Join me on a stirring little musical trip back to the days when Italy won its independence.
In this clip from Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, we’ll see how, in the late 19th century, composers like Giuseppe Verdi partnered with freedom-lovers as Italy struggled heroically to unite and join the family of nations.
A few years ago, I teamed up with the Cascade Symphony to create Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, an hour-long special that explores Europe’s most stirring Romantic-era anthems.
In this clip from the special, we drop in on the Czech Republic. As throughout Europe in the late 19th century, Czech nationalists and Romantics teamed up to celebrate their unique cultural heritage. Bedrich Smetana’s masterwork, “The Moldau,” is the unofficial anthem of the Czech Republic… and if you’re headed to Prague, you’re sure to hear it. Enjoy this little musical trip to Bohemia.
Dear Traveler,
Three weeks ago I issued a challenge, and got a great response. Thanks so much to the 1,567 travelers who’ve responded so far to my Christmas fundraiser for Bread for the World.
Together, you’ve contributed $215,050. And with my match, collectively, we’ve raised $430,100 to help power Bread for the World’s work in explaining to Congress the needs of our nation’s poor, homeless, and hungry people. Bread for the World has been very effective in its advocacy work encouraging our government not to balance the budget by cutting vital services to our nation’s most needy. With discussions about tax reform these days, this message is more timely than ever.
In addition to my personal matching challenge, I promised to thank those contributing $100 or more with a special Christmas gift of my European Christmas book, DVD, and CD (or my Complete Collection DVD Box Set). So far, we’ve mailed thank you packages to more than 1,500 of you.
While this equals last year’s campaign, we’re still about $35,000 short of our 2017 goal of $250,000. And there’s good news: There’s still time to join us. If you’d like to help us reach this exciting goal, donate by December 10. I’ll pop your gift into the mail within 24 hours and you’ll get it before Christmas! Learn more and make a donation at ricksteves.com/bread.
Thanks so much for making 2017 a very expensive Christmas for me. Giving like this, in partnership with caring travelers like you, makes my work even more gratifying than it already is. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all.
Rick Steves
P.S. My friends at Bread for the World are thrilled! They send their thanks and share their determination to honor your gifts by working hard and smart to transform this contribution into effective action in Washington D.C. To learn more about their impressive work, visit www.bread.org. This is the compassionate spirit of America in action this holiday season.
A few years ago, I was a musical tour guide on an hour-long TV special that celebrated the patriotic music of seven European countries. In this clip from Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, you’ll hear the music of Richard Wagner, the great German composer whose works stirred the souls of German kings and princes, nobles and peasants…and a certain Führer.
As I set up each piece, it occurred to me that I was demonstrating the work all our guides do at Rick Steves’ Europe Tours. On our tours, we not only bring our travelers to exciting culture — we do our best to give it meaning.
Just as travel broadens your perspective, so can music. A few years ago, I teamed up with Cascade Symphony to create Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey. In the hour-long special, we take a musical tour to seven different European countries.
For me, this was a fun opportunity to partner with my hometown community orchestra, right here in Edmonds, Washington. I happily huddled with its wonderful conductor and came up with a concert plan, hosted the concert (three times in order to film it thoroughly), and then let my brilliant Rick Steves’ Europe production team (producer Simon Griffith and editor Steve Cammarano) expertly cut gorgeous video clips to the music. As the musical tour guide, the challenge for me was to say more while saying less. The joy was to let the gorgeous images simply play with music from that country — rather than having my script explain everything.
Over the next week, I’ll be posting clips from the special here on my blog. Now, I’d like to share this waltz with you.