“In the past decade, Wexford Festival Opera has attained aremarkably high level of per formance, and the quality of theobscure operas has been very high, too. (Feb. ’16). Of all theinternational festivals I have attended, this is the warmest, mostwelcoming, and the one that provides the greatest sense ofdiscovery.” Brian Kellow, Features Editor, Opera News

“Wexford is special. The charm of the town and the hospitality ofits inhabitants has been celebrated as often as the adventurousnessof the programs.” Opera, Festivals Issue

“David Agler (Artistic Director) is doingsomething right. Since his arrival, I havefound the general artistic level at Wexfordhigher than it had been in many seasons.”

Opera News

“Fortunately at the Abbey Theatre thereis no conflict between being true totradition and being innovative. TheAbbey’s tradition is to be bothersome,passionate, argumentative, adventurousand, at times, downright contrary – thetradition, in other words, of the theatreitself. In continuing to live up to thattradition, the Abbey will continue to have a lot to show a changingworld.” The Abbey Theatre

“The Gate Theatre has been, artistically and architecturally, alandmark building for over 250 years. . . The Gate continues torepresent Ireland at the very highest level of artistic endeavor,receiving numerous invitations each year to major festivals onevery continent.” The Gate Theatre

The catalyst for our annual fall visits to Ireland is theexhilarating Wexford Festival Opera . Our Tourmembers have been unanimous in their praise of the newWexford Opera House, which opened in 2008. Thiswidely heralded event earned a number of prestigious

awards – including the Royal Institute of British ArchitectsEuropean Award, the Irish Times Theatre Award, the Bank ofIreland’s foremost Architecture Award, and the ‘Best CulturalBuilding Award’ of Ireland’s Royal Institute of Architects. Nowwe are strongly encouraging opera enthusiasts to discover the

astonishing acoustic, the comfortableseats (in marked contrast to therestricted leg room of the ‘old house’),and the aesthetic design of this intimatejewel of an opera house. The discerningWall Street Journal’s review of lastseason dubbed Wexford’s festival “one ofIreland’s greatest cultural destinations”and “one of Europe’s key internationalmusic events”.

The other important Wexford news hasbeen the successful indoctrination of thecompany’s Ar tistic Director DavidAgler , who has followed his 2005appointment with a decade of imagin -

ative productions. For any of our former travelers who haveappreciated the charm of Wexford and the hospitality of thewarm-hearted residents, the inauguration of the new operahouse should provide an irresistible stimulus to re-discover “theFestival’s intimate, convivial atmosphere” (Opera News, Sept. ’07).

For the 2016 season, Mr. Agler has announced a trio of workswhich reflect the Wexford tradition of staging operatic rarities.Opera ‘aficionados’ are accustomed to traveling to this Festival

Wexford harbour

Caravaggio’s Taking of Christ, National Gallery of Art, Dublin

IRELAND: THE WEXFORD FESTIVAL & DUBLINWexford’s Prize-Winning Opera House; Abbey & Gate TheatresSunday, October 30th through Monday, November 7th

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for the thrill of adventurous repertoirerather than another ‘Boheme’, ‘Traviata’or ‘Carmen’. This year the three newproductions are from the familiar (andrevered) pen of Gaetano Donizetti andSamuel Barber, and the unfamiliar 19thcentury French composer Félicien David.In chronological order, the operas will beDonizetti’s Maria de Rudenz (prem -iered in Venice in 1838), a ‘bel canto’tragedy offering a ‘tour-de-force’ role forthe title soprano; David’s Herculanum(Paris, 1859), a Meyer beerian melodramaculminating with the eruption of Mt.Vesuvius; and Barber’s Vanessa (theMET, 1958), set to Gian Carlo Menotti’s libretto. ‘Vanessa’ earnedBarber the ’58 Pulitzer Prize and is critically acclaimed as a seminalAmerican work of the 20th century.

The Wexford Festival has achieved the deserved reputation ofbeing Ireland’s most prestigious musical event. Set in the smalland hospitable fishing village of Wexford on the southeast coastof Ireland, the Festival has specialized in of fering threeimaginative new productions every fall since l95l. The notedBritish writer Bernard Levin chose Wexford as his favoriteEuropean Festival in his Conducted Tour, reflecting thecombination of the luxuriant Irish countryside, the welcomingattitudes of the open-hearted local population and everyoneconnected with the Festival, and the high standards of operaticpresentations.

We will attend all three of the 2016 new productions as well astwo afternoon Lunchtime Recitals showcasing the Festival’syoung operatic talents. These Recitals add an intimate element tothe Festival and are held in Wexford’s St. Iberius Church in thecenter of town. All of our tickets are confirmed.

Our emphasis in Wexford is on the Festival’s busy program andon relaxed dining in the area’s inviting coastal restaurants, ratherthan on museums and other institutions. An excursion to anearby seafood restaurant in an unspoiled village has alwaysadded immeasurably to the informal camaraderie whichcontinues to attract opera-lovers to our Irish Tours. One of ourregular travelers returned to Wexford and Dublin with us formore than ten consecutive years.

Immediately after Wexford, we will move to the capital of Dublinfor three nights at the Irish BuswellsHotel , a remodeled grouping of Georgiantownhouses. Dublin itself is a Georgianarchitectural gem, characterized byexpansive parks and squares and knownthroughout the world for its multi-coloreddoors and decorative facades. Ourperformances in Dublin will concentrateon the great tradition of Irish theatre.Programs are not yet available, but weexpect to enjoy a pair of eveningsencompassing both the Abbey and GateTheatres, whose companies and reper -toire rank with the finest in the English-speaking world. We have been fortunate toenjoy riveting live per formances at theAbbey and the Gate during our previousIrish Tours.

Sunday, October 30th, departure fromNew York’s Kennedy Airport at 10:18pm on Delta Airlines flight #404,arriving at Dublin Airport at 8:40 am onthe morning of the 31st. (Orindependent travel). IMPORTANT:Our bus will meet this flight andtransfer you directly to Wexford, abouttwo hours from the airport. For laterindependent arrivals, your transfer toWexford must be by independent taxi(expensive) or by train from the centerof Dublin (reasonable).

WEXFORD: OCTOBER 31ST – NOVEMBER 3RD

Accommodations for four nights with full Irish breakfastincluded at Wexford’s Talbot’s Hotel, for many years theleading traditional hotel in Wexford. Talbot’s friendly staff is

always solicitous for the comfort of our travelers. Convenientlylocated on the waterfront and about a ten-minute walk from theTheatre Royal opera house, Talbot’s is always our first choice.The main restaurant (The Oyster Lane) serves hearty Irishmenus before and after the operas, and afternoon tea/coffee isavailable every day in the Ballast Bank Bar as well as thelobby. For health enthusiasts, an upscale fitness center andswimming pool are easily accessible in the adjoining building.Talbot’s is also the site of the annual Wexford Antiques Fair,which this writer enjoys browsing through for unusual bargains.The hotel of fers complimentary round-trip shuttle service to theopera each evening.

Monday evening, October 31st, a genial dinner is planned tomeet other members of the Tour. For your convenience, ourparty will be in a quiet area of the hotel’s main dining room. (Noperformance this evening. Today is a Bank Holiday, when you canquietly recover from jet lag at Talbot’s.)

On Tuesday, November 1st, a morning walking tour along theshops and cafés of the High Street will introduce you to thehistory and charm of central Wexford. The new Wexford OperaHouse has risen in the same location as the Festival’s oldTheatre Royal, and it has immediately become the primary focusof the area. After passing the facades and towers of the town’sseveral leading churches, we will conclude our walk with a briefwelcome to the new opera house (depending on the

company’s rehearsal schedules).

At 1:05 pm on Tuesday, the centrallylocated St. Iberius Church is our venuefor one of the Festival’s LunchtimeRecitals. This popular series of one-hourconcerts provides an opportunity to hearthe visiting young stars of the operas in soloperformances in an intimate and historicsetting. The Recitals are always sold out farin advance.

At 8:00 pm Tuesday evening, our first operain the new Wexford Opera House will bethe new production of Félicien David’s 19thcentury French opera, Herculanum. Thisgrandiose Meyerbeerian melodrama is setin the doomed eponymous village outsideNaples, which is destroyed in the climactic

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The Wexford Opera House

Wexford

scene as Mt. Vesuvius erupts with the deathof the entire cast! While the pagan queenOlympia seals her own fate with her rom -antic fixation on the slave Hélios, ignoringher brother Nicanor’s advice to escape, theChristians console themselves with theprospect of eternal life in their final chorus(‘C’est le ciel! C’est la vie!’). Heading the castwill be Daniela Pini as Olympia, AndrewHaji as Hélios, Olga Busuioc as Lilia, andSimon Balley in the dual assignment ofNicanor and Satan. Wexford’s Music Direc torDavid Agler will be the conductor, and thedirector is Stephen Medcalf. The challengeof designing the unusually dramatic scenerywill be met by Jamie Vartan. Sung in Frenchwith English surtitles.

On Wednesday, November 2nd, a lunch oflocal sea food is arranged at The Lobster Pot in the village ofCarne, about three quarters of an hour south of Wex ford. Carneis a peaceful town with rolling sand dunes on the southern coastof Ireland, of f the beaten track of most tourists. No visit toWexford is complete without experiencing the Irish hospitality ofthis warm-hear ted, intimate restaurant. The fresh seafoodattracts discerning travelers who invariably rave about theimaginative Festival Menus.

At 8:00 pm onWednesday eve -ning, we will returnto the WexfordOpera House forthe new productionof Samuel Barber’sVanessa . Prem -iered at the METin 1958, ‘Vanessa’takes place in a

northern European country manor during the early 1900’s. BothVanessa and her innocent niece Erika are seduced by the youngopportunist Anatol, with the more desperate elder aunt foolishlycommitting herself to the heartless parvenu in the false belief ofhis honesty. The poignant final curtain leaves Erika waitingpatiently with her grandmother for some future lover, in thesame attitude initially adopted by Vanessa. Gian Carlo Menotti’slibretto inspired his partner Barber to compose some of his mostbeautiful lyric scenes: Erika’s opening aria ‘Must the wintercome so soon’ (a favorite of all mezzo-sopranos), Vanessa’s floridshowpiece ‘Do not utter a word!’, and especially theextraordinary closing quintet – ‘To leave, to break, to find, tokeep.’ The title role was created by Eleanor Steber and has beenmemorably performed by Johanna Meier, Ashley Putnam, KiriTe Kanawa, and Erin Wall in recent years. Tonight’s internationalcast will feature British Wagnerian soprano Alwyn Mellor asVanessa, Canadian mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sproule as Erika,the veteran British mezzo-soprano Rosalind Plowright as theOld Baroness, American tenor Michael Brandenburg asAnatol, Canadian baritone James Westman as the Old Doctor,and Italian bass-baritone Pietro di Bianco as Nich olas. Theprod uc tion is dir ected by James Robinson with sets desig ned byAllen Moyer, and the con duc tor will be Timothy Myers. Sungin English with Eng lish surtitles.

Wednesday after -noon and Thurs daymorning are leftfree for you to shopfor Irish wool ensand antiques inWexford, and toenjoy the friendlyatmosphere of thetown. Talbot’s Hotelis also the chosensite of annual Arts& Crafts Exhibi -tion just behind themain lobby andthroughout thefirst-floor corridors.Nearby Wexford are Johnstowne Castle with an extensive parkideal for walking through autumn foliage; and the NationalHeritage Village for an introduction to the anthropologicalhistory of Ireland.

Thursday afternoon, November 3rd, the second of our 1:05 pmLunchtime Recitals will feature the Festival’s young artists).

Early Thursday evening, pre-theatre dinner is arranged at theThomas Moore Tavern on Cornmarket, a short walk from theopera house. Wexford’s oldest bar, the Tavern has beenbeautifully restored and now ranks as a favorite restaurant forthe Festival’s discerning visitors.

Thursday evening at 8:00 pm, our final per formance in theWexford Opera House will be the new production of GaetanoDonizetti’s Maria de Rudenz , a lyric tragedy from thecomposer’s full maturity between his ‘Roberto Devereux’ and

‘Poliuto’. The dark libretto tells the story ofthe title soprano’s revenge against her loverCorrado after he abandons her in preferenceof her cousin Mathilde. The ‘dénouement’climax is a masterful ‘bel canto’ scene asMaria murders her rival Mathilde and thencommits suicide. “This autumn’s Irishpremiere is the latest in a series of importantDonizetti revivals at Wexford, which hasplayed a major role in what remains anongoing Donizetti renaissance.” (WexfordFestival). Featured in the title role will beItalian lyric soprano Gilda Fiume. Thesuppor ting cast will include SophieGordeladze as Matilde di Wolf, Joo WanKang as Corrado Waldorf, Jesus Garcia asEnrico, and Michele Patti as Rambaldo.The conductor is Andrew Greenwood, andthe production is by director Fabio Ceresaand designer Gary McCann. Sung in Italianwith English surtitles.

On Friday morning, November 4th, ourprivate bus will transfer us from Wexforddirectly to Buswells Hotel in Dublin.

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The Lobster Pot restaurant

Johnstowne Castle

Andrew Haji

Daniela Pini

Carolyn Sproule

MichaelBrandenburg

Alwyn Mellor

DUBLIN: NOVEMBER 4TH – 6TH

Accommodations for three nights with full Irish breakfastincluded at the old-world Buswells Hotel, a charmingexample of Georgian architecture. Located on a quiet block

of elegant Molesworth Street, Buswells is a short walk from St.Stephen’s Green, Trinity College, the many shops of GraftonStreet. Buswells is across the street from the Irish Parliamentand the National Museum, where masterpieces of early Celticgold work are exhibited. A first-class, four-star rated facility, itoffers every modern amenity as well as the Emily Room forleisurely breakfasts and the Carvery Grill Room for eveningmeals. There are a number of appealing local restaurants withina few minutes’ walk.

Friday and Saturday afternoons – and most of Sunday – are freefor you to shop and enjoy the center of Dublin on your own. Theboutiques and stores along Grafton Street are within a stone’sthrow of Buswells, and the picturesque Liffey River is also within

easy striking dis -tance. Shopping inDublin offers excep - t ional value forlinens and heavywool sweat ers, anda wealth of bookstores which wel -come leisurely brow -s ing. The capi tal’sunusual mus eumsinclude the Dublin

Writers’ Museum, the James Joyce Cen tre, and the Nati onalLeprechaun Museum. Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’sCathedral are also open today. A few blocks from our hotel is themain quadrangle of Trinity College and the priceless, ancientBook of Kells. Also within walking distance is the imposingNational Gallery of Art, where art enthusiasts should seek outMichelangelo Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ as well as aunique Vermeer. The dramatic Baroque Caravaggio has attractedthousands of art-lovers since its recent discovery and was thesubject of Jonathan Harr’s best-seller, The Lost Painting.

Friday evening, November 4th, we will attend a theatreperformance at the Abbey Theatre, renowned as Dublin’sleading classical company performing the works of such Irishplaywrights as Yeats, Sean O’Casey and John Millington Synge.

The Abbey also presents modern European productions whichare frequently adventurous and controversial. Program not yetavailable.

On Saturday, November 5th, our experienced Dublin guide hasplanned a creative morning of literary and architectural interest.A short walk along Nassau Street will take us to the James Joycesite of Sweny’s Pharmacy, featured in his now-classic tome‘Ulysses’ (with an opportunity to read aloud a passage from oneof his ground-breaking novels). Continuing on to MerrionSquare, we will pass the Oscar Wilde Monument payingtribute to his established position in Ireland’s literary heritage,viewing the home of Sir William and Lady Wilde (Oscar’sparents) at #1 Merrion Square. Another historical building at #82was the former resident ofthe great Irish poet Will -iam Butler Yeats . Ourmorning will conclude witha tour from basement toattic through the GeorgianHouse Museum at #29Lower Fitzwilliam Street,first occupied in 1794 andstill displaying originalfurnish ings and ar tifactsfrom the 1790 – 1820period. “Visit ing theexhibition gives young andold alike a chance toexperience what life waslike for the fortunate wholived in such elegant townhouses, and the less fortunate whoworked in them.” (www.numbertwentynine.com)

On Saturday evening, our per formance will be at the GateTheatre, Dublin’s other major classical company besides theAbbey. The Gate has been acclaimed during the past few yearsfor productions of Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’,Molière’s ‘The Misanthrope’, Samuel Beckett’s ‘Endgame’, astage adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel ‘My CousinRachel’, and Arthur Miller’s ‘A View from the Bridge’ last fall.Program not yet available.

Sunday, November 6th, is a final free day for inde pendentactivities. In the early evening, a relaxed dinner will be arrangedat Peploe’s Wine Bistro, a gourmet restaurant loca ted in amansion facing St. Stephen’s Green.

Monday, November 7th, departure from Dublin Air port at 11:15am on Delta Airlines flight #405, arri ving at New York’s Ken nedyAirport at 1:48 pm. Or independent departure.

Ireland: The Wexford Festival and Dublin

Price per person, based on double occupancy $ 4,850Single room supplement $ 580

Airfare NOT included.Air fare: Prices are subject to change depending on time ofbooking. Please contact our agent Linda Botros (back-pagecover) for lowest current fares.

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Dublin on the River Liffey

Buswells Hotel foyer

The Gate Theatre