Classical Destinations - Episode Guide

The hills around Salzburg were alive long before Julie Andrews started running up them! Simon, Niki and Matt introduce you to the birthplace of classical music's ultimate superstar, and tell of the infant Amadeus' most prodigious exploits. The city of the Salzburg Festival, the famous puppet shows, and the belated arrival there of the musical with which Hollywood took Salzburg to the world.
 

Simon, Niki and Matt follow Mozart through magnificent Austrian countryside from Salzburg to imperial Vienna, the irresistible magnet for composers such as Brahms, Mahler, Schubert and Haydn. Their stories and their relationship with the magnificent Habsburg capital are described amid the city's great landmarks.
 

A journey through the spectacular mountains, ravines and fjords of Norway, ending in the capital of Oslo, as we follow the life of the country's most beloved composer – Edvard Grieg.
 

The elemental sights and sounds of Finland, from Helsinki to the snowy vistas of Lapland where Santa has his workshop, are captured in the music of Sibelius. We hear the story of the Finnish musical legend, visit the composer's home of Ainola, and hear his most famous musical work.
 

Former capital of Russia, with its canals earning it the description ‘Venice of the North', St Petersburg was also home to the composers Borodin, Glinka, Mussorgsky, and the naval officer turned musical painter of the Arabian Nights, Rimsky-Korsakov.
 

Antonio Vivaldi spent his most productive years in Venice in the early 18th century. Simon, Niki and Matt tour the canals, bridges and piazzas for which Vivaldi created the perfect soundtrack in his Four Seasons.
 

Smetana serenaded its river; Dvorak started out as a dance band fiddler; Mozart enjoyed his greatest successes here. We visit the Old Town, where Simon Callow reminisces about filming Amadeus in its beautifully preserved streets.
 

The young J.S. Bach's career path though eastern Germany from his birthplace in Eisenach to Arnstadt and Weimar. In the Wartburg castle we learn about Martin Luther and the birth of the Reformation.
 

The careers of Bach and Mendelssohn reached their height in Leipzig. Niki performs part of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, and we visit the publishers Schott in the city of Mainz to learn the craft of music engraving and look at the original manuscript of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
 

The last difficult years of Mozart's short life; Beethoven's tragic deafness; the glamorous but turbulent life of the great ‘Waltz King', Johann Strauss the Younger – all these took place in Vienna. Niki exchanges her violin bow for a baton to conduct the Blue Danube with a virtual orchestra in the House of Music.
 

More than just one of Italy's most beautiful regions, Tuscany also produced two of the greatest operatic composers. We visit the cities and towns that shaped their lives: Lucca, Pisa, and Milan. Also, there is a tour of the Puccini Villa in the spectacular Torre del Lago.
 

We follow Beethoven's troubled early life in his birthplace of Bonn, near which descendents of his family still live and work as winemakers. Then to an indisputably modern city: Berlin, home to one of the world's greatest orchestras.

In the series finale we return to St Petersburg to meet review some significant figures in its history: Pushkin, Catherine the Great, and Rasputin. Our last tour to a Classical Destination features the music of the composers Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky.
 

Simon Callow opens our new series in London before travelling to Halle, Germany. Halle was Handel's birthplace and where he spent the first 18 years of his life before he ventured throughout Europe, finally settling in London. Simon tells of Handel's Water Music on the banks of the Thames and we feature Handel's life up to Messiah. Our cameras enter Westminster Abbey and the Australian Chamber Orchestra performs two movements from Handel's Water Music.

Simon takes us through Handel's house in London where he wrote Messiah and other masterpieces before taking a side trip to Dublin to explore the premiere of Messiah in the Irish capital. Returning to London we hear of his charitable work with the Foundling Hospital before ending in Westminster Abbey where the great man is buried. The Australian Chamber Orchestra performs the Finale from Handel's Concerto Grosso No.10.

The English countryside surrounding Worcester, Malvern and the Malvern Hills is where we explore the music of Sir Edward Elgar. We also visit the Royal Albert Hall before a sojourn in to the beachside town of Aldeburgh, home to Benjamin Britten and the inspiration for many of his great compositions. Elgar's Serenade for Strings (first and second movements) and his touching Salut d' Amour performed by Helena Rathbone, together with the 'Playful Pizzicato' from Britten's A Simple Symphony are performed by the ACO2.

The great city of light and love is the perfect backdrop to the life, music and times of Claude Debussy. Simon shows us the highlights of this sensational city. We then travel west, just outside of Paris, to the historic village of Montfort-l'Amaury where the pioneering French composer Maurice Ravel lived and worked for the last sixteen years of his life. Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra perform Ravel's Kaddisch, and the ACO's principals perform the scherzo from Debussy's String Quartet.

Simon commences this captivating episode in the heart of Moscow overlooking the Kremlin and Red Square where we unfold with the early life of Sergei Rachmaninov. Highlights include a choral performance inside the Kremlin before we travel to Lake Lucerne, Switzerland where Rachmaninov lived and wrote his masterpiece Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Richard Tognetti's haunting solo violin features in Vocalise, performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

The great German city of Munich with its famous Opera Houses provides the perfect destination to showcase Richard Strauss, Munich's favourite son. We finish in Garmisch and the beautiful Bavarian Alps where Strauss lived the latter part of his life and where his grave is. Strauss's beloved Morgen is performed by soprano Sara Macliver with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

The picturesque city of Budapest is the home to three famous Hungarian composers: Liszt, Bartók and Kodaly. Our episode takes you on a tour through this magnificent city showcasing the memorable legacy and music of Liszt. The Australian Chamber Orchestra provides a stirring rendition of Bartók's Roumanian Folk Dances.

The famous Italian cities of Rome and Naples together provide a ravishing Italian backdrop as we explore the lives of Rossini and Respighi. The historic city of Rome with its majestic ruins is contrasted with the seaside port city of Naples. Featured works are the famous overture to Rossini's The Silken Ladder and the 'Aria di Corte' from Respighi's Ancient Airs & Dances Suite No.3.

The intriguing historic city of Warsaw was home to Poland's greatest composer and pianist, Frédéric Chopin. We contrast the modern city of Warsaw with the beautiful country retreats where Chopin was born and baptized. The Australian Chamber Orchestra's principals perform a ferocious movement from Szymanowski's String Quartet No. 2.

We revisit London and explore Cheltenham, the birthplace of Gustav Holst, as we learn about these two great English composers. We spend time in Holst's beloved English countryside, especially the Cotswolds, and travel to the delightful village of Thaxted where he wrote some of his greatest works. This episode is a true picture postcard of the traditional English countryside. ACO2 perform two movements from Holst's St Paul Suite.

Simon takes us on a breathtaking tour of the magnificent Palace of Versailles, just outside of the French capital. We return to a Paris of an earlier period as we explore the lives of Bizet and Saint-Saëns. Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra perform Saint-Saëns' dazzling Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso to sublime perfection.

In this episode Simon travels to two contrasting countries, Spain and Serbia. The colourful music of Albéniz and de Falla bring Madrid to vividly to life, then we travel to Belgrade where we discover the composer Stevan Mokranjac, a hero of the Serbian people whose own music was inspired by his deep love of Serbian folk and church music. Several Mokranjac choral works are featured, and the celebrated 'Tango' by Albéniz receives a suave performance by Richard Tognetti.

What finer way to finish Series II than by returning to Moscow where we look at the politics's impact on the life and music of Shostakovich and Prokofiev. We are treated to a mesmerizing choral performance inside the Kremlin's grand Cathedral of the Archangel. A stunning performance of two movements from Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins is given by Richard Tognetti and Satu Vänskä, the Australian Chamber Orchestra's Artistic Director and Assistant Leader respectively.

Aled starts the series in his birth home of Wales and takes us on an overview of the series throughout Europe and Australia. He then explores his Welsh homeland and his musical inspirations as a child. We delve into the strong Welsh musical traditions and their love for music featuring the life of the most noted classical Welsh composer, William Matthias. We then head to Hamburg and unveil classical music's great romantic, Johannes Brahms.

We head to the heart of Europe –Vienna- unfolding the lives and music of two of the greats - Brahms and Mahler. We continue our journey with, Johannes Brahms, in his adopted home of Vienna, featuring his long relationship with Clara Schumann. Then we explore the music and life of Mahler and visit two of the composing huts in the Austrian countryside where he wrote many of his magnificent symphonies.

The music of the Danube (Liszt, Bartok, Kodaly). We follow the great Danube River as it carves its way from Budapest in Hungary to Vienna via Bratislava. The dramatic history of Budapest reveals the works of the immensely talented Franz Liszt and those who came after him – Zoltan Kodaly and Bela Bartok. All shared a desire to create music with a distinctively Hungarian flavour. We finish with an overview of Vienna set to Beethoven.

The music of the Danube (Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Johann Strauss II & Bruckner). This episode is a musical montage of some of the greatest cities, towns and music along this magnificent waterway. We start in Vienna, stopping at Durnstein, Melk and Linz before closing in Salzburg. Along the way we encounter the incredible music of such greats as Mozart, Johann Strauss Jnr, Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Anton Bruckner – all set against breathtaking scenery.

The Music of Mozart. Aled tours the captivating city of Salzburg with its grand palaces and famous music festival. He explores the early life of the child prodigy, Mozart, the phenomenal music he created and, finally, his tragically premature end. We then cruise past the German city of Passau across the Austrian border.

The music of the Main, Ins and the Rhine. We cruise through to Nuremburg – via a brief visit to the Czech Republic – and then on to the medieval town of Regensburg to experience the great German beer and a famous historic sausage kitchen. Further downstream we visit Bamberg and Rothenburg with their stunning architecture, and all with their own part to play in classical music history. In Nuremburg Aled looks at the city's part in the dramatic events of the Second World War and explores the influence of Wagner's music on Hitler and the Nazis.

Bayreuth ~ Richard Wagner. After a short recap in Nuremburg, we travel to the idyllic Bavarian town of Bayreuth where Aled looks at the tumultuous life of Richard Wagner, his scandalous love affairs, his stunning Opera House and, 50 years later, the disturbing musical ties with Hitler. We explore how Wagner came to actually build his opera theatre in Bayreuth, largely funded by a royal admirer and the history of his famous Opera festival.

Cruising the Rivers of Europe. Part III – The music of the Rhine (Beethoven, Schumann & the Rhine Gorge). Aled takes us cruising again and, along the way, we visit the gateway to the Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim and then sail through the stunning gorge with its famous steep vineyards and brilliant castles. It's an area that inspired both Wagner and Robert Schumann in their music. Then we travel on to Bonn, the birthplace of Beethoven, and Cologne to visit its magnificent Gothic cathedral. To complete our musical journey, Aled finishes this remarkable cruise from Budapest in the great canal city of Amsterdam.

The Sydney Opera House and the vibrant Australian classical music scene. Aled takes the series to Australia and the spectacular harbour city of Sydney. He takes us on a guided tour behind the scenes of the iconic Sydney Opera House. We also explore the musical world of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia and the Australian Chamber Orchestra with its emerging artists program. A stunning experience visually and musically.

Sydney Opera House continued - Melbourne – Percy Grainger. In this episode, we continue our journey in Sydney and the Sydney Opera House before heading to Melbourne and delving into the eccentric world of Percy Grainger. We follow his life through his music, his relationships with other great composers of the time, his innovative and inventive spirit, the tragic death of his beloved mother, and how he made a name for himself in America and England. It's a compelling story that ends back on Sydney Harbour for a beautiful evening cruise.

Music of Jean Sibelius & Edvard Grieg. Aled guides us through Finland and Norway as he unfolds the dedication of Sibelius and his driving ambition to establish truly Finnish music, which takes us to some glorious locations. Another child prodigy, Sibelius led a tumultuous life and inspired a new breed of Finnish composers. Aled then travels to the Norwegian city of Bergen to explore the life and music of Edvard Grieg.

Music of Frederick Delius & George Butterworth. We head to Bradford in England where the progressive composer, Frederick Delius, was born. Bradford was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and Aled looks at the great changes that came from this and Delius's early life here. We discover Delius's close connections with both Grieg and Grainger. We finish in Westminster Abbey at the tomb of the unknown warrior and the short life of the English composer George Butterworth who was killed by a sniper's bullet in the First World War.

Over the years, Classical Destinations has visited many of the major European cities and, in this very special episode, Aled guides us through some of the most important music festivals that take place in them each year. It's a very informative guide to what's on in Europe for the lovers of classical music. Aled covers eight of these fantastic summer festivals that are all ‘must see' events.