OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY

JULY 19–25, 2010

Oberammergau’s first-ever Passion Play was staged in the cemetery above the graves of recent plague victims; then, as now, only those who were born or bred in the small Bavarian village were entitled to take part in performances.

As well as witnessing the riveting biblical story unfold in the Passion Play Theatre, we will trace the musical inheritance of this delightful corner of Bavaria before crossing the border to Innsbruck, capital of the Tyrol.

With its brightly painted houses and richly decorated gables, Mittenwald was described by Goethe as a “living picture book”. Mittenwald is also known as the “village of a thousand violins”, for it has been the home of violin making since Matthias Klotz introduced the craft in the 17th century.

In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, at the foot of Germany’s tallest mountain, the Zugspitze, we will attend a recital at the villa where Richard Strauss lived for more than 40 years, and at the fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein we will examine “Mad” King Ludwig’s admiration for Wagner.

Innsbruck’s assortment of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque façades make it one of Europe’s most attractive cities. The town’s most famous landmark is the 16th century gilded balcony known as the Golden Roof, originally constructed to serve as a royal box for Maximilian I.

Our first two nights will be spent in Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the three-star Treff Hotel Alpina (with heated indoor swimming pool). The base for our visits to the Passion Play will be the nearby spa town of Bad Kohlgrub, where we stay at the four-star Kurhotel Lauter im Park. We will spend our final two nights in the heart of Innsbruck at the four-star Best Western Hotel Leipziger Hof.

Christian Stückl, the highly respected director at Munich’s famous Volkstheater, is the producer of the 2010 Passion Play, which includes music composed by Rochus Dedler, born in Oberammergau in 1779, and performed by a choir and 60 strong orchestra. The play starts at 1430 and, including a three-hour interval, ends at 2230.

This tour will be led by John Bryden, MA (Cantab), an international concert pianist and organist. John regularly broadcasts on radio and television and frequently coaches at the Dartington Summer School, where he performed in master-classes given by Jacqueline du Pré.