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REDISCOVERING CHOPIN WITH CYRILL IBRAHIM
Paris and Mallorca
INTERPRETING ‘THE POET OF THE PIANO’
Embark on an immersive journey exploring the works, the life and the legacy of the master of Romantic music, Frédéric Chopin. Follow his rise to international fame in Paris, where he spent almost half of his life, to Mallorca, where Cyrill Ibrahim performs a carefully curated selection of Chopin’s music in a breathtaking setting.
Discover more about Chopin’s life in the French capital during the turbulent years of the July Monarchy, accompanied by acclaimed historians and musicologists who open doors to archives and collections rarely accessible to the public. Experience a renewed admiration for the fine art of piano making and uncover Chopin’s romance with the novelist Lucile Aurore Dupin, best known by her pen name, George Sand, who wrote that Chopin “made a single instrument speak a language of infinity.” What influence did Sand have on Chopin’s creative development? Follow the couple to their winter home in Mallorca and gain a fresh appreciation for the man and his music in the company of one of his most thrilling contemporary proponents, Cyrill Ibrahim.
"CHOPIN’S WORKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO ME AND WITH THIS JOURNEY WE ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF THE MAN HIMSELF" – CYRILL IBRAHIM
THE JOURNEY
Price from £11,565 per person for three nights, based on two people sharing.
INCLUSIONS
Private visit to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France to see Chopin's manuscripts with an expert
Private guided tour of Musée de la Vie Romantique with a local guide/expert
Private tour of a piano showroom and restorer
Private guided tour of monastery of Valldemossa
Private piano recital by Cyrill Ibrahim in Mallorca, followed by dinner
One night's accommodation at Hotel St James, Paris
Two nights' accommodation at Son Net, Mallorca
Flights from Paris to Mallorca
Transportation as described in the itinerary, including airport transfers in Paris and Mallorca
EXCLUSIONS
All food and beverage unless specified
Flight to Paris and flight from Mallorca
DISCOVERING CHOPIN’S PARIS
An illuminating introduction to the life and music of Frédéric Chopin begins in Paris, staying at a palatial hotel on one of the city’s most exclusive central avenues. Pause for lunch at Le Procope, an historic café favoured by Chopin and the artists and writers who epitomised the vitality of 1830s Paris. How far was Chopin’s music influenced by this creative community?
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A MUSICAL GENIUS
A respected Chopin expert unlocks the doors to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, presenting an exceptional opportunity to examine a selection of the master’s hand-written scores and correspondence, specially chosen by Cyrill. Do these manuscripts offer a fresh insight into Chopin’s creative process? Delve further into the passions and dreams that inspired Chopin, tracing his footsteps through his Parisian apartments, while in Pigalle, learn more about his bohemian lover, George Sand, at the Musée de la Vie Romantique, once an atelier-salon where Chopin performed for regular artistic gatherings.
INVESTIGATING THE CRAFT OF THE PIANO MAKER
Paris, during the years of Chopin’s residency, became a major centre of piano manufacture. A visit to one of the city’s venerable piano showrooms, led by an expert piano restorer, offers a rare chance to inspect some of the models played by Chopin and learn about his preference for particular instruments. Does Cyrill favour certain pianos for his performances? The following day, pay a visit to Chopin’s grave in Père Lachaise Cemetery, before continuing the exploration of his remarkable life in Mallorca, where home for the next two nights is an elegant modern villa.
AN ENCHANTING PIANO RECITAL
An eminent historian enlightens a visit to the former monastery of Valldemossa, home to Chopin and George Sand in the winter of 1838-1839 and where he completed several of his preludes on the upright Pleyel piano, brought here from Paris. Is this unhappy period in Chopin’s life reflected in his compositions? This evening, join Cyrill in the atmospheric setting of a candlelit church for a truly magical recital of his favourite Chopin works, including the dramatic Polonaise Op.53. Following the performance, an intimate dinner with Cyrill offers an invaluable opportunity to learn more about his passion for classical music.
EXPERT
CYRILL IBRAHIM
Join renowned concert pianist Cyrill Ibrahim on this immersive journey exploring the life and legacy of Frédéric Chopin.
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