Warsaw As a Center of Music Tourism

4 GEOGRAPHY AND TOURISM, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2018), 33-39, Semi-Annual Journal eISSN 2449-9706, ISSN 2353-4524, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2143443 © Copyright by Kazimierz Wielki University Press, 2018. All Rights Reserved. http://geography.and.tourism.ukw.edu.pl Bartosz Barański Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies University of Warsaw, The Institute of Socio-Economic Geography and Spatial Management, e-mail: [email protected] Warsaw as a center of music tourism Abstract: The article describes music tourism, i.e. a subset of cultural tourism. The aim of the present paper is to present the elements of Warsaw’s cultural offering, land management and identity, which underlie the potential for the development of music tourism in the capital city of Poland. The author assumed that Warsaw’s music tourism resources make Poland’s capital city a center of music tourism. The aim set forth the author accomplished through fieldwork observation and in-depth interviews with the Promotion Office of the Cultural Department of the Municipality of Warsaw. Keywords: music tourism, Warsaw, music tourism resources 1. Introduction Cultural tourism understood as a set of tour- music events and other music-related phe- ists’ behaviors towards their interests incultural nomena as well as enhance their knowledge heritage and their participation in broadly about history and theory of music as well as understood cultural life (Kowalczyk and Derek, their music skills. In the most intuitive way, 2010) is thriving today. Genuine interest in cul- music tourism can be defined as any travelling ture is often one of the main reasons behind for the purpose of participating in a concert tourist travel both to urban and rural areas. (of classical and pop music) or a music-based Cultural tourism involves travel based around, performance. Yet, its scope does not end among other things, a direct contact with local there. Besides concerts and other music-re- culture or perception of art (Sorokowski, 2004; lated events, tourists interested in music can Gaworecki, 2007; Stasiak, 2007; Kowalczyk, be attracted by places related to personalities 2008; Czerwiński, 2011). established in the world of music (e.g. former The following article examines music tour- places of residence or activity, biographical ism, i.e., one of the many types of cultural tour- museums and burial places, etc.). Addition- ism. To date it has been of interest to mainly ally, music tourism might be linked to some foreign researchers, including but not limited extant to educational tourism due to music to Bolderman (2018), Fritzgerald and Reis courses or studies that can be, for instance, (2016), while in Poland, it has been a subject partially completed at a foreign music school of little scientific investigation within the field – a practice popular among musicians. How- of geography of tourism (briefly mentioned, ever, the latter aspect of music tourism, just among others, by Kozak, 2009). mentioned above, will not be discussed, as Taking into account the above mentioned the author focuses on the cognitive-leisure literature, the author of the present paper domain of tourism activity. understands music tourism as a type of In order to discuss music tourism in Warsaw, cultural tourism that involves a temporary the author first outlines case studies of four migration of individuals from their usual European hubs of music tourism located in place of residence to another place, in which four countries, being by far most critical, from they directly and consciously experience a historical perspective, to the development of 34 Bartosz Barański classical music. They are discussed with regard of Warsaw’s tourism resources which prove to three pillars of classical music: that Warsaw is an important cultural center of − symphonic music – Vienna, Austria, Europe. Literature analysis and fieldwork obser- − ballet – Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, vation (conducted mainly within Śródmieście − opera – Bayreuth, Germany. and its close vicinity) were supplemented with On the basis of travel guide books and web- in-depth interviews with the Promotion Office site-based content regarding cultural offering of the Cultural Department of the Municipality of the selected centers, the author analyzed the of Warsaw. Małgorzata Naimska, the vice-di- elements of the cultural offering, land manage- rector of the Department and a person working ment as well as the cities’ identities facilitating at the Promotion Office1 were interviewed in the development of music tourism in the afore- the study. Both the fieldwork observation and mentioned cities. The last part of the paper the interviews were conducted in June, 2014. presents in the same manner the inventory 2. Case studies – Vienna, St. Petersburg and Moscow, Bayreth Vienna is commonly considered to be the play their New Year’s Day Concerts, which is European capital of music and a city of grand broadcast every year and is considered to be one musical geniuses as it was chosen for a home by of the most important cultural events in Vienna many of most outstanding personalities form (so crucial in the context of music tourism). the world of music in the history of mankind Other major music institutions in Vienna (Rognoni, 1978; Wechsberg, 1978; Jusserand, (although less related to symphonic classical 1998; Lisowska and Lisowski, 2004). Among music) are, inter alia, Wiener Staatsoper (one of them are first and foremost the three Vienna the greatest opera houses worldwide, ranking Classics (Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus first internationally by the number of perfor- Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven), leading mances) (www.wien.info.com/pl), Volksoper Romantic composers (e.g. Franz Schubert), (with musicals, and dance performances and Neoclassics (e.g. Johannes Brahms), Neoro- operettas) and Theater an der Wien (mainly mantics (e.g. Gustav Mahler and Anton Bruck- a musical theatre). Life music rings out also ner), and the several generations of the Strauss in the famous Viennese Concert Cafés, with family composers and also the representatives live piano music of Waltz by Johan Strauss, of the so called 20th century new Vienna school jazz pieces or songs by Schubert most often (Arnold Schönberg, Anton Webern and Alban accompanying a visit to a coffee house. The Berg). All the above mentioned artists contrib- most famous sites of that type include, among uted most of all to a substantial development other places, Café Schwarzenberg (founded in of symphonic music in this city. Although, it is 1860) or Konzertcafé Schmid Hansl. Besides obviously not the only type of classical music in in Vienna, there are many museums related the present or future repertoire of the Vienna to music, for instance Haus der Musik, the music institutions. Museum of Historical Musical Instruments, Wiener Musikverein and Konzerthaus Haydn Museum, Schubert Museum, Strauss remain the main home for the symphonic Museum, Figarohaus and several former Bee- music developing in Vienna. Wiener Musikv- thoven’s apartments. And on top of this, annual erein, the Vienna Philharmonic, houses one of open air symphonic music concerts performed the most renowned concert halls in the world, in the Schönbrum Palace park since 2004 com- where most outstanding classical music works plement the Viennese musical repertoire. are performed. It is the Goldener Saal of the Furthermore, busts, monuments, bas-reliefs Musikverein where the Vienna Philharmonic of the composers can be found, for instance 1 In accordance with the procedure only senior employees have the authority to speak on behalf of the Office in interviews and reveal their personal data. Warsaw as a center of music tourism 35 in parks, green squares, public venues, public annually in the summer period (Bayreuther squares and on the walls of various buildings. Festspiele) (Wagińska-Marzec, 2007). Richard The Viennese music geniuses also had a sepa- Wagner created giant-sized synthetic works, rate section at the Central Cemetery granted to integrating various art forms and hence his them, where Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and need for a specifically adapted stage. To this Strauss lay to rest, side to side. A symbolic tomb end, he built from scratch a new opera house of Mozart was also set up. (Festspielhaus). And since 1876 all stage works Music also flourished in Eastern Europe by Richard Wagner have been performed during with Moscow and St. Petersburg, the two the summer Richard Wagner Festival. Bayreuth largest Russian metropolis as very important owes its reputation as a cultural city mainly to European music centers (Lissa, 1955). Almost the Richard Wagner Festival. It is a world scale all Russian most important composers studied event with a nearly 140-year-long tradition. By there, created and presented their works to the this particular cultural value, Bayreuth is also general public. And these were, among others, considered to be a tourist destination. Each year Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the city attracts approximately sixty thousand Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei tourists (www.bayreuth.de/turystyka/kultura) Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei during this most important event in Bayreuth. Diaghilev, a great creator of ballet art. Until now The data from the above case studies was Moscow and St. Petersburg are both considered used to identify the elements of the cultural to be the European centers of ballet and world’s offering, land management and the city’s iden- most professional dance centers (Turska, 1983). tity contributing to the development of music Among most important ballet institutions are tourism. Given the results, the author beliefs the Mariinsky (ex. Kirov) Theatre in St. Peters- that the following elements affect the develop- burg (famous for classical ballet) (Richmond, ment of a city as a center of music tourism: 2005) and the Bolshoi Theatre (where the − personal music tourism resources – this Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered) – shall be understood to refer to a situation one of the top tourist landmarks for opera and in which prominent personalities from the ballet music lovers visiting Russia (www.wien.

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