Tauck promised a trip full of music on its Musial Magic along the Blue Danube River Cruise, and it delivered. All the of the programs listed below were private concerts arranged just for the 41 guests of the trip, except Carmen at the Vienna State Opera. Tauck purchased main floor tickets for the opera months ago to ensure we could see this sold-out production.
Our trip leaders included a musical director, our Maestra and soprano Brittany Palmer, and two on-the ground tour directors Jen Graf (also a soprano) and Barbora Palkoskova, and the overall cruise director, Ester Pusztai. We also had an on-board lounge musician who played piano and saxophone in the late evening for anyone who still had energy after a full day of activities. (Image: Brittany sings on board the MS Joy.)
The very last performance lists Guest Choir. Brittany convinced more than a dozen of us to commit to learning two songs over four rehearsals, plus an extra session just to learn Czech pronunciations for one of the songs. It was great fun.
Music Programs
April 14—April 25, 2023
Hungarian State Opera House (Budapest)
April 15
András Laczó, tenor Aniko Bakónyl, soprano
“Quando m’en vò”, from La Bohème Giacomo Puccini
“O Columbina, il tenero fido” from I Pagliacci Ruggero Leoncavallo
“Esulti pur la barbara” from L’Elisir d’Amore Gaetano Donizetti
“Addio, addio” from Rigoletto Giuseppe Verdi
Liszt Academy (Budapest)
April 15
László Váradi, Piano
Sancta Dorothea, S. 187 Franz Liszt
Etude in C minor, op. 10, no. 12 Frederic Chopin
Fantasy in F minor, op. 49 Frederic Chopin
Music History Museum (Budapest)
April 15
Kodály Quartet with Csaba Király, piano Dr László Gombos, musicologist provided commentary
Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 Robert Schumann
String Quartet in D Major, Op. 20, No. 4 Joseph Haydn
III. Allegretto ala zingareses
Dreams of Love (piano solo) Franz Liszt
First Hungarian Dance Márk Rózsavölgyi
Piano Trio No. 25 in G Major Joseph Haydn
III. Rondo all’ongarese
Rhapsody, No. 13 Franz Liszt
String Quartet in F Major (“American”), Op. 96 Antonin Dvořák
IV. Allegro ma non troppo
Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 1 Ernst von Dohnányi
1. Allegro
Bartok House (Budapest)
April 16
Csaba Király, piano
Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 8 Franz Liszt
Romanian Dance, No. 1 Béla Bartók
Consolation, No. 3 in D flat Major Franz Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 10 Franz Liszt
Improvisation (in the style of Debussy) Csaba Király
Onboard the MS Joy
April 16
Brittany Palmer, soprano Jen Graf, soprano Paul Ridgeway, piano
Jewel Aria from Faust Charles Gounod
“Wie Melodien” Johannes Brahms
“Laudamus te” from Gloria Antonio Vivaldi
Sonetto 104 del Petrarca Franz Liszt
Sonetto 123 del Petrarca Franz Liszt
“Allerseelen” Richard Strauss
“Quando m’en vò”, from La Bohème Giacomo Puccini
Note: Brittany was our Tauck music director and Jen was one of our tour directors. Paul was a passenger who volunteered to be accompanist.
Zichy Palace (Bratislava)
April 17
Sayuri Šereš, cello Naoto Šereš, violin Takako Šereš, piano
The Swan Camille Saint-Saëns
Cello Suite No. 1, Allemande J.S. Bach
Sicilienne and Rigaudon Fritz Kreisler
Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 16 Sergei Rachmaninoff
Prayer Ernest Bloch
Largo and Allegro Antonio Vivaldi
On Board the MS Joy (Bratislava)
April 17
A program of jazz swing music. Dressed in period costume, Jana sang while the band played piano, guitar, banjo, sax, clarinet, and the rare slide saxophone.
Palais Kinsky (Vienna)
April 18
Pablo Cameselle, tenor Russi Nikoff, baritone. Maida Karisik, mezzo-sporano Claudia Camie, soprano and the Kaiserwalzer Orchestra
Bahn Frei Polka Eduard Strauss
Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring) Johann Strauss, Jr.
“Dein ist mein ganzes Herz” Franz Lehár
from Das Land des Lächeilns
“Meine Lippen sie küssen so heiß” Franz Lehár from Giuditta
“Wien, Wien, nur du allein” Rudolf Siecaynski
“Brindisi” from La Traviata Giuseppe Verdi
“Lippen Schweigen” Franz Lehár
from Die Lustige Witwe
Eljen a Magyar Polka Johann Strauss, Jr.
“Joj Mamam” from Die Csárdásfürstin Emmerich Kálmán
Hungarian Dance, No. 5 Johannes Brahm
Tritsch-Tratsch Polka Johann Strauss, Jr.
Csárdás Vitorio Monti
“Schwipslied” from Eine Nacht in Venedig Johann Strauss, Jr.
“Als flotter Geist” from Zigeunerbaron Johann Strauss, Jr.
“Walzer” from Wiener Blut Johann Strauss, Jr.
“Im Feuerstrom” from Die Flaudermaus Johann Strauss, Jr.
Blue Danube Waltz Johann Strauss, Jr.
Radetzky March Johann Strauss, Sr.
Auersperg Palace (Vienna)
April 19
A rehearsal with the Vienna Residence Orchestra
Giuseppe Montesano conductor
Symphony No. 41 in C Major (“Jupiter”) Wolfgang A. Mozart
1. Allegro vivace
Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring) Johann Strauss, Jr.
Vienna State Opera House (Vienna)
April 19
Carmen Georges Bizet
Carmen Eve-Maud Hubeaux
Don José David Butt Philip
Escamillo Erwin Schrott
Micaëla, Anna Bondarenko
Frasquita Ileana Tonca
Mercédès Isabel Signoret
Zuniga Ilja Kazakov
Moralès Stefan Astakhov
Le Remendado Carlos Osuna
Le Dancaïre Michael Arivony
Conductor Alexander Soddy
Production Calixto Bieito
Stadttheater (Grein)
April 20 Hausberg Musik, A concert of Austrian folk music
Günther Naderer, clarinet/okarina
Hans Käferböck, clarinet
Josef Reiter, accordion
Gerhard Fragner-Lieb, ruba
Mozarteum University (Salzburg)
April 21
Prof. Wolfgang Brunner, piano. Juliane Sophie Ritzmann, piano Marius Malanetchi, cello. Claire Winklefhӧfer, soprano
Sonata in D Major for 4 hands Wolfgang A. Mozart
Sonata in B-flat for cello Wolfgang A. Mozart
8 Variations on “A woman in the most beautiful Wolfgang A. Mozart thing in the world”
“Da schlägt die Abschiedsstunde” Wolfgang A. Mozart
from Der Schauspieldirektor “Der Zauberer” Wolfgang A. Mozart
Sonata for arpeggione and piano Franz Schubert
On Board the MS Joy (Linz)
April 21
Donau3Llang featuring members of the Bruckner Symphony
Vera Kral, violin. Betty Valik, cello. Maria Raberger, piano
Viennese March Fritz Kreisler
Trio in Bb, K. 254, 1st movement Wolfgang A. Mozart
Sicilienne Maria Theresia von Paradis
Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring) Johann Strauss, Jr.
Csardas Vitorio Monti
S Wonderful George Gershwin
I Got Rhythm George Gershwin
Theme from Schindler’s List John Williams
“Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music Richard Rogers
Blue Danube Waltz Johan Strauss, Jr.
Dvorak Museum (Prague)
April 24
Brittany Palmer, soprano
“Als die alte Mutter” Antonin Dvořák
“Reingestimmt die Saiten” from Zigeunermelodien
“Song to the Moon” from Rusalka Antonin Dvořák
Nelahozeves Castle (Prague)
April 24
Guest Choir
Paul Ridgeway, piano. Brittany Palmer, conductor
Ave verum corpus Wolgang A. Mozart
Moravian Duets, no. 3 Antonin Dvořák (arr. by Leoš Janáček)