Warsaw As a Center of Music Tourism
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4 GEOGRAPHY AND TOURISM, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2018), 33-39, Semi-Annual Journal eISSN 2449-9706, ISSN 2353-4524, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2530459 © 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, Department of Urban Geography and Spatial Planning, 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 develop- ment 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- other music-related phenomena as well as ists’ behaviors towards their interests incultural enhance their knowledge about history and heritage and their participation in broadly theory of music as well as their music skills. understood cultural life (Kowalczyk and Derek, In the most intuitive way, music tourism can 2010) is thriving today. Genuine interest in cul- be defined as any travelling for the purpose of ture is often one of the main reasons behind participating in a concert (of classical and pop tourist travel both to urban and rural areas. music) or a music-based performance. Yet, its Cultural tourism involves travel based around, scope does not end there. Besides concerts and among other things, a direct contact with local other music-related events, tourists interested culture or perception of art (Sorokowski, 2004; in music can be attracted by places related to Gaworecki, 2007; Stasiak, 2007; Kowalczyk, personalities established in the world of music 2008; Czerwiński, 2011). (e.g. former places of residence or activity, The following article examines music tour- biographical museums and burial places, etc.). ism, i.e., one of the many types of cultural tour- Additionally, music tourism might be linked ism. To date it has been of interest to mainly to some extant to educational tourism due foreign researchers, including but not limited to music courses or studies that can be, for to Bolderman (2018), Fritzgerald and Reis instance, partially completed at a foreign music (2016), while in Poland, it has been a subject school – a practice popular among musicians. of little scientific investigation within the field However, the latter aspect of music tourism, of geography of tourism (briefly mentioned, just mentioned above, will not be discussed, among others, by Kozak, 2009). as the author focuses on the cognitive-leisure Taking into account the above mentioned domain of tourism activity. literature, the author of the present paper In order to discuss music tourism in Warsaw, understands music tourism as a type of cultural the author first outlines case studies of four tourism that involves a temporary migration European hubs of music tourism located in of individuals from their usual place of resi- four countries, being by far most critical, from dence to another place, in which they directly a historical perspective, to the development of and consciously experience music events and 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 which is held annually in the summer period squares and on the walls of various buildings. (Bayreuther Festspiele) (Wagińska-Marzec, The Viennese music geniuses also had a sepa- 2007). Richard Wagner created giant-sized rate section at the Central Cemetery granted to synthetic works, integrating various art forms them, where Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and and hence his need for a specifically adapted Strauss lay to rest, side to side. A symbolic tomb stage. To this end, he built from scratch a new of Mozart was also set up. opera house (Festspielhaus). And since 1876 Music also flourished in Eastern Europe all stage works by Richard Wagner have with Moscow and St. Petersburg, the two been performed during the summer Richard largest Russian metropolis as very important Wagner Festival. Bayreuth owes its reputa- European music centers (Lissa, 1955). Almost tion as a cultural city mainly to the Richard all Russian most important composers studied Wagner Festival. It is a world scale event with there, created and presented their works to the a nearly 140-year-long tradition. By this par- general public. And these were, among others, ticular cultural value, Bayreuth is also con- Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, sidered to be a tourist destination. Each year Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei the city attracts approximately sixty thousand Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei tourists (www.bayreuth.de/turystyka/kultura) Diaghilev, a great creator of ballet art. Until now during this most important event in Bayreuth. Moscow and St. Petersburg are both considered The data from the above case studies was to be the European centers of ballet and world’s used to identify the elements of the cultural most professional dance centers (Turska, 1983). offering, land management and the city’s iden- Among most important ballet institutions are tity contributing to the development of music the Mariinsky (ex. Kirov) Theatre in St. Peters- tourism. Given the results, the author beliefs burg (famous for classical ballet) (Richmond, that the following elements affect the develop- 2005) and the Bolshoi Theatre (where the ment of a city as a center of music tourism: Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered) – − personal music tourism resources – this one of the top tourist landmarks for opera and shall be understood to refer to a situation ballet music lovers visiting Russia (www.wien.