One of Switzerland’s core characteristics is its federal, subsidiarity-based state structure, which features direct citizen participation and decision-making power.
Residents of municipalities and cantons tend to have a strong commitment to their Heimat. Switzerland is a bottom-up country in all respects, including musical. The fact that tradition and innovation can coexist well in Switzerland is also well expressed here.
Not only is the number of classical festivals and concerts in all cantons impressive. The musicality also starts with the basics, folk music. And, just as manual labour, vocational training and craftsmanship are held in high esteem in this country, folk music also has its place within the national identity.
The interactive exhibition in the Forum Schweizer Geschichte shows the fascinating history of traditional Swiss folk music. The focus is on four typical elements of Swiss music culture: the melodeon (Schwyzerörgeli), the alphorn, the hammered dulcimer, and yodelling.
Folk music and songs have not always existed in the form we know them today. The exhibition shows how melodies migrate, how styles blend, and how the “myth of Swiss folk music” developed over time. Historical exhibits, sound bites, and portraits of individual musicians help to make this development process tangible.
From the traditional ländler to innovative “new Swiss folk music” – the show covers the full range of musical diversity. Apart from that, visitors can also give some of the instruments a try, test their yodelling voice, or even hit the dance floor.
Le Ranz des Vaches. Sammlung: Forum Schweizer Geschichte
