Breakfast at your hotel.
Baden-Baden is an enchanting stopover. The Romans named it Aquae, after the thermal springs on the site of today’s Market Square (the remains of the first ancient baths can be visited today). From the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th, it was a golden age. The splendid casino opened in 1838, and the whole of Europe flocked here in summer, giving the German town an incomparable lifestyle. From the lovely old town, perched on a hill, you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Rhine valley, and when the weather’s fine, you can see the blue line of the Vosges mountains. Near the river Oos below, the Belle-Époque town unfolds with its superb residential houses. Our English-speaking guide will show you all the city has to offer.
Lunch and afternoon at leisure.
Whether you prefer to relax and enjoy a wellness program or take a more in-depth look at the city, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to activities. The magnificent Frieder Burda Museum, for example, designed by American architect Richard Meier, houses a superb collection of modern art from the 20th and 21st centuries. The abstract expressionism of Richard Pousette-Dart is eloquently displayed. And Baden-Baden couldn’t fail to honor one of its most beloved children: Johannes Brahms. Since 1967, a museum has been reconstructing the German composer’s home, including the Salon Bleu in which he composed his first two symphonies. Finally, the Fabergé Museum is a marvellous curiosity to discover. Nearly 700 pieces by the famous Russian jeweler are on display, including his famous imperial Easter eggs made for the Tsar’s family.
In the evening, we head for the superb Festspielhaus, one of Europe’s most renowned concert halls. Conducted by Nézet-Séguin, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the RIAS Kammerchör (RIAS Chamber Choir) will perform the two masterworks rehearsed the day before.
8 p.m. at the Festspielhaus:
REQUIEM, W. A. Mozart
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
RIAS Chamber Choir
Yannick Nézet-Séguin : Musical Director
Program :
– W. A. Mozart: Symphony No. 40
– W. A. Mozart: Requiem in D minor, KV 626
In June 1788, the entire Mozart family was forced to move to a less expensive apartment on the outskirts of Vienna. Worse still, on June 29 of the same year, their daughter Theresa died at the age of just six months. And yet, Symphony no. 40 bears little trace of autobiographical torment. The passionate agitation of its two extreme movements, the supreme refinement of the Andante and the fierce, dark impetus of the Menuetto evoke the fulfillment of a lifetime of symphonic writing. As for the Requiem, the circumstances surrounding its composition remain a mystery. Commissioned by Count Walsegg to pay tribute to his young wife, who had died a few months earlier, the work remained unfinished after Mozart’s death on December 5, 1791. On the initiative of the composer’s wife, Constanze, the Requiem was completed by Joseph Eybler – who gave up before the magnitude of the task after having orchestrated the Dies irae – and Franz-Xaver Süssmayr, Mozart’s assistant, who, within a few weeks, finished the orchestration, completed the Lacrimosa and created the Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus dei from scratch ; all in imitation of his master’s handwriting, so as not to arouse Count Walsegg’s suspicions! Whatever the extent of Mozart’s contribution, the Requiem remains a universal monument to human history. Dinner with musicians from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick Nézet-Séguin after the concert (subject to the conductor’s availability).
After the concert, we will dine at the authentic and sophisticated AIDA restaurant in the Festspielhaus. Its parquet flooring, stuccoed ceiling, mirrors on the walls and imposing crystal chandelier will take you on a culinary voyage back to the Belle Epoque.
Return and overnight at your hotel.
