annual Chopin Festival.
The curative powers of Duszniki Zdroj, first identified in 1769, tempted a succession of famous names, including a young Chopin, who performed two charity concerts in the town in 1826. It was to celebrate these recitals that, in 1946, Duszniki Zdroj mounted its first Chopin Festival, a medley of concerts and master-classes that attracts performers of the calibre of Sviatoslav Richter and Krystian Zimerman. Our summer visit, timed to coincide with the bicentennial of Chopin’s birth, will include four performances in the Spa Theatre and a master-class.
Our critical survey of the life and times of Poland’s favourite son starts on the River Vistula in Warsaw, where Chopin first established himself as a prodigy on the piano and as a composer. We will visit the apartment where Chopin and his family once lived and tour his eponymous museum in Ostrogski Palace, where we will also be treated to a private recital. Chopin was born a short drive outside Warsaw, at Zelazowa Wola, where his delightful but unpretentious birthplace museum is set in idyllic gardens.
En route to Duszniki Zdroj we will investigate Wroclaw, “the city of a hundred bridges”, where the mediaeval market square is lined with Baroque and Renaissance houses. The Aula Leopoldina, part of Wroclaw’s 300 year old university, is a Baroque blaze of colour, whilst the Centennial Hall, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, is considered a pioneering work of modern engineering.
In Warsaw we stay at the Hotel Sofitel Victoria, the city’s first de-luxe hotel, a short walk from the heart of the old town. In Wroclaw our host will be the luxurious Radisson SAS Hotel and in Duszniki Zdroj we will enjoy three-star accommodation at the Hotel Fryderyk.
This tour will be led by Rupert Scott, BMus, who is a musician, composer and musicologist. Rupert studied at King’s College, London, and at the Royal Academy of Music. A composer, and for many years a professional orchestral violinist, Rupert now lectures widely on music.
Itinerary
Day 1Depart Heathrow 1405 on British Airways, arriving Warsaw 1705. Transfer to Hotel Sofitel Victoria for three nights.
Day 2Morning lecture followed by Stare Miasto (old town) with St John’s Cathedral, Jewish Ghetto, Church of Holy Cross (final resting place of Chopin’s heart), Royal Castle (first seat of Polish kings), National Museum (important collection of European and Polish art).
Day 3Morning: Czapski Palace (Chopin apartment), Lazienki (“Palace on the Water”, botanical gardens, Chopin monument), Wilanow Palace (Baroque residence with museum and formal Italian gardens). Afternoon: Ostrogski Palace (Chopin Museum) with private piano recital.
Day 4Depart for Zelazowa Wola (Chopin birthplace museum) then continue to Wroclaw for overnight at Radisson SAS Hotel. Free evening.
Day 5Wroclaw: old town, Gothic town hall, Aula Leopoldina (founded in 1702), Cathedral of St John then transfer to Duszniki Zdroj for three nights at Hotel Fryderyk.
Day 6Morning: master-class then paper mill (founded in 1605). Afternoon: concert in Spa Theatre. Evening: concert in Spa Theatre.
Day 7Morning: seminar followed by free time. Afternoon and evening concerts in Spa Theatre.
Day 8Depart for Warsaw for 1200 return flight, arriving Heathrow 1335.
