tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8808431490669828812024-03-19T14:51:46.534-07:00Chapman University Choir Tour to Central EuropeIncantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-16123521666423259102010-09-10T10:51:00.000-07:002010-10-19T07:11:37.014-07:00Chapman University Choir sings at the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedaechtniskirche on May 27, 2011<h3 class="post-title entry-title"></h3><div class="post-header"></div><div class="post-body entry-content"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2YMv5QW4zf3AdgePNlC8GBmSV_X7jctjEUuXuZMzkWRaXCSC-_KwhnEtkj5b6bwjcFK_d-p3QgCaGjYGScTZ9KrTdj3nDqEH2aSWqwnS0-m8KEGDsad-1NPQK0B9sSJMY9f2scmw8A/s1600/Gedaechtniskirche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2YMv5QW4zf3AdgePNlC8GBmSV_X7jctjEUuXuZMzkWRaXCSC-_KwhnEtkj5b6bwjcFK_d-p3QgCaGjYGScTZ9KrTdj3nDqEH2aSWqwnS0-m8KEGDsad-1NPQK0B9sSJMY9f2scmw8A/s320/Gedaechtniskirche.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 85%;"> <span style="font-size: small;">The Chapman University Choir will celebrate the evening service as the featured guest choir for the Choral Vespers at Berlin's Gedaechtniskirche on Friday, May 27, 2011. </span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><style>
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</style> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Protestant Kaiser Wilhelm <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Wilhelm_Memorial_Church">Gedaechtniskirche</a> stands on the Kurfuerstendamm in the center of Breitscheidplatz in Berlin. The original church was built in the 1890s but suffered terrible damage in a 1943 bombing raid. The spire of the original church has been retained and the ground floor converted into a memorial hall. The present building, consisting of a church with attached foyer and separate belfry with attached chapel, was completed in 1963. The distinctive appearance of the new buildings makes the Gedaechtniskirche one of the most famously recognizable landmarks in Berlin. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The new church, designed by Egon Eiermann, consists of four buildings grouped around the remaining ruins of the original church. A unique concrete honeycomb design, with 21,292, stained glass inlays form the walls of the new church. The vast cathedral houses a 5,000 pipe <a href="http://www.schuke-berlin.de/index.html">Schuke organ</a>. Special Plexiglass panels were installed over the organ gallery to improve acoustics. The mass church displays numerous beautiful works of art including a mosaic of the Archangel Gabriel fighting the dragon, a gilt silver altar cross adorned with 37 rock crystals, and the charcoal drawing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalingrad_Madonna">Stalingrad Madonna</a>—a symbol of hope and reconciliation drawn by Kurt Reuber during the Christmas of 1942 he spent trapped at Stalingrad.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo69hBAOcPrVJFC1GlGjasVw5vl25wuxvG6wBfwYR4vV4E-9xrHopisc5nOKBWfG2XWqzAorYrdT-B0Ipfh8Thj78Z1g74S2UXMAN1vjuvzr-tjae98MFEyXNVZSv34eBLk6XyQTcSg/s1600/berlin+organ.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501946609647158354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo69hBAOcPrVJFC1GlGjasVw5vl25wuxvG6wBfwYR4vV4E-9xrHopisc5nOKBWfG2XWqzAorYrdT-B0Ipfh8Thj78Z1g74S2UXMAN1vjuvzr-tjae98MFEyXNVZSv34eBLk6XyQTcSg/s400/berlin+organ.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 238px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 315px;" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;">“The Gedaechtniskirche offers a radiant live sound, a true acoustic---not much reverb, but a nice concert hall sound-and a lovely balcony for double choir repertoire.”</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Dr. Jonathan Talberg</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Director of Choral, Vocal and Opera Studies</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, CSULB</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Church photo courtesy of German Tourism Board; organ photo borrowed from die-orgelseite.de</span></span> </span></div></div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-80574263119685343312010-09-04T07:12:00.000-07:002010-10-18T15:35:48.290-07:00Chapman University Choir Tour to Central Europe- First Itinerary<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><o:smarttagtype name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><style>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to the Incantato blog for the 2011 Chapman University Performance Tour to Central Europe. This is the updated itinerary and still work in progress. Details are subject to change as this journey becomes more and more your tour and to enhance the overall experience. Enjoy!<br />
</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">DAY 1 Wednesday, May 25, 2011<br />
<b>Overnight flight to Germany</b></span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 2 Thursday, May 26<br />
<b>Welcome to Berlin</b><br />
Orientation tour, check-in and dinner.<br />
Overnight in Berlin for the next 3 nights.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 3 Friday, May 27<br />
<b>Berlin in depth - Choral Vespers</b><br />
Enjoy a half-day guided tour of Berlin’s highlights (Reichstag, East Side Gallery, Ku-Damm), followed by some free time. In the early evening, the Chapman Choir sings the ChorVesper at the Memorial Church.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 4 Saturday, May 28<br />
<b>Berlin</b> <b>at leisure</b><br />
Enjoy Berlin at your own pace with optional visits to Sachsenhausen or Potsdam and an optional exchange.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 5 Sunday, May 29<br />
<b>Leipzig</b> <b>in Bach’s footsteps</b><br />
Drive to Leipzig for a guided tour, likely<br />
concert at Thomaskirche and overnight.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 6 Monday, May 30<br />
<b>To Salzburg via Bayreuth</b><br />
Stop in Bayreuth for a guided tour of the Festspielhaus, then continue to magical Salzburg for an evening at leisure. Next two overnights in Salzburg.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 7 Tuesday, May 31<br />
<b>Salzburg in-depth</b><br />
Explore Salzburg‘s many musical sights with a local guide, followed by the afternoon and evening at leisure for museum visits, to attend a concert, etc.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 8 Wednesday, June 1<br />
<b>Scenic</b> <b>Danube Valley</b><br />
Continue to the Wachau (UNESCO World Heritage Site) for a river cruise down the Danube, a schnitzel dinner, musical exchange & rehearsal. Next two overnights at Stift Göttweig (dormitory for the students) or Krems (hotel option for guests - upgrade not included in basic tour cost).</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 9 Thursday, June 2<br />
<b>Abbey & Highlight Concert</b><br />
Visit Dürnstein and Melk, then drive to Göttweig for a private tour, reception and concert at the magnificent Stiftskirche (likely with orchestra - cost not included).</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 10 Friday, June3<br />
<b>Vienna Sightseeing</b><br />
“Willkommen in Wien“: Your tour includes the city‘s highlights, visits to Schubert‘s Birthplace and the Mozart Museum. Two overnights in Vienna.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 11 Saturday, June 4<br />
<b>Vienna</b> <b>at leisure</b><br />
Free time for museum visits, shopping.<br />
Opportunity to sing High Mass at<br />
Stephansdom as the featured guest choir.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 12 Sunday, June 5<br />
<b>To Budapest - Concert<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
Drive</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> to Budapest for your finale concert (optional with orchestra). Last two<br />
overnights in Budapest. </span></b></span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
DAY 13 Monday, June 6<br />
<b>Budapest</b> <b>Concert & Farewell</b><br />
See Budapest’s highlights with a local guide, then enjoy some free time. A farewell sunset dinner party on a private cruise ship concludes the tour.</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Day 14 Tuesday, June 7<br />
<b>Flight to US</b><br />
Return home with lifetime memories. </span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Highlights</b><br />
• See and experience both major cities and off-the-beaten path gems of Central Europe <br />
• Five professionally organized and promoted formal concerts and masses in historical venues just for your choir <br />
• Plenty of opportunities for immersion into the local cultures <br />
• Educational and entertaining sightseeing <br />
• Quality hotels in good locations, great food, free time for individual explorations... <br />
<br />
<b>Likely Concert Venues</b><br />
• Gedächtniskirche, Berlin Cathedral, Hochschule der Künste, Passionskirche —BERLIN <br />
• Thomaskirche —LEIPZIG <br />
• Stiftskirche —GÖTTWEIG <br />
• Dom —SALZBURG </span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">• Matyas Templom, Embassy —BUDAPEST <br />
</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The above listed venues are a first selection by Incantato‘s European Concert Managers and will be requested for your choir and travel dates. <br />
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<b>Accommodation & Meals</b></span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Incantato‘s Hospitality Managers take pride in working only with pre-inspected hotels that fit your budget and selected restaurants frequented by locals. <br />
<br />
<b>Cultural exchanges <br />
</b>Incantato encourages the Chapman University Choir to interact with like-minded people and their organizations in Europe. We are uniquely qualified to facilitate musical and cultural exchanges, create international awareness for Chapman before, during, and after the journey, as well as set up meet & greet events with local officials, target audiences, etc. </span> </div><br />
<span style="font-family: "; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-86858715549440699362010-09-03T23:23:00.000-07:002010-09-23T09:29:59.182-07:00About Travel Insurance - Make sure are protectedIncantato Tours strongly recommend getting travel insurance for your upcoming journey. Not only are you covered medically should anything happen when traveling, but with TravelGuard's policies, you also protect your investment should you have to cancel or interrupt the trip. Last not least, there is also coverage for delayed and lost luggage etc.<br />Here is a direct line to purchase travel insurance online and can you do so with your credit cards and also select the option that is best for you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.travelguard.com/agentlink.asp?ta_arc=150996&pcode=&agencyemail=info@incantatotours.com"><img src="http://www.travelguard.com/images/travelguard/08/tgi3_234x60.gif" border="0" width="234" height="60" /></a><br /><br />In the meantime, have a look at the most comprehensive coverage option The Protect Assist Gold below.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Protect Assist (Gold)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> - </span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr> <td align="left" valign="top"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comprehensive Travel Protection for the World Traveler</span></td></tr><tr> <td><ul><li>Trip Cancellation </li><li><b>JUST ADDED!</b> - Trip Cancellation due to employment loss or layoff<br />if employed with the same employer 1 year or longer </li><li>Trip Interruption and Travel Delay </li><li>Emergency Medical and Emergency Medical Transportation </li><li>Baggage and Travel Document Protection </li><li>Baggage Delay and Lost Baggage Tracking </li><li><b>NEW </b>- Cancel For Any Reason option now available </li><li><b>NEW </b>- Cancel For Work Reasons option now available </li><li><b>NEW </b>- Children age 17 and under covered at no additional cost </li><li><b>IMPROVED</b> -Trip Cancellation limit increased to $100,000 (from $15,000), </li><li>I<b>MPROVED</b> - Trip Interruption coverage increased to 150% of Trip Cost </li><li><b>IMPROVED</b> - Travel Delay required hours<i> </i><u>reduced </u>to 5 hours (from 12)</li></ul><br /><b>ProtectAssist special features:</b><br /><ul><li><b>Best coverage for Weather Related Cancellations</b> </li><li>Pre-existing Condition Exclusion Waiver* </li><li>Default/Bankruptcy Protection* </li><li>$50,000 Flight Accident Insurance* </li><li>24-Hour "LiveTravel" Travel Agency </li><li>Emergency Cash Transfers </li><li>Identity Theft Restoration</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b><u>Comprehensive non-insurance travel services* automatically included with plan!</u></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">With the Protect<i>Assist</i> plan, every customer also has access to these valuable travel services when they travel:</span><span style="font-family:Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; 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font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;font-family:'Times New Roman';" > </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Floral services</span><span style="font-family:Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Identity Theft restoration<br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Business Assistant* <i>(available when Optional Cancel for Work Reasons coverage is purchased)</i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><i>*Non-Insurance services are provided by AIG Travel Assist.</i></span></div><br /><br /><b class="Error">Eligibility</b><br />Citizenship: All Nationalities<br />Residency: United States<br /><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-size:85%;">New York, Oregon, and Washington residence please call to purchase<br />Some rider options are not available and other restrictions may apply</span><br />Destination: Worldwide<br />Ages: All Ages<br />Max Trip Length: 365 Days</span>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-6459757952846219272010-09-03T11:53:00.000-07:002010-10-18T07:47:59.464-07:00Chapman University flight schedules<meta content="text/html; 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</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>GROUP 1 </b>(42 seats)</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Departure to Europe: </div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Wednesday, May 25, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA 282, leave LOS ANGELES LAX at 5:35PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 11:45AM on Thursday, May 26, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA984, leave LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 12:55PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in BERLIN TXL at 3:45PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Return to USA:</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Tuesday, June 7, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA865, leave BUDAPEST BUD at 8:25AM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 10:05AM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA283, leave LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 12:00PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in LOS ANGELES LAX at 3:05PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>GROUP 2 </b>(26 seats)</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Departure to Europe:</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Wednesday, May 25, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA282, leave LOS ANGELES LAX at 5:35PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 11:45AM on Thursday, May 26, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA986, leave LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 4:10PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in BERLIN TXL at 7:00PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Return to USA:</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Tuesday, June 7, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA865, leave BUDAPEST BUD at 8:25AM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 10:05AM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">BRITISH AIRWAYS flight BA283, leave LONDON-HEATHROW LHR at 12:00PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in LOS ANGELES LAX at 3:05PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b>Group 3</b> (40 seats)</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Departure to Europe:</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Wednesday, May 25, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">AIR FRANCE flight AF069, leave LOS ANGELES LAX at 6:45PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in PARIS CDG at 2:15PM on Thursday, May 26, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">AIR FRANCE flight AF2334, leave PARIS CDG at 3:25PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in BERLIN TXL at 5:05PM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Return to USA:</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Tuesday, June 7, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">AIR FRANCE flight AF1095, leave BUDAPEST BUD at 7:10AM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in PARIS CDG at 9:30AM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">AIR FRANCE flight AF066, leave PARIS CDG at 10:30AM</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Arrive in LOS ANGELES LAX at 1:05PM</div><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: small;"></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 10pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-6129900623934923482010-09-02T10:52:00.000-07:002010-10-19T08:29:17.285-07:00Meet the Chapman University Choir<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWEfvqGhCUbcCYAe82KR9oBCFuyhssEU3XRpv7qTanz9VpVtrUXri0U8DTtBdcQh65BrLXsam0JYMh4RRMLaTkivmc7fsBYuQumcKtjlZnSy_oK5Fhd09pBB33gq4TJIsuPeEMUn-gw/s1600/choir+singing2+chapman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWEfvqGhCUbcCYAe82KR9oBCFuyhssEU3XRpv7qTanz9VpVtrUXri0U8DTtBdcQh65BrLXsam0JYMh4RRMLaTkivmc7fsBYuQumcKtjlZnSy_oK5Fhd09pBB33gq4TJIsuPeEMUn-gw/s1600/choir+singing2+chapman.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">One of the most outstanding university vocal ensembles in the United States, the Chapman University Choir, under the direction of Dr. Stephen Coker, is scheduled to tour Central Europe with <a href="http://www.incantatotours.com/">Incantato Tours</a> from May 25 to June 7, 2011. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The <a href="http://www.chapman.edu/music/choir.asp">Chapman University Choir</a> is a select group of ninety singers chosen from all departments of the university. The choir has concertized and recorded extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States, and are featured in the motion picture and soundtrack of <i>Sister Act II</i>. Choirs from Chapman University have been honored with invitations to perform at numerous national and western-regional conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, most recently at the national convention in Miami, Florida in March 2007. The University Choir, joined by 300 singers from around the United States and Australia, sang a thrilling performance of the Berlioz <i>Requiem </i>at the Sydney Opera House. Their performance sold-out all 2,700 seats and earned seven standing ovations. In 2007, the University Choir performed the west coast premier of Howard Shore’s epic <i>The Lord of the Rings Symphony</i> with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra to the delight of an audience of over 15,000 people. Recent international tours include Italy in the summer of 2008, where the choir sang for His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI during a papal audience for 5,000 attendees.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.chapman.edu/">Chapman University</a> is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in California, and has a rich tradition in the arts with many of its graduates performing with major orchestras and opera houses throughout the United States and Europe. In recent years, one could hear Chapman graduates in such prestigious locations as the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; the Metropolitan Opera; and in starring roles in Broadway productions of <i>Showboat </i>and <i>Damn Yankees</i>. The Conservatory of Music is internationally recognized and offers students a conservatory-level experience within the environment of a liberal arts university. Faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized performers, composers, and educators. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of the Chapman University website. </span></span> </span></div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-34047224321329758942010-09-02T08:18:00.000-07:002010-10-18T08:05:17.663-07:00Welcome to Germany<div class="post-header"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2TJ4sZKAHKKWlmPVqYTrbGSIOZBKIVLKRdLTDOkwoL-gzOqq2fKa0z3CPYYiQ5zdr-VnRSMpiv-jsUOBW_OwcMoi4GfwOudWbDSM7JFhN5zY8YP_MVcz40ZQcGn0s4g3xknpvJ0J0Q/s1600/munich.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499744088578938642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2TJ4sZKAHKKWlmPVqYTrbGSIOZBKIVLKRdLTDOkwoL-gzOqq2fKa0z3CPYYiQ5zdr-VnRSMpiv-jsUOBW_OwcMoi4GfwOudWbDSM7JFhN5zY8YP_MVcz40ZQcGn0s4g3xknpvJ0J0Q/s400/munich.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 352px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 281px;" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<o:smarttagtype name="PlaceType" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="PlaceName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype></span><span style="font-size: small;"><rel="file-list" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>
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</style> </rel="file-list"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.germany-tourism.de/"><st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region></a>, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is located in <st1:place st="on">Central Europe</st1:place>. The North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea border Germany to the north; Poland and the Czech Republic lay on the eastern border; Austria and Switzerland border on the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands on the east. <st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region> hosts the largest population in all of <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Historically nicknamed <st1:placename st="on"><i>Das</i></st1:placename><i> <st1:placetype st="on">Lan</st1:placetype></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGis9wehxkrmUQTpGa2uh-eKXYU1jVBFrmSN5sS2TZCqWg_F3VUISKSoC-KtA_VBqsZ-ixh5M3Y3tUvf9c7XpLpH3q2-HUDWROQ-SchZfcDZ4DXA0ivXqb8pgX7CUAvJ9dKuZVNf-9w/s1600/cute+people.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499743926291787458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGis9wehxkrmUQTpGa2uh-eKXYU1jVBFrmSN5sS2TZCqWg_F3VUISKSoC-KtA_VBqsZ-ixh5M3Y3tUvf9c7XpLpH3q2-HUDWROQ-SchZfcDZ4DXA0ivXqb8pgX7CUAvJ9dKuZVNf-9w/s400/cute+people.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 266px;" /></a><i><st1:placetype st="on">d</st1:placetype> der Dichter und Denker</i>, “The <st1:placetype st="on">Land</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Poets</st1:placename> and Thinkers,” <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s history has been shaped by major intellectual and popular European trends of both religious and secular influence. The strength of German culture has produced such historical figures as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart">Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart</a>, novelist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka">Franz Kafka</a>, and poet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Celan">Paul Celan</a>. boasts an exorbitant array of scholarly culture. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s sixteen states offer 240 subsidized theaters, hundreds of symphony orchestras, thousands of museums, and over 25,000 public libraries. The abundance of culture attracts throngs of tourists each year, resulting in an annual average of 91 million museum visits, 20 million theater and opera attendees, and 3.6 million symphony concert-goers. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> claims many of the world’s most renowned classical music composers, including Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, and Richard Wagner. Since 2006, <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region></st1:place> has been recognized as the fifth largest music market in the world, influencing pop and rock artists such as <a href="http://www.tokiohotel.com/us/">Tokio Hotel</a>, Kraftwerk, Scorpions, and <a href="http://www.rammstein.de/blog/">Rammstein</a>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A popular German saying translates to “breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king, and dine like a beggar.” German cuisine varies according to region. The southern areas of the nation share a culinary culture with <st1:country-region st="on">Switzerland</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Austria</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Pork, beef, and poultry are the main source of protein consumption. Meat is often eaten in sausage form. <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> produces more than 1,500 varieties of sausage. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">With Germany's newly established comprehensive system of social security, the country continues to develop a very desirable higher standard of living. Germany holds a key position in European affairs as the government strives to perpetually strengthen international relations. Germany is recognized as a leader in many scientific and technological advancements. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvFeefJxxfcAb18tQal-3cAEGoG0bTuzUcp-IkshMVu86hMRBrm6awB0ocT7x1eajqUtHy2waZHmO_t7J0vF6SqCDx9-sF2aFx0pWz4tp0A2zoh7i_bcSeqKIRWxhzM3wd2dqKcnPFA/s1600/german+band.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499743754305387522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvFeefJxxfcAb18tQal-3cAEGoG0bTuzUcp-IkshMVu86hMRBrm6awB0ocT7x1eajqUtHy2waZHmO_t7J0vF6SqCDx9-sF2aFx0pWz4tp0A2zoh7i_bcSeqKIRWxhzM3wd2dqKcnPFA/s400/german+band.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 245px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 369px;" /></a></div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-17964615919850003072010-09-01T13:23:00.000-07:002010-10-19T08:31:46.340-07:00Concert Venues: Thomaskirche, Leipzig<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfbcFy32E7c-ofqb8TzCggT_CaiSOuDZrU19wRZIorWXGBKMm7PLbIJfy4wEoH-qgzq3A9h6ld5UZEHdoCBs-GgfnlA8R8sh7Nm244IUYo8Mw-WWdJf6MwVf5w2jjYTmtro_lVpwIvw/s1600/thomaskirche-leipzig.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501653495280776098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfbcFy32E7c-ofqb8TzCggT_CaiSOuDZrU19wRZIorWXGBKMm7PLbIJfy4wEoH-qgzq3A9h6ld5UZEHdoCBs-GgfnlA8R8sh7Nm244IUYo8Mw-WWdJf6MwVf5w2jjYTmtro_lVpwIvw/s400/thomaskirche-leipzig.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 325px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The great Thomaskirche is one of the main highlights of Leipzig, a town many refer to as the “City of Music.” Thomaskirche houses many renowned musicians, including the Boys Choir, as well as the final resting place of the grand composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Today people come from all over the world to the Church of St. Thomas to experience church services, unique performances from the Boys Choir and the Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as intricate organ concerts.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thomaskirche once served as a critical pawn during the Christian Reformation, as Martin Luther often preached in the 12<sup>th</sup> century church. In 1355 the original Romanesque chancel was remodeled in a Gothic scheme, coinciding with the congregation’s split from the Roman Catholic Church. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Johann Sebastian Bach served as the choir director at Thomaskirche from 1723 until his death in 1750. A statue of Bach standing outside the church’s entrance was dedicated in the composer’s memory in 1908. Although renovations in the mid-1800s resulted in the removal of all Baroque equipment, a commemorative Bach organ, in the style of the original used by Bach, was installed in the sanctuary in 2000. The older romantic organ also remains, but is considered “unsuitable” for playing Bach’s music and is only used when appropriate. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The roof’s unusual 63 degree angle and sanctuary’s intricately designed vaulted ceilings result in unbelievable acoustics and highly complimentary reverberation.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV-UUGnuPU-Qb1gAdmI672x4wZ-JaYQtDMwCnkf8-W2tuJyzZzFcuaU6MFjc4_HmrXjP8WnuTsPQ_38f1jzVQuOCHlUUYMIPQ5CtftCiWp8rtSRKWr3gbZJYJPaPM40glFokMLsA9OQ/s1600/bach+organ.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501654780923197330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV-UUGnuPU-Qb1gAdmI672x4wZ-JaYQtDMwCnkf8-W2tuJyzZzFcuaU6MFjc4_HmrXjP8WnuTsPQ_38f1jzVQuOCHlUUYMIPQ5CtftCiWp8rtSRKWr3gbZJYJPaPM40glFokMLsA9OQ/s400/bach+organ.jpg" style="display: block; height: 229px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 302px;" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Wikipedia</span></span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"></span><br />
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</div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-68325341197665496492010-09-01T12:16:00.000-07:002010-10-19T08:32:30.665-07:00Meet Johann Sebastian Bach<span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj462BZHSaT0rSTeqGVR0oEb_wpk8tMJH76V1TJNEC7BwXdXyKMARu19ybqh2YuKq8hK4f7zaSV1awnBAflK_qDWB8OyzO-HWdFZHUKnZeYt0g_rou2rJsS6OxSgdcuVVTGV_-VA9Z8Hg/s1600/bach.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500894790672043874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj462BZHSaT0rSTeqGVR0oEb_wpk8tMJH76V1TJNEC7BwXdXyKMARu19ybqh2YuKq8hK4f7zaSV1awnBAflK_qDWB8OyzO-HWdFZHUKnZeYt0g_rou2rJsS6OxSgdcuVVTGV_-VA9Z8Hg/s400/bach.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 317px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 241px;" /></a> </span><equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" style="font-family: times new roman;"><name="progid" content="Word.Document"><name="generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><name="originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><style="font-family: href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"><o:smarttagtype name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype></span><style>
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<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Revered%20for%20their%20intellectual%20depth,%20technical%20command,%20and%20artistic%20beauty,%20Bach%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s%20works%20include%20the%20Brandeburg%20Concertos,%20Goldberg%20Variations,%20Mass%20in%20B%20Minor,%20Magnificat,%20The%20Musical%20Offering,%20and%20The%20Art%20of%20Fugue.">Johann Sebastian Bach</a> (1685-1750) was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose ecclesiastical and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instrumentalists united all the components of the Baroque period, escalating the era to its ultimate musical maturity. Bach’s innovative style enriched traditional German music with robust contrapuntal technique, an unrivaled control of harmonic and motific organization, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly Italy and France. </span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"></span><equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><name="progid" content="Word.Document"><name="generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><name="originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><rel="file-list" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>
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<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Revered for their intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic beauty, Bach’s works include the <i>Brandeburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations, Mass in B Minor, Magnificat, The Musical Offering, </i>and <i>The Art of Fugue. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><name="progid" content="Word.Document"><name="generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><name="originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><style="font-family: href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" new="" rel="File-List" times=""></style="font-family:></name="originator"></name="generator"></name="progid"></equiv="content-type"><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bach received no formal musical training as a child, but developed his skills from observing and mirroring the talents of his uncles and older brother, all professional musicians. His self-schooling proved worthwhile when he earned a scholarship to study at St. Michael’s School in Luneburg,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> near <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Hamburg</st1:place></st1:state>. This opportunity introduced Bach’s music throughout European culture. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">In January 1703, shortly after graduating from St. Michael’s School, Bach took up post as court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimer, and large town in <st1:place st="on">Thuringia</st1:place>. As Bach’s reputation as a keyboard player spread, he received various commissions including presenting the inaugural recital on the new organ at St. Boniface’s Church in <a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Germany/Land_Thueringen/Arnstadt-77982/Things_To_Do-Arnstadt-BR-1.html">Arnstadt</a>. The following August, he accepted the position as the church’s official organist. This time of Bach’s career fostered a multitude of organ preludes. Following continued tension between Bach and his employer, as well as an infamous scuffle and unauthorized sabbatical to visit Dieterich Buxtehude, Bach left his position in Arnstadt to accept cantor duties at the Thomasschule, in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Leipzig</st1:place></st1:city>. He also served in his very first government position as Director of Music for the town churches, a fine change from his usual employment under aristocratic control. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">This final post, which he held for 27 years until his death, brought him into contact with the political machinations of his employer, the Leipzig Council. The Council comprised two factions: the Absolutists, loyal to the Saxon monarch in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Dresden</st1:city></st1:place>, Augustus the Strong, and the City-Estate faction, representing the interests of the mercantile class, the guilds and minor aristocrats. Bach was the nominee of the monarchists, in particular of the Mayor at the time, Gottlieb Lange, a lawyer who had earlier served in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Dresden</st1:city></st1:place> court. In return for agreeing to Bach's appointment, the City-Estate faction was granted control of the School, and Bach was required to make a number of compromises with respect to his working conditions.<sup> </sup>Although it appears that no one on the Council doubted Bach's musical genius, there was continual tension between the Cantor, who regarded himself as the leader of church music in the city, and the City-Estate faction, which saw him as a schoolmaster and wanted to reduce the emphasis on elaborate music in both the School and the Churches. The Council never honored Lange's promise at interview of a handsome salary of 1,000 talers a year, although it did provide Bach and his family with a smaller income and a good apartment at one end of the school building, which was renovated at great expense in 1732.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bach’s abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place> during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19<sup>th</sup> century. He is now regarded as the supreme composer of Baroque, and one of the greatest of all time. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPMdBT-fOB-eKRbxk0Y47-8Q-Yt_A_mWtj64jGnV4fdw1tmvPn8qH_RQTh3aylYuTFeyx_cMMyb3cPzWid5LlIArwa6h69fn80AbUBbCbu5GwVTMZgugCGZBd0HHuUBJqP3tbMAitkA/s1600/220px-Statue_of_J.S._Bach_in_Leipzig.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500895268861567442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPMdBT-fOB-eKRbxk0Y47-8Q-Yt_A_mWtj64jGnV4fdw1tmvPn8qH_RQTh3aylYuTFeyx_cMMyb3cPzWid5LlIArwa6h69fn80AbUBbCbu5GwVTMZgugCGZBd0HHuUBJqP3tbMAitkA/s400/220px-Statue_of_J.S._Bach_in_Leipzig.jpg" style="display: block; height: 294px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos courtesy of Wikipedia</span></span></span></div><equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" style="font-family: times new roman;"><name="progid" content="Word.Document"><name="generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><name="originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><rel="file-list" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"> <equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><name="progid" content="Word.Document"><name="generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><name="originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><style="font-family: href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span></style="font-family:></name="originator"></name="generator"></name="progid"></equiv="content-type"></rel="file-list"></name="originator"></name="generator"></name="progid"></equiv="content-type">Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-51637747254525438802010-09-01T11:55:00.000-07:002010-10-18T08:12:22.351-07:00Visit Leipzig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4N6ZP6WaIwJ0DvsiC6fl8YN5kXaaZYoePMNmdqaRvSituxMD4js6atlwL5chZLpyLnUU_wrz9czQI-hP-MEJZY8DIbkCRwRxGZZkHywbOd2a0gvMhpDwd6klnTe3RJqUViIpFkRDsw/s1600/Leipzig_by_night_pixelio_user_luutze78_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4N6ZP6WaIwJ0DvsiC6fl8YN5kXaaZYoePMNmdqaRvSituxMD4js6atlwL5chZLpyLnUU_wrz9czQI-hP-MEJZY8DIbkCRwRxGZZkHywbOd2a0gvMhpDwd6klnTe3RJqUViIpFkRDsw/s320/Leipzig_by_night_pixelio_user_luutze78_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.leipzig.de/int/en/kultur_gastonomie/">Leipzig</a>, with a population of approximately 519,000, is the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. Since the 17<sup>th</sup> century, Leipzig has reigned as a major European center of learning and culture, thriving especially in the fields of music, astronomy, and optics. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leipzig later played a crucial role in the fall of communism in Eastern Germany, through events taken place in and around the Saint Nikolai Church. Following the Reunification of Germany, Leipzig underwent significant change with the restoration of historical buildings and the development of a modern transportation infrastructure. In 2006, the city hosted key matches during the World Cup. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leipzig was ranked 35<sup>th</sup> of 265 world cities for cultural, economic, and social innovation in 2009. The following year, the city earned the rank of 68<sup>th</sup> highest quality of life in the world. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">First documented in the 1015, Leipzig has fundamentally shaped by the history of Saxony and the nation of Germany. The city has always held a reputation as a place of great commerce. The Leipzig Trade Fair remains the oldest, and most internationally important, trade fair in the world since its beginning in the Middle Ages. Leipzig probably receives most if its international recognition, however, for its rich and diverse musical history. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach">Johann Sebastian Bach</a> famously worked in Leipzig from 1723 to 1750. 1813 marked the birth of composer Richard Wagner in Leipzig. Felix Mendelssohn established Germany’ first conservatory of music in Leipzig in 1843, and personally invited Robert Schumann to study there. Gustaz Mahler served as conductor at the Leipzig Theater from 1886 to 1888 where he received great acclamation for completing and presenting Carl Maria von Weber’s opera “Die Drei Pintos.” </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The conservatory is now the <a href="http://www.hmt-leipzig.de/index.php?english">University of Music and Theater</a>, offering students a broad variety of both performance and education studies in all orchestral instruments, voice, interpretation, coaching, piano chamber music, orchestral and choral conducting, and composition. Musical styles studied at the University include jazz, popular, musical theater, classical, and sacred. The school also hosts a drama department offering classes in acting and dramaturgy. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The city’s musical tradition is also reflected in the worldwide fame of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leipzig_Gewandhaus_Orchestra">Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra</a> and the choir of the <a href="http://chapman-incantatotour.blogspot.com/2010/08/concert-venues-thomaskirche-leipzig.html">St. Thomas Church</a>. Leipzig has offered for the past sixty years the country’s oldest “School Concert” program, presenting more than 140 concerts annually, educating and inspiring over 40,000 children through music. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2h1kigLQcojGlYRWSIiI7uoiJvmJaIux-VdtdNpnWx-AEDcIaicdmA541o3Oj4h1Bp6SvOCl0Lwy1PUQ3FtDQrAuzPMeX6yj4aRnNUDq976_VJsdlWu2iQ0pIZBOkDKR8r2iJ_eWMIg/s1600/stadtfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2h1kigLQcojGlYRWSIiI7uoiJvmJaIux-VdtdNpnWx-AEDcIaicdmA541o3Oj4h1Bp6SvOCl0Lwy1PUQ3FtDQrAuzPMeX6yj4aRnNUDq976_VJsdlWu2iQ0pIZBOkDKR8r2iJ_eWMIg/s320/stadtfest.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leipzig is also well known for its contemporary, independent music scene and subcultural events. Additionally, the Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts hosts a variety of worldly art, including the Neo Rauch retrospective that opened in April 2010. The New York Times praises Leipzig as the “the toast of the contemporary art world” in the past decade, featuring the city in the Top 10 of its “31 Places to Go” article published, in 2010. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leipzig hosts a multitude of annual cultural events throughout the year, including an a capella vocal music festical, <a href="http://www.bach-leipzig.de/"><i>Bachfest</i></a> in honor of Johann Sebastian Bach, the city’s famous holiday <a href="http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/leipzig_christmas_market.htm">Christmas Market</a>, <a href="http://www.jazzclub-leipzig.de/"><i>Jazztage</i></a><i><a href="http://www.leipzigerstadtfest.de/">Stadtfest</a> </i>city festival, and the <a href="http://www.leipzig-popup.de/"><i>Pop-Up</i></a> contemporary jazz festival, independent music trade fair and festival. </span></div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-84773316215947723362010-09-01T08:53:00.000-07:002010-10-18T08:25:22.162-07:00Incantato Destinations: Leipzig, Germany<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fincantatotours%2Falbumid%2F5346380295219426993%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCLW5k6P8h9rTBw%26hl%3Den_US" height="267" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"></embed>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-10645865177304907692010-08-10T10:34:00.000-07:002010-10-19T10:57:50.713-07:00Explore Bayreuth's vast musical history<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxvGX8u_xj8r3yJWS6OBmoeCQyfBgtwAlIgky7EyCV2BCjP-vVi-8IrKS2NDHfF6Ds-5Z0HQR-BJ3_QBnUqP0skQjWqocz7Umbb-19w0Kibto2OZxH7hEUI7oP63TDpEzan8ecS3HIg/s1600/bayreuth-opera-house.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514226536316882050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxvGX8u_xj8r3yJWS6OBmoeCQyfBgtwAlIgky7EyCV2BCjP-vVi-8IrKS2NDHfF6Ds-5Z0HQR-BJ3_QBnUqP0skQjWqocz7Umbb-19w0Kibto2OZxH7hEUI7oP63TDpEzan8ecS3HIg/s320/bayreuth-opera-house.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 230px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" style="font-family: inherit;"></link><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><o:smarttagtype name="PlaceName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="PlaceType" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype></span><style>
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<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.bayreuth.de/english/tourist_information_357.html">Bayreuth</a> is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, bordered by the Red Main River in a valley between the Frankish Alb and the Fichtelgebirge. The city’s history dates back to 1194 and now serves as the capital of Upper Franconia with a population of 72,576. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1872 composer Richard Wagner moved to Bayreuth, where he resided until his death in 1883. Wagner’s villa, “Wahnfried,” was sponsored by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and converted into the Wagner Museum following World War II. The Bayreuth Festspielhaus, an opera house specially constructed for and exclusively devoted to the performance of Wagner’s operas, lies to the north of Bayreuth. The opera house presented the debuts of Wagner’s <i>Ring Cycle</i> and <i>Parsifal. </i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Every summer, Wagner’s operas are performed at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayreuth_Festspielhaus">Festspielhaus</a> during the month-long <a href="http://www.bayreuther-festspiele.de/english/english_156.html">Richard Wagner Festival</a>, commonly known as the Bayreuth Festival. The festival attracts thousands of attendees each year and has consistently sold out since its 1876 debut. Currently, waiting lists for tickets span more than ten years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo courtesy of the Festspielhaus website.</span></span></span> </span></div><span style="font-family: "; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-63628564993481624482010-08-09T09:38:00.000-07:002010-10-19T11:01:23.523-07:00Incantato concert venue: Salzburg Cathedral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1f-ieB0CNQQMwvXo-ONH4XYI0faRQYlp2N-F8QX3BO9kEGK9zmPkdinF8To2Wm8YIJv1FStObMAQptMItexAIvfZjGqSCFfwonEd5EYRKKwqD4JqYYgtZs23MWZ4pwEmNpgRPNajP9Q/s1600/salzburg-dom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1f-ieB0CNQQMwvXo-ONH4XYI0faRQYlp2N-F8QX3BO9kEGK9zmPkdinF8To2Wm8YIJv1FStObMAQptMItexAIvfZjGqSCFfwonEd5EYRKKwqD4JqYYgtZs23MWZ4pwEmNpgRPNajP9Q/s1600/salzburg-dom.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Located in Sazlburg, Austria, where the Residenzplatz flows into the Domplatz, the <a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/austria/salzburg-cathedral">Salzburg Cathedral </a>(Domkirche Saint Rupert) is renowned for its harmonious Baroque architecture and 4,000-pipe organ. It also contains the medieval font in which Mozart was baptized. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The original Romanesque cathedral burnt down in 1598. Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich commissioned for a grand new cathedral to be built in its place, reaffirming Salzburg’s commitment to Catholicism during the Reformation. However, Dietrich’s overthrow prevented the completion of the project, and the present cathedral was completed by Archbishop Markus Sittikus Count Hohenems and consecrated by Archbishop Paris Count Lodron in 1628. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The cathedral’s plaza, a complete aesthetic conceptualization, is considered one of Salzburg’s most beautiful landmarks. The Virgin’s Column, a 1771 statue of the Virgin Mary rises in the center. Recognized by many as the most perfect Renaissance building in the German-speaking countries, Salzburg Cathedral is adorned with a marble façade, twin west towers topped with large green-roofed domes, and bronze doors illustrating the themes of faith, hope, and love. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIEwVjL8toWSC6_5Iog0PV3rI6JtN9kxKVlq-g4CDLb9R2lQhdKJLcf0qMWrUnIIMm-f4U8Cazi8Nt7dME1ynQ429orbMg0nb1DkUWvCYpUeTE0dhMHQptrtRqL8PybLTAeFC3v4wMg/s1600/interior+dom+salzburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIEwVjL8toWSC6_5Iog0PV3rI6JtN9kxKVlq-g4CDLb9R2lQhdKJLcf0qMWrUnIIMm-f4U8Cazi8Nt7dME1ynQ429orbMg0nb1DkUWvCYpUeTE0dhMHQptrtRqL8PybLTAeFC3v4wMg/s320/interior+dom+salzburg.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was baptized in the cathedral, served as the organist there from 1779 to 1781. Some of his compositions, including the <i>Coronation Mass</i>, were written for the cathedral, and many of his works premiered there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #999999;">Photos courtesy of the Salzburg Tourism Board. </span></span></span></span></div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-71534447192228765162010-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:002010-08-11T09:04:13.640-07:00Incantato Impressions: Goettweig<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fincantatotours%2Falbumid%2F5478862262133584993%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-12954412518077390612010-08-02T12:48:00.000-07:002010-10-18T08:22:41.701-07:00Visit the beautiful Danube River Valley<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWdzPyMQpj2Ujs3UreIfL4HKVjVxEGevVW1Pisgw-Leyc0YiPOgLw7J_pnTcuc9R_8IOK5ZCw-zmvCJ1EMSl0dtRX3LSMCowfzPUNGrj-rr-tamvIbZsmOgCw2JWmMD0S4BLbNqEHyw/s1600/danube.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500904563148931970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWdzPyMQpj2Ujs3UreIfL4HKVjVxEGevVW1Pisgw-Leyc0YiPOgLw7J_pnTcuc9R_8IOK5ZCw-zmvCJ1EMSl0dtRX3LSMCowfzPUNGrj-rr-tamvIbZsmOgCw2JWmMD0S4BLbNqEHyw/s400/danube.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.duernstein.at/" style="font-family: inherit;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://www.blogger.comhttp://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.duernstein.at/">Dürnstein</a> is a small town on the Danube river in the Krems-Land district, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region and also a well-known wine growing area. The municipality consists of the Katastralgemeinden Dürnstein, Oberloiben and Unterloiben. The town gained its name from the medieval castle which overlooked it. The castle was called "Duerrstein" or "Dürrstein", from the German duerr/dürr meaning "dry" and Stein, "stone". The castle was dry because it was situated on a rocky hill, high above the damp conditions of the Danube at the base of the hill, and it was built of stone. Dürnstein was first mentioned in 1192, when, in the castle above the town, King Richard I Lionheart of England was held captive by Duke Leopold V of Austria after their dispute during the Third Crusade. Richard had personally offended Leopold by casting down his standard from the walls at the Battle of Acre, and the duke suspected that King Richard ordered the murder of his cousin Conrad of Montferrat in Jerusalem. In consequence Pope Celestine III excommunicated Leopold for capturing a fellow crusader. The duke finally gave the custody of Richard to Emperor Henry VI, who imprisoned Richard at Trifels Castle. Dürnstein Castle was almost completely destroyed by the troops of the Swedish Empire under Field Marshal Lennart Torstenson in 1645. Dürnstein Abbey (Stift Dürnstein) was established in 1410 by Canons Regular from Třeboň and from 1710 rebuilt in a Baroque style according to plans by Joseph Munggenast, Jakob Prandtauer and Matthias Steinl. The monastery was dissolved by order of Emperor Joseph II in 1788 and fell to the Herzogenburg Priory. During the War of the Third Coalition the Battle of Dürenstein was fought nearby on November 11, 1805.</span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"></span>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-13346757805916407372010-08-02T12:43:00.000-07:002010-08-11T09:03:01.482-07:00Concert Venues: Stiftskirche, Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig, AustriaThe abbey, situated on the Göttweig Mountain, is - because of its location - sometimes called the Austrian Montecassino. The Monastery, founded in 1083 by Saint Altmann, sits on a hill 449 m above sea level in the Dunkelsteiner Forest south of the city of Krems, on the eastern edge of the world-famous Danube Valley called the Wachau. With the Wachau, Göttweig was in 2001 placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><script type="text/javascript"> F.decorate(_ge('button_bar'), F._photo_button_bar).bar_go_go_go(2416884804, 0</script><br /><div class="photo_notes" id="photo_notes" style="visibility: hidden;"><div id="notes_text_div" style="display: none; position: relative; width: 220px; z-index: 1000;"><div id="notes_text_table" style="-moz-border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 211); display: table; padding: 1px;"><div class="td_note_yeller" style="padding: 3px;"><span id="notes_text_span" style=";font-family:arial;font-size:12px;" ></span><br /><form id="notes_text_form"><input name="magic_cookie" value="343a00c464928873cc47c6b490f77327" type="hidden"><textarea id="notes_text_area" onkeydown="_limit_textarea(this, 300); _ge('photo_notes').check_note_for_prop()" onkeyup="place_notes_text_div(); adjust_textarea_height(this); _limit_textarea(this, 300); 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z-index: 1003;"><div id="rotate_table" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-size: auto auto; -moz-border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; background-attachment: scroll; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; padding: 1px; width: 218px;color:white;"><div class="td_note_white" style="margin-top: 3px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span id="rotate_span" style=";font-family:arial;font-size:12px;" ></span></div></div></div><div id="shadow_div" style="display: none; z-index: 999;"><table class="shadow_table" style="padding: 0px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr><td width="11"><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_tl" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="11" height="11" /></td><td id="shadow_width_controller"><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_t" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="100%" height="11" /></td><td width="11"><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_tr" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="11" height="11" /></td></tr> <tr><td id="shadow_height_controller" height="30"><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_l" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="11" height="100%" /></td><td></td><td><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_r" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="11" height="100%" /></td></tr> <tr><td><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_bl" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="11" height="11" /></td><td><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_b" id="shadow_width_controller2" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="100%" height="11" /></td><td><img class="shadow_sprite shadow_br" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif" width="11" height="11" /></td></tr> </tbody></table></div><div class="photoImgDiv" id="photoImgDiv2416884804" style="width: 502px;"><img alt="Goettweig Abbey by Herr Specht." class="reflect" onload="show_notes_initially();" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2416884804_5ccda41bda.jpg?v=0" style="height: 273px; width: 402px;" title="" /></div><br />At first, Augustines worked here, to be followed in 1094 by Benedictine monks from the Monastery of St. Blasien in the Black Forest. The Benedictines have been living, learning and teaching on Göttweig Mountain for more than 900 years. The goal of their life is to glorify God in prayer and work according to the Rule of their Order’s founder, Saint Benedict, the Patron Saint of Europe. Currently 54 monks belong to the monastic community. More than 30 of them give pastoral care to parishioners and pilgrims in the Dioceses of Vienna and St. Pölten. Forestry and viticulture have been the economic basis of the Monastery since it was founded - today completed by various touristic and economic efforts.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"The Stiftskirche is a perfect Baroque chapel, with lovely acoustics, detailed fresco, and choir loft. The tall stairs make for a great riser, and the locale in the hills of Austria is MAGNIFICENT!"<br /></span>-Dr. Jonathan Talberg,<br /> Director of Choral, Vocal and Opera Studies<br /> Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, CSULB<br /><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;" ><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;" ><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;" ><div><br /></div></span></span></span>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-4653106373589645222010-08-02T08:38:00.000-07:002010-08-11T09:03:50.860-07:00Exploring Vienna<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWZmzkFMQ8vBCltbV8AG7QCOMJWptkWrmdfAe882OkK-SwIKuQMkSav6DcHnXqO7SEUB-GX_BJ4u0Zt9nOckU6VAEzx9wGjJ1M-SfGVGkT2GjfdIro4TVfldRDvrrrkWeuFKZ0hGRDg/s1600/vienna.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWZmzkFMQ8vBCltbV8AG7QCOMJWptkWrmdfAe882OkK-SwIKuQMkSav6DcHnXqO7SEUB-GX_BJ4u0Zt9nOckU6VAEzx9wGjJ1M-SfGVGkT2GjfdIro4TVfldRDvrrrkWeuFKZ0hGRDg/s400/vienna.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500838324300554226" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.wien.info/en?set_language=en">Vienna</a> is the capital of the Republic of <a href="http://www.austria.info/">Austria</a> and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million (2.3 million within the metropolitan area, more than 25% of Austria's population), and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by population in the <a href="http://www.europa.eu/">European Union</a>. Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. Vienna lies in the east of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Founded around 500 BC, Vienna was originally a Celtic settlement. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2005 an Economist Intelligence Unit study of 127 world cities ranked it first equal with Vancouver for the quality of life. This assessment was mirrored by the Mercer Survey in 2009.<br />Art and culture have a long tradition in Vienna, including theater, opera, classical music and fine arts. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgtheater">Burgtheater</a> is considered one of the best theaters in the German-speaking world alongside its branch, the Akademietheater. The Volkstheater Wien and the Theater in der Josefstadt also enjoy good reputations. There is also a multitude of smaller theaters, in many cases devoted to less mainstream forms of performing arts, such as modern, experimental plays or cabaret.<br />Vienna is also home to a number of opera houses, including the Theater an der Wien, the Staatsoper and the Volksoper, the latter being devoted to the typical Viennese operetta. Classical concerts are performed at well known venues such as the Wiener Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Wiener Konzerthaus. Many concert venues offer concerts aimed at tourists, featuring popular highlights of Viennese music (particularly the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss).<br />In recent years, the Theater an der Wien has become widely known for hosting premieres of musicals, although it has recently devoted itself to the opera again. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIAoRV64nQ4Zpboz61mOcLGU07Dw_btWhZJN-mkZfQ4WuEdYbfl485Ek5La-_xsiY9EVlwJ1QyK-4ZeVnYI6aeEZFxBDC1ItsmTTqqF_o8kwef7TdeRXC2m24GCRlhsy_ENSI4h7iBQ/s1600/city+of+vienna.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIAoRV64nQ4Zpboz61mOcLGU07Dw_btWhZJN-mkZfQ4WuEdYbfl485Ek5La-_xsiY9EVlwJ1QyK-4ZeVnYI6aeEZFxBDC1ItsmTTqqF_o8kwef7TdeRXC2m24GCRlhsy_ENSI4h7iBQ/s400/city+of+vienna.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500838518817526290" border="0" /></a>The most successful musical by far was "Elisabeth", which was later translated into several other languages and performed all over the world. The <a href="http://www.hausdermusik.com/en/2.htm">Haus der Musik</a> ("house of music") opened in 2000.Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-42095794758121117942010-08-02T08:37:00.002-07:002010-10-18T08:42:27.395-07:00Incantato Impressions: Stephansdom, Vienna<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.de&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.de%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fincantatotours%2Falbumid%2F5437854724302021233%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNGaqqnL-ID7Cg%26hl%3Den_US" height="267" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.de/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"></embed>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-85633509436434751662010-08-02T08:37:00.001-07:002010-10-18T08:39:44.594-07:00Vienna Sightseeing Tip: The Mumok<div class="post-header"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuUSowLZ-OIkEMR1VDH0BxJAw48bnGvYVKCMZgQUDfhVhRUumC8h7ApY_FBg2gmWY6Q_xnTjZYi4BFmNPGyuieRo0-DLxIcTrPmXopAMl-WOyBzf40Y12ZeRlrgzHfnza-ok9I4RcEQ/s1600/mumok.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483375221630949074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuUSowLZ-OIkEMR1VDH0BxJAw48bnGvYVKCMZgQUDfhVhRUumC8h7ApY_FBg2gmWY6Q_xnTjZYi4BFmNPGyuieRo0-DLxIcTrPmXopAMl-WOyBzf40Y12ZeRlrgzHfnza-ok9I4RcEQ/s400/mumok.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 331px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 338px;" /></a>The Mumok (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mu</span>seum <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mo</span>derner <span style="font-weight: bold;">K</span>unst/Museum of Modern Art) is the biggest museum of contemporary art in Central Europe, and Vienna’s greatest. The <a href="http://www.mumok.at/?L=1">Mumok</a> is always worth a visit, if only for its architecture. And inside it’s just as impressive, since the curators can draw from an extensive collection and present interesting focal points. There are five levels with works by Pablo Picasso, Nam June Paik, Andy Warhol and Günter Brus, ranging from Pop Art to Photorealism and from Fluxus to New Realism. 230 pieces were given to the museum by the German industrialist and art lover Peter Ludwig and his wife Irene in 1981. The Mumok regularly organizes special exhibitions and is known for its large collection of art related to Viennese Actionism. The Mumok is located in the Museumsquartier in Vienna, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien. It is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, Thursdays till 9 pm. This sightseeing tip originates from the website <a href="http://www.redguide.at/1/Vienna/450/mumok/">www.redguide.at</a>.</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pVIvguQy-h_qqYIjGUpp7G6sIIPa783K4oW2p9EPbzhaGs4uqy6LyFMBnhqMgSsbMPOaoonLjEYvfDwkebmCbxmSZ6Qe8RGVbFG_ILpeEcgOFxrD6dsFVUznvJhDlPyOnzKtR5GQYA/s1600/mumok_map.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483376658694904594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pVIvguQy-h_qqYIjGUpp7G6sIIPa783K4oW2p9EPbzhaGs4uqy6LyFMBnhqMgSsbMPOaoonLjEYvfDwkebmCbxmSZ6Qe8RGVbFG_ILpeEcgOFxrD6dsFVUznvJhDlPyOnzKtR5GQYA/s400/mumok_map.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 281px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-9666747014921680502010-08-02T08:37:00.000-07:002010-10-19T10:58:59.022-07:00Concert Venues: Matyas Templom, Budapest<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5COwner%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><o:smarttagtype name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="PlaceName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="PlaceType" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><style>
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<div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgGNvnYODx4P3J2aLXO6hX-0Ol-TqyvsILXwbn-rB2otdmMYgII2O0HkGkxSRYfp0IstPKQHdOl_YpMIuE3jdPjLwRE6wpepqPLuRwcLQxQ2ShVYjpCJAMw0NC-xfCDZtYotQdgMr2g/s1600/250px-Buda_Castles-Matthias_Church.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501970977119962466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpgGNvnYODx4P3J2aLXO6hX-0Ol-TqyvsILXwbn-rB2otdmMYgII2O0HkGkxSRYfp0IstPKQHdOl_YpMIuE3jdPjLwRE6wpepqPLuRwcLQxQ2ShVYjpCJAMw0NC-xfCDZtYotQdgMr2g/s400/250px-Buda_Castles-Matthias_Church.jpg" style="float: left; height: 353px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 250px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Matyas Templom in Budapest, Hungary, was originally built in 1015 in Romanesque style. Located in the heart of Buda’s Castle District, it is the second largest church of medieval Buda, and the seventh largest of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Officially named the Church of Our Lady, it is popularly known as the church of the king Matyas who ordered the transformation of the church’s original southern tower. The 700 year history of the church serves as a symbol of the city’s rich and often tragic history. The site hosted several royal coronations, including that of Charles IV in 1916, as well as both of King Matyas’ weddings. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many of the church’s ecclesiastical treasures were shipped to Pressburg in present day Bratislava during the Turkish occupation. Following Buda’s capture in 1541, the church became Budapest’s main mosque. Ornate frescoes previously adorning the interior walls were whitewashed and the furnishings stripped. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1686 during the Holy League’s siege of Buda, a wall of the church collapsed from cannon fire. An old votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall, and as it appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the garrison collapsed and the city fell that very day. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The great architectural boom of the 19<sup>th</sup> century resulted in the church’s restoration to its original Baroque splendor. Today, the restored cathedral provides visitors with one of the most prominent and characteristic features of Budapest’s cityscape. Visitors enjoy the Ecclesiastical Art Museum and the St. Stephen Chapel located within the vast building. The gallery contains many sacred relics along with replicas of the Hungarian royal crown and coronation jewels. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>“The Matyas Templom is one of the most architecturally significant churches in all of Europe. With its Christian and Islamic motifs as well as its gorgeous tile work and acoustic, Hungary's most significant church is a pleasure to behold and to sing in.”</i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Dr. Jonathan Talberg</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Director of Choral, Vocal and Opera Studies</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.</span></span> </div>Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880843149066982881.post-66659448420288243722010-08-02T08:27:00.001-07:002010-08-11T09:03:50.860-07:00Welcome to Budapest!<div class="post-header"> </div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCV_H-GmaS1L0fnJxDZzbFrkn6UZ1GlFbggMKDRSBre4mMkMbF15CHHXoXd3pPzsmrNVzxe3EZP5Okp7spC0RYI8KKyADHMF-vVEm4vNJ2R_nD1apn5RGSNc_wrTJXwLWCoGdWdWcmJw/s1600-h/HU_Bud_night.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449217176027807282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCV_H-GmaS1L0fnJxDZzbFrkn6UZ1GlFbggMKDRSBre4mMkMbF15CHHXoXd3pPzsmrNVzxe3EZP5Okp7spC0RYI8KKyADHMF-vVEm4vNJ2R_nD1apn5RGSNc_wrTJXwLWCoGdWdWcmJw/s400/HU_Bud_night.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 267px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.budapest.com/">Budapest</a> is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2009, Budapest had 1,712,210 inhabitants, down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. The Budapest Commuter Area (or Greater Budapest) is home to 3,271,110 people. The city covers an area of 525 square kilometres (202.7 sq mi) within the city limits.<br />Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of right (west)-bank Buda and Óbuda with left (east)-bank Pest.<br />Aquincum, originally a Celtic settlement, was the direct ancestor of Budapest, becoming the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia. Magyars arrived in the territory in the 9th century. Their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241-42. The re-established town became one of the centers of Renaissance humanist culture in the 15th century. Following the Battle of Mohács and nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule, development of the region entered a new age of prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Budapest became a global city after the 1873 unification. It also became the second capital of Austria-Hungary, a great power that dissolved in 1918. Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Operation Panzerfaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest of 1945, and the Revolution of 1956.<br />Regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its extensive World Heritage Site includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes' Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world. Other highlights include a total of 80 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building. The collections of the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts are also significant. The city attracts over 20 million visitors a year.Incantato Tours and Concertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08548987035545720054noreply@blogger.com0