IRELAND: THE WEXFORD FESTIVAL & DUBLIN
Sunday, October 25th through Monday, November 2nd
Because we were not able to attend last year’s festival, we are especially eager to return this October to the exhilarating Wexford Festival. Our Tour members have been unanimous in their praise of the new Wexford Opera House, which opened in 2008. This widely heralded event earned a number of prestigious awards – including the Royal Institute of British Architects European Award, the Irish Times Theatre Award, the Bank of Ireland’s foremost Architecture Award, and the ‘Best Cultural Building Award’ of Ireland’s Royal Institute of Architects. Now we are strongly encouraging opera enthusiasts to discover the astonishing acoustic, the comfortable seats (in marked contrast to the restricted leg room of the ‘old house’), and the aesthetic design of this intimate jewel of an opera house.
The other important Wexford news has been the successful indoctrination of the company’s Artistic Director David Agler, who has followed his 2005 appointment with a decade of imaginative productions. For any of our former travelers who have appreciated the charm of Wexford and the hospitality of the warm-hearted residents, the inauguration of the new opera house should provide an irresistible stimulus to rediscover “the Festival’s intimate, convivial atmosphere” (Opera News, Sept. ’07).
For the 2015 season, Mr. Agler has announced a trio of works which reflect the Wexford tradition of staging operatic rarities. Opera ‘aficionados’ are accustomed to traveling to this Festival for the thrill of adventurous repertoire rather than another ‘Boheme’, ‘Traviata’ or ‘Carmen’. This year the three new productions are from the pen of important composers whose works deserve far more frequent exposure than they generally receive. First will be Frederick Delius’s Koanga, a lyric tragedy set against the backdrop of a Louisiana plantation in the 18th century. Second, Pietro Mascagni’s tragedy, Guglielmo Radcliff, premiered at La Scala in 1895, will no doubt offer Italianate ‘verismo’ excitement from the composer of ‘Cavalleria Rusticana. Our third rarity will be Ferdinand Hérold’s 19th century ‘opéra comique’, Le Pré aux Clercs, set in France during the reign of King Henry of Navarre and Marguerite de Valois.
The Wexford Festival has achieved the deserved reputation of being Ireland’s most prestigious musical event. Set in the small and hospitable fishing village of Wexford on the southeast coast of Ireland, the Festival has specialized in offering three imaginative new productions every fall since 1951. The noted British writer Bernard Levin chose Wexford as his favorite European Festival in his Conducted Tour, reflecting the combination of the luxuriant Irish countryside, the welcoming attitudes of the open-hear ted local population and everyone connected with the Festival, and the high standards of operatic presentations. Many of our repeat travelers to Wexford would agree with Mr. Levin. We have also experienced an increasingly sophisticated ‘new-Irish’ cuisine reflecting the culinary flare of a new generation of Irish chefs.
We will attend all three of the 2015 new productions as well as two afternoon Lunchtime Recitals showcasing the Festival’s young operatic talents. These Recitals add an intimate element to the Festival and are held in Wexford’s St. Iberius Church in the center of town.
Our emphasis in Wexford is on the Festival’s busy program and on relaxed dining in the area’s inviting coastal restaurants, rather than on museums and other institutions. An excursion to a nearby seafood restaurant in an unspoiled village has always added immeasurably to the informal camaraderie which continues to attract opera-lovers to our Irish Tours. One of our regular travelers returned to Wexford and Dublin with us for more than ten consecutive years.
Immediately after Wexford, we will move to the capital of Dublin for three nights at the Irish Buswells Hotel, a remodeled grouping of Georgian townhouses. Dublin itself is a Georgian architectural gem, characterized by expansive parks and squares and known throughout the world for its multi-colored doors and decorative facades. Our performances in Dublin will concentrate on the great tradition of Irish theatre. Programs are not yet available, but we expect to enjoy a pair of evenings encompassing both the Abbey and Gate Theatres, whose companies and repertoire rank with the finest in the English-speaking world. We have been fortunate to enjoy riveting live performances at the Abbey and the Gate during our previous Irish Tours.
Price Per Person (based on Double Occupancy): $4,450
Price Per Person (based on Single Occupancy): $4,875