Handel in Halle

• Unpack your bags for 10 days and delight in 8 performances at the annual Handel Festival in Halle

• Gain an insight into the life and music of Handel, through background talks and post-performance discussion led by Clive Paget

• Explore the musical heritage of Leipzig and surrounds, from Bach to the magnificent Romantic organ in Merseburg Cathedral

• Enjoy excursions that explore Germany’s cultural heritage, including Naumburg Cathedral and Nietzsche’s childhood home and the Goethe Theatre in Bad Lauchstädt

• Appreciate the delicate aroma of the little-known Müller-Thurgau grape variety during a wine tasting in German’s northernmost wine-growing region

FRIDAY 05 JUNE - ARRIVAL (D)

The tour begins in the hotel at 6.00pm, when you meet tour leader Clive Paget for welcome drinks followed by dinner. First of nine nights in Halle.

SATURDAY 06 JUNE – EXPLORING HALLE – PERFORMANCE #1 (B)

Halle, the birthplace of George Frideric Handel in 1685, was a prosperous city, centre of trade and member of the Hanseatic League. It was where Handel first found his love of music playing the organ in the local churches, despite the misgivings of his non-musical father. On a walking tour of the town, we explore sites associated with Handel, such as the Halle Cathedral where he played as a child, the Handel Monument on Market Square, and the Handel House Foundation, the Baroque composer’s birthplace now converted to a museum celebrating his life and work. This afternoon, after a talk by Clive, we head to our first performance at the Ulrichskirche.

Performance 1
Venue: Ulrichskirche Concert Hall, Halle
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

SUNDAY 07 JUNE – BAD LAUCHSTÄDT – Performance #2 (B, L)

This morning we travel by coach to Bad Lauchstädt, a spa resort and summer retreat for the Dukes of Saxony-Merseburg and the court of Dresden, whose influence is apparent as we stroll among the Baroque splendour of the town centre. Bad Lauchstädt became a nationally recognised performance venue for theatre and opera with the inauguration of the Goethe Theatre in 1802, named for the German playwright, novelist and poet. The theatre is designed according to Goethe’s principals of functional simplicity and modernity, and features innovative machinery above and below the stage that allowed for scene changes during performances. After lunch in a local restaurant, we see the advanced theatrical staging in action at the theatre with a performance of Handel’s Covent Garden Opera Seria, Giustino, which blends history, fantasy and mythology.

Performance 2
Venue: Goethe Theatre, Bad Lauchstädt
Program: Handel, Giustino
Performers: TBA

MONDAY 08 JUNE – AT LEISURE – PERFORMANCE #3 (B)

Today is at leisure to further explore Halle before Clive gives a talk on tonight’s performance of L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. The title, translated from Italian as The Happy Man, The Melancholy Man and The Moderate Man, applies vivid and colourful orchestration to a young John Milton’s companion poems depicting the joys of an extroverted life (L’Allegro), and a contemplative life (il Penseroso), creating a dramatic contrast between the two. The addition of the melancholic, il Moderato, adapted from Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the composer’s request, adds a contemplative tone to the work.

Performance 3
Venue: Ulrichskirche Concert Hall
Program: Handel, L’Allegro, Il Peseroso ed il Moderato
Performers: TBA

TUESDAY 09 JUNE – LEIPZIG – PERFORMANCE #4 (B)

Our excursion today takes us to Leipzig, a thriving cultural city with a long musical heritage as the birthplace of Richard Wagner; 27 years of JS Bach’s stewardship as music director of St Thomas’ Boys’ Choir; and the home of the acclaimed Gewandhaus Orchestra, directed by Felix Mendelssohn in the final two years of his life. A guided walking tour through the historical centre takes us to St Thomas Church, central to the city’s long-admired musical reputation. Here, we learn more about the importance of Leipzig’s place in the world of music as we follow in the footsteps of the great composers associated with the city. After free time for lunch, we enjoy a guided tour of The Mendelssohn House, the only surviving residence of Felix Mendelssohn, who died in Leipzig in 1847. Today, the apartment is used as a music salon and museum displaying original furniture, letters, sheet music and the composer’s own watercolours. In the afternoon, we return to Halle for the evening performance of Ariodante. It premiered at Handel’s debut season at the newly-opened Covent Garden in 1735, yet fell out of favour for 200 years. It was not performed again until it was revived in the 1970s.

Performance 4
Venue: Ulrichskirche Concert Hall, Halle
Program: Handel, Ariodante
Performers: TBA

WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE – MERSEBURG - PERFORMANCES #5 (B)

Located just outside of Halle, the town of Merseburg came to prominence under the Ottonian kings and emperors in the 10th century and is the location of the Merseburg Charms, the only known example of Germanic pagan belief written in Old High German. A walking tour of the city brings us to the Merseburg Cathedral. The cathedral also houses the Ladegast organ, with 5687 pipes behind a Baroque façade decorated with gilded acanthus carvings and cherubs. The organ is one of the largest and most beautiful sounding in Germany. After free time for lunch, we explore the Old Town on a guided tour, taking in Schloss Merseburg, a castle complex built in the Renaissance style, and the Ständehaus,which serves as the city’s congress and cultural centre. We return to Halle and attend a performance of Handel’s Oratorio Judas Maccabeus, based on Old Testament texts that depict the struggle of the Jews to preserve their religion against the encroachment of the Greek Empire.

Performance 5
Venue: Marktkirche, Halle
Program: Handel, Judas Maccabeus
Performers: TBA

THURSDAY 11 JUNE – NAUMBURG – PERFORMANCE #6 (B)

Just an hour from Halle, the town of Naumburg has a history stretching back over 1,000 years, from its fine UNESCO-listed Romanesque cathedral to its location for large parts of Friedrich Nietzsche’s childhood. We have a guided visit of the cathedral, which is unique for its addition of a second Gothic choir, before free time for lunch. Later we also visit the town’s historic main square. This evening we attend a yet to be announced concert performance in the Handel Hall.

Performance 6
Venue: Handel Hall, Halle
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

FRIDAY 12 JUNE – GARTENRICH WÖRLITZ – PERFORMANCE #7 (B, L)

This morning we travel by coach to enjoy the lakeside palaces and gardens of the Dessau-Wörlitz ‘Gartenreich’. The multiple gardens, castles and works of art conceived by Prince Leopold III in the eighteenth century form a literal “Garden Kingdom”, World Heritage listed in 2000. The beauty of the English style landscaped gardens of Wörlitz Park, incorporating lakes, temples and palaces, unfolds during our guided walking tour through the park. After a light lunch together, we enjoy a guided tour of Mosigkau Palace, one of the few Rococo ensembles in Germany that has been preserved in its original state. Returning to Halle, there is time to relax before this evening’s performance of Rinaldo, in the Halle Opera House. Handel’s first Italian opera written for the London stage is based on Torquato Tasso’s epic poem, Jerusalem Delivered. Itcatapulted the young composer to fame and fortune when it was first performed at London’s Queen’s Theatre in 1711.

Performance 7
Venue: Halle Opera House
Program: Handel, Rinaldo
Performers: Michael Hofstetter (Musical Director), Walter Sutcliff (Director), Yuli Sokolik (Goffredo), Franziska Krötenheerdt (Almirena), Christopher Lowry (Rinaldo), Ki-Hyun Park (Argante, King of Jerusalem), Vanessa Waldhart (Armida)

SATURDAY 13 JUNE – SAALE-UNSTRUT – PERFORMANCE #8 (B, L)

Today we travel by coach to Saale-Unstrut, the northernmost of Germany’s thirteen wine-producing regions, with more than ten centuries of winemaking tradition. Established as a small family business following the fall of the Berlin Wall by the Pawis family, the winery is located in a 1000-year-old monastery estate and cultivates elegant Riesling and Müller-Thurgau varietals. We enjoy a tour of the monastery and the grounds before a wine tasting of some of the delicious wines produced on site. Afterwards, we gather for a farewell lunch in a local restaurant before returning to Halle in the afternoon. We are at the Halle Opera tonight for our final performance of the festival, the satirical comedy Agrippina – Handel’s bold breakthrough on the Italian opera scene and the world stage that tells the story of Agrippina, mother of Nero, as she plots the downfall of the Roman Emperor Claudius and schemes to install her son on the throne.

Performance 8
Venue: Halle Opera House
Program: Handel, Agrippina
Performers: Laurence Cummings (Musical Director), Walter Sutcliff (Director) Ki-Hyun Park (Claudio), Romelia Lichtenstein (Agripinna), Leandro Marziotte (Nerone), Vanessa Waldhart (Poppea), Christopher Ainslie (Otonne), Lars Conrad (Pallante), Annika Westlund (Narciso), Michael Zehe (Lesbo)

SUNDAY 14 JUNE – DEPARTURE (B)

The tour concludes after breakfast in the hotel. Your tour manager is available to assist with taxis to the airport or the main train station for your departure.

Hotel Dorint Charlottenhof Halle 4* Superior, Halle (Saale)

https://hotel-halle-saale.dorint.com/en/

A centrally-located hotel, at just a five-minute walk from the main train station, two minutes’ walk to the nearest tram stop, and convenient to the Festival venues.

Tasteful Art Nouveau-styled rooms are adequately sized for our nine-night stay. The hotel restaurant serves regional and international cuisine à la carte, and offers wines from the local Saale-Unstrut wine-growing region. The bar is ideal for relaxing after a performance.

NB: hotels of a similar standard may be substituted.

• 9 nights’ accommodation in a 4-star hotel

• Best available tickets to 8 performances at the Handel Festival

• All breakfasts, 4 lunches or dinners including drinks

• All ground transport, guides, entrances and tipping for services mentioned in the itinerary

• Background talks and expert commentary by Clive Paget throughout the tour

• Services of an experienced English-speaking local tour manager throughout

A $2,000pp deposit is required at the time of booking to hold your place on tour.

A second deposit of $1,500pp is due on 05 February 2026.

We will invoice you for final payment for the tour, due on 23 March 2026.

When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions. You can read our terms and conditions here.