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The Brisbane Ring (Cycle II)

Be captivated by a new production of the Ring by visionary Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng as he explores Wagner’s legendary tale through a futuristic lens, using towering, moving digital panels to create an immersive virtual world.

The production will be led by veteran French Ring conductor Philippe Auguin. He leads a cast of international stars including Vitalij Kowaljow as Wotan, Allison Oakes as Brünnhilde and Stefan Vinke as Siegfried. The cast will be complemented by the Queensland Symphony’s Ring Cycle Orchestra, which will unite hundreds of musicians from across Australia.

Enjoy among the best seats in the house (Premium Reserve) for the entire cycle, enriched by private pre-performance lectures by international Wagner expert Peter Bassett as well as a symposium convened by the Richard Wagner Society to complement the Ring performances.

Benefit from a hand-crafted program of sightseeing in and around Brisbane, including a private guided tour of the Margaret Olley Art Centre in Murwillumbah and a scenic drive to the Glass House Mountains, a setting reminiscent of Siegfried’s forest.

At a Glance

  • Enjoy Premium Category seats for all performances of the Ring at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre
  • Benefit from enlightening talks by your tour leader and Wagner world expert Peter Bassett
  • Attend a Wagner Society symposium to complement your Ring experience
  • Enjoy a private guided tour of the Margaret Olley Art Centre and a day trip to the Glass House Mountains

Tour Leader

Peter Bassett

Destination

Dates

05–13 November 2021 (9 days)

Fitness Level

Moderate

?

Tour Status

Available

Enquire Book now

At a Glance

  • Enjoy Premium Category seats for all performances of the Ring at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre
  • Benefit from enlightening talks by your tour leader and Wagner world expert Peter Bassett
  • Attend a Wagner Society symposium to complement your Ring experience
  • Enjoy a private guided tour of the Margaret Olley Art Centre and a day trip to the Glass House Mountains
Download Brochure
  • Itinerary
  • Pricing
  • Hotels
  • Introduction to the Ring

Cycle II

Friday 05 November 2021 / Arrive Brisbane

Arrive in Brisbane and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements.

This evening, join Peter and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing, followed by dinner.

(D)

Sat 06 Nov / Brisbane

In the morning, enjoy a pre-performance talk by Peter, followed by a visit of the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens. The gardens feature a bamboo grove, weeping fig avenue as well as ornamental ponds.

In the early evening transfer by coach to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Das Rheingold commencing at 7pm.

CAST – DAS RHEINGOLD
Wotan – Vitalij Kowaljow
Donner – Andrew Moran
Froh – Dean Bassett
Loge – Hubert Francis
Alberich – Warwick Fyfe
Fricka – Jacqueline Dark
Freia – Mariana Hong
Erda – Liane Keegan
Mime – Andreas Conrad
Fasolt – Daniel Sumegi
Fafner – Donald Thomson

(B)

Sun 07 Nov / Brisbane

Today enjoy a scenic drive through the Glass House Mountains in the hinterland of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The pinnacles that form the mountains are in fact volcanic plugs and rise 1,800 feet above the coastal plain. The mountains were named by Captain Cook when he sighted them from his ship the HMS Endeavour.

Enjoy lunch at King Ludwig’s Bavarian Restaurant located in the town of Maleny before exploring the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. Located in the Blackall Range, the rainforest evokes the impression of Siegfried’s forest.

Return to Brisbane in the late afternoon, followed by the evening at leisure.

(BL)

Mon 08 Nov / Brisbane

This morning enjoy a pre-performance talk by Peter, followed by some time at leisure.

In the mid-afternoon, return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Die Walkűre commencing at 5pm.

CAST – DIE WALKÜRE
Siegmund – Rosario La Spina
Hunding – Donald Thomson
Wotan – Vitalij Kowaljow
Sieglinde – Anna-Louise Cole
Brünnhilde – Allison Oakes
Fricka – Jacqueline Dark

(B)

Tue 09 Nov / Brisbane

This morning attend a symposium organised in conjunction with the Richard Wagner Society of Queensland. Enjoy talks and panel discussions by leading Wagner experts.

The remainder of the day and evening is at leisure.

In the evening enjoy an optional performance of Aida at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. (Optional, extra cost applies)

(B)

Wed 10 Nov / Brisbane

This morning enjoy a pre-performance talk by Peter before some free time.

In the afternoon return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Siegfried commencing at 5pm.

CAST – SIEGFRIED
Siegfried – Stefan Vinke
Mime – Andreas Conrad
Alberich – Warwick Fyfe
Fafner – Donald Thomson
Erda – Liane Keegan
Woodbird – Stacey Alleaume
Brünnhilde – Allison Oakes

(B)

Thu 11 Nov / Brisbane

Today, travel south across the Queensland border to Murwillumbah to visit the Tweed Regional Gallery. Enjoy a private guided tour of the gallery’s vibrant exhibition of established national and regional artists, including the Margaret Olley Art Centre, dedicated to Australia’s most famous painter of still life and interiors. Central to this is the re-creation of areas of Olley’s famous home studio, principally the Hat Factory and the Yellow Room.

Return to Brisbane in the late afternoon. The evening is at leisure.

(BL)

Fri 12 Nov / Brisbane

This morning enjoy a pre-performance talk before a special farewell lunch with Peter and fellow travellers.

In the afternoon return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Götterdämmerung commencing at 4pm.

CAST – GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
Siegfried – Stefan Vinke
Gunther ­– Luke Gabbedy
Alberich – Warwick Fyfe
Hagen – Daniel Sumegi
Brünnhilde – Allison Oakes
Gutrune – Maija Kovalevska
Waltraute – Deborah Humble
Woglinde – Eva Kong
Wellgunde – Jane Ede
Flosshilde – Dominica Matthews

(BL)

Sat 13 Nov / Depart Brisbane

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including any additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour.

(B)

Per person, double/twin-share

AUD 7,950

Single supplement*

AUD 1,150

Deposit per person (at time of booking)

AUD 2,500

*Single travellers may request to share.
Please advise at time of booking.

Room category upgrades available. Please enquire with us.

Payment schedule

Deposit per person (at time of booking) AUD 2,500
Final payment due 05 August 2021

Tour code

OA2109

Fitness level

Moderate
Please see Terms & Conditions for fitness level definitions.

Suggested airline

Qantas Airways
Please contact Renaissance Tours or your travel agent for current airfares and flight reservations

Tour price includes

  • Premium (Category 1) seats for all four Ring performances
  • Eight nights’ accommodation in a 5-star hotel with breakfast daily (B)
  • Lectures and talks by your tour leader, Peter Bassett
  • Entrance to a Wagner Society-convened symposium
  • Meals as per itinerary (L=Lunch, D=Dinner); wines with meals
  • Luxury transportation throughout on comfortable air-conditioned coaches
  • Comprehensive sightseeing, including entrance fees as per itinerary
  • Gratuities for local guides and drivers
  • Hotel porterage (one piece per person)

Tour price does not include

  • Domestic flights (please contact Renaissance Tours or your travel agent for assistance)
  • Airport/hotel transfers on arrival and departure
  • Airport porterage
  • Items of a personal nature, including telephone, laundry, taxis, room service, etc.
  • Travel insurance (a condition of travel; please contact Renaissance Tours or your travel agent for assistance)

 

Your hotel

Emporium Hotel South Bank *****
The luxurious 5-star Emporium Hotel, located on Brisbane’s South Bank, boasts an unrivalled location, only minutes’ walk from the banks of the Brisbane River and just steps away from some of Brisbane’s major museums, galleries and restaurants. The spacious rooms are complete with a large en-suite, with glass-enclosed marble shower and views over West End and Highgate Hill and further afield. The hotel features two restaurants as well as a roof-top terrace and piano bar.

Emporium Hotel South Bank

 

Dear fellow Ring-goers,

This new production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is hugely exciting. One hundred and forty-four years after the first complete performance at Bayreuth, there is still nothing quite like the Ring! It is, said Wagner, a ‘festival drama for three days and a preliminary evening’, and everything we associate with the word ‘festival’ applies. Spread over a week or so, it can be savoured by audiences without distraction, while ancillary events – talks, symposia, other performances and exhibitions – broaden and embellish the experience.

The work draws us into its story of ambition, lust, sacrifice, love, generosity, fear and deceit; the embrace and beauty of nature and, above all, wisdom and the promise of a better world. Audiences respond to these things, and I have witnessed the ‘Ring phenomenon’ in locations as diverse as West and East Europe, China, Southeast Asia, the Brazilian Amazon, the great cities of North America and, of course, Australia. The composer would be amazed, I think, and pleased, that the massive work around which much of his adult life revolved, was being performed in places of which he had only the vaguest knowledge in the nineteenth century. Like all great works of art, the Ring speaks of universal and timeless human experiences, and it is for this reason that productions can remain true to the drama’s inner workings even when being viewed through the eyes of different cultures and in different times.

The Ring in Brisbane in 2021 promises to resonate with the culture in which it is being performed, just as the original Bayreuth production resonated with its time and circumstances in 1876.

I look forward very much to sharing this Ring adventure with you.

Peter Bassett

Fitness Level

Moderate

?

Related Tours

  • The Brisbane Ring (Cycle I)

  • The Brisbane Ring (Cycle III)

Opera Australia's Ring Cycle 2021 © Jake Terrey

Philippe Auguin (Conductor) © Dario Acosta Photography

Chen Shi-Zheng (Director)

Photos are courtesy of Opera Australia. (Allison Oakes © Fiona MacPherson; Vitalij Kowaljow © Sussie Ahlburg)

Photos are courtesy of Opera Australia

Queensland Performing Arts Trust (QPAC) in Brisbane © Photo Tourism and Events Queensland and Darren Thomas

Interior view of the Hat Factory recreation at the Margaret Olley Art Centre © Tweed Regional Gallery

View into the Hat Factory at the Margaret Olley Art Centre © Tweed Regional Gallery

Glass House Mountains from Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Lookout, Maleny

Watkins fig (ficus watkinsiana) Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve

Emporium Hotel South Bank

Brisbane CBD and South Bank

The Brisbane Ring (Cycle II)

Be captivated by a new production of the Ring by visionary Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng as he explores Wagner’s legendary tale through a futuristic lens, using towering, moving digital panels to create an immersive virtual world.

The production will be led by veteran French Ring conductor Philippe Auguin. He leads a cast of international stars including Vitalij Kowaljow as Wotan, Allison Oakes as Brünnhilde and Stefan Vinke as Siegfried. The cast will be complemented by the Queensland Symphony’s Ring Cycle Orchestra, which will unite hundreds of musicians from across Australia.

Enjoy among the best seats in the house (Premium Reserve) for the entire cycle, enriched by private pre-performance lectures by international Wagner expert Peter Bassett as well as a symposium convened by the Richard Wagner Society to complement the Ring performances.

Benefit from a hand-crafted program of sightseeing in and around Brisbane, including a private guided tour of the Margaret Olley Art Centre in Murwillumbah and a scenic drive to the Glass House Mountains, a setting reminiscent of Siegfried’s forest.

  • Itinerary
  • Pricing
  • Hotels
  • Introduction to the Ring

Cycle II

Friday 05 November 2021 / Arrive Brisbane

Arrive in Brisbane and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements.

This evening, join Peter and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing, followed by dinner.

(D)

Sat 06 Nov / Brisbane

In the morning, enjoy a pre-performance talk by Peter, followed by a visit of the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens. The gardens feature a bamboo grove, weeping fig avenue as well as ornamental ponds.

In the early evening transfer by coach to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Das Rheingold commencing at 7pm.

CAST – DAS RHEINGOLD
Wotan – Vitalij Kowaljow
Donner – Andrew Moran
Froh – Dean Bassett
Loge – Hubert Francis
Alberich – Warwick Fyfe
Fricka – Jacqueline Dark
Freia – Mariana Hong
Erda – Liane Keegan
Mime – Andreas Conrad
Fasolt – Daniel Sumegi
Fafner – Donald Thomson

(B)

Sun 07 Nov / Brisbane

Today enjoy a scenic drive through the Glass House Mountains in the hinterland of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The pinnacles that form the mountains are in fact volcanic plugs and rise 1,800 feet above the coastal plain. The mountains were named by Captain Cook when he sighted them from his ship the HMS Endeavour.

Enjoy lunch at King Ludwig’s Bavarian Restaurant located in the town of Maleny before exploring the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. Located in the Blackall Range, the rainforest evokes the impression of Siegfried’s forest.

Return to Brisbane in the late afternoon, followed by the evening at leisure.

(BL)

Mon 08 Nov / Brisbane

This morning enjoy a pre-performance talk by Peter, followed by some time at leisure.

In the mid-afternoon, return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Die Walkűre commencing at 5pm.

CAST – DIE WALKÜRE
Siegmund – Rosario La Spina
Hunding – Donald Thomson
Wotan – Vitalij Kowaljow
Sieglinde – Anna-Louise Cole
Brünnhilde – Allison Oakes
Fricka – Jacqueline Dark

(B)

Tue 09 Nov / Brisbane

This morning attend a symposium organised in conjunction with the Richard Wagner Society of Queensland. Enjoy talks and panel discussions by leading Wagner experts.

The remainder of the day and evening is at leisure.

In the evening enjoy an optional performance of Aida at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. (Optional, extra cost applies)

(B)

Wed 10 Nov / Brisbane

This morning enjoy a pre-performance talk by Peter before some free time.

In the afternoon return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Siegfried commencing at 5pm.

CAST – SIEGFRIED
Siegfried – Stefan Vinke
Mime – Andreas Conrad
Alberich – Warwick Fyfe
Fafner – Donald Thomson
Erda – Liane Keegan
Woodbird – Stacey Alleaume
Brünnhilde – Allison Oakes

(B)

Thu 11 Nov / Brisbane

Today, travel south across the Queensland border to Murwillumbah to visit the Tweed Regional Gallery. Enjoy a private guided tour of the gallery’s vibrant exhibition of established national and regional artists, including the Margaret Olley Art Centre, dedicated to Australia’s most famous painter of still life and interiors. Central to this is the re-creation of areas of Olley’s famous home studio, principally the Hat Factory and the Yellow Room.

Return to Brisbane in the late afternoon. The evening is at leisure.

(BL)

Fri 12 Nov / Brisbane

This morning enjoy a pre-performance talk before a special farewell lunch with Peter and fellow travellers.

In the afternoon return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre for the performance of Götterdämmerung commencing at 4pm.

CAST – GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
Siegfried – Stefan Vinke
Gunther ­– Luke Gabbedy
Alberich – Warwick Fyfe
Hagen – Daniel Sumegi
Brünnhilde – Allison Oakes
Gutrune – Maija Kovalevska
Waltraute – Deborah Humble
Woglinde – Eva Kong
Wellgunde – Jane Ede
Flosshilde – Dominica Matthews

(BL)

Sat 13 Nov / Depart Brisbane

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including any additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour.

(B)

Per person, double/twin-share

AUD 7,950

Single supplement*

AUD 1,150

Deposit per person (at time of booking)

AUD 2,500

*Single travellers may request to share.
Please advise at time of booking.

Room category upgrades available. Please enquire with us.

Payment schedule

Deposit per person (at time of booking) AUD 2,500
Final payment due 05 August 2021

Tour code

OA2109

Fitness level

Moderate
Please see Terms & Conditions for fitness level definitions.

Suggested airline

Qantas Airways
Please contact Renaissance Tours or your travel agent for current airfares and flight reservations

Tour price includes

  • Premium (Category 1) seats for all four Ring performances
  • Eight nights’ accommodation in a 5-star hotel with breakfast daily (B)
  • Lectures and talks by your tour leader, Peter Bassett
  • Entrance to a Wagner Society-convened symposium
  • Meals as per itinerary (L=Lunch, D=Dinner); wines with meals
  • Luxury transportation throughout on comfortable air-conditioned coaches
  • Comprehensive sightseeing, including entrance fees as per itinerary
  • Gratuities for local guides and drivers
  • Hotel porterage (one piece per person)

Tour price does not include

  • Domestic flights (please contact Renaissance Tours or your travel agent for assistance)
  • Airport/hotel transfers on arrival and departure
  • Airport porterage
  • Items of a personal nature, including telephone, laundry, taxis, room service, etc.
  • Travel insurance (a condition of travel; please contact Renaissance Tours or your travel agent for assistance)

 

Your hotel

Emporium Hotel South Bank *****
The luxurious 5-star Emporium Hotel, located on Brisbane’s South Bank, boasts an unrivalled location, only minutes’ walk from the banks of the Brisbane River and just steps away from some of Brisbane’s major museums, galleries and restaurants. The spacious rooms are complete with a large en-suite, with glass-enclosed marble shower and views over West End and Highgate Hill and further afield. The hotel features two restaurants as well as a roof-top terrace and piano bar.

Emporium Hotel South Bank

 

Dear fellow Ring-goers,

This new production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen is hugely exciting. One hundred and forty-four years after the first complete performance at Bayreuth, there is still nothing quite like the Ring! It is, said Wagner, a ‘festival drama for three days and a preliminary evening’, and everything we associate with the word ‘festival’ applies. Spread over a week or so, it can be savoured by audiences without distraction, while ancillary events – talks, symposia, other performances and exhibitions – broaden and embellish the experience.

The work draws us into its story of ambition, lust, sacrifice, love, generosity, fear and deceit; the embrace and beauty of nature and, above all, wisdom and the promise of a better world. Audiences respond to these things, and I have witnessed the ‘Ring phenomenon’ in locations as diverse as West and East Europe, China, Southeast Asia, the Brazilian Amazon, the great cities of North America and, of course, Australia. The composer would be amazed, I think, and pleased, that the massive work around which much of his adult life revolved, was being performed in places of which he had only the vaguest knowledge in the nineteenth century. Like all great works of art, the Ring speaks of universal and timeless human experiences, and it is for this reason that productions can remain true to the drama’s inner workings even when being viewed through the eyes of different cultures and in different times.

The Ring in Brisbane in 2021 promises to resonate with the culture in which it is being performed, just as the original Bayreuth production resonated with its time and circumstances in 1876.

I look forward very much to sharing this Ring adventure with you.

Peter Bassett

Book now
Enquire
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The Brisbane Ring (Cycle II)

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        Participation in tours

        Most of our tours require a MODERATE level of fitness. However, in certain destinations, or in certain seasons, or because of the nature of travel, certain tours will require an ABOVE MODERATE or CHALLENGING level of fitness. For the overall benefit of the group, at the time of booking we will require you to declare in writing that you are fit to participate in your chosen tour according to the level of fitness required for that tour. If you (or we) have any doubts about your level of fitness, you may be required to undergo a doctor’s appraisal. This would require your doctor to read the itinerary of your chosen tour, including the fitness level, and provide you (and us) with a written confirmation of your ability to participate.
        We reserve the right to refuse admission to the tour for any reason before commencement of the tour. Further, if after the tour has begun it becomes apparent that you are unfit or unsuitable to travel on the tour, we reserve the right to require you to withdraw from the tour at the earliest opportunity to do so. No refund will be provided.
        It is also a requirement that you do not cause any significant disruption to the tour or the tour group, and we may refuse admission on the tour, or require you to withdraw from the tour at any time if your participation causes significant disruption for other guests or the tour group or there is any safety issue as a result of your ongoing participation in the tour.

        Fitness to participate

        Moderate

        Tour members must be able to:

        • negotiate airports and railway stations without wheelchair assistance
        • use combined shower/bath facilities (it is impossible to guarantee walk-in shower facilities)
        • undertake walking tours of 1-2 hours duration, including using stairs, walking over cobblestones and other uneven surfaces
        • stand for long periods in museums and other sites
        • embark / disembark coaches, trains and other methods of transportation without assistance
        • handle your own luggage

        Above Moderate

        In addition to the above, tour members must also be able to:

        • undertake walking tours of 2-3 hours
        • climb staircases of 100 or more steps

        Challenging*

        In addition to the above, tour members must also be able to:

        • handle extremes of temperature (e.g. below 0 or above 35 degrees)
        • handle extremes of altitudes (e.g. 4000 metres and above)

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        Renaissance Tours

        Level 4, 47 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000 | GPO Box 5068, Sydney NSW 2001

        1300 727 095 (Australia) | 0800 403 621 (New Zealand)
        phone +61 2 9299 5801 | fax +61 2 9299 5805 | email info@renaissancetours.com.au

        ABN 14 069 591 448.

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