Geneva's Fête de la Musique
Five Things Not to Miss at Geneva's Three-Day Music Festival
Jun 22, 2009
From big band jazz to 80s rock covers, from chamber music to electronica, and stuffed liberally in between with music from numerous other genres as well, the Fête de la Musique – a three-day musical smorgasbord celebrating the official beginning of summer – is an indulgent feast for the senses.
Jazz at Saint-Léger
Whether seated on the grassy knoll in the southeast corner of the Parc des Bastions, or perched with one leg swung over the ivy-covered wall, overlooking it all from the elevated courtyard above, the place to be to hear jazz this weekend is the stage at Bastions Saint-Léger.
The city's event planners erect a temporary staircase for the occasion, to help facilitate access between the lower level park grounds and the upper level Rue de la Croix-Rouge which leads up into the Old City; at the landing is an open-air makeshift café, complete with round tables and umbrellas, where music-lovers can enjoy a personal pizza or wedge of focaccia, and relax as the sounds of classic jazz meander through the air and into their delighted ears.
Organ Recital in St. Pierre Cathedral
Though the Saint Pierre Cathedral actually welcomes the public for a free, hour-long organ concert every Saturday evening throughout the summer months (June, July, August, and September), it is also worth making the effort to take in a performance of the spectacular Swiss-Danish collaboration Metzler organ during the Fête de la Musique. The important thing to remember is that, unlike most other types of concerts, it is not imperative to get a good seat up front. Simply listening to the richness of the sound which reverberates from concrete floor to groin-vault ceiling is all that matters. In fact, some listeners enjoy facing towards the rear of the cathedral, in order to view the organ during the performance. However the organist will, naturally, be hidden from view until the end of the program.
Street Performers at Bastions
A muscled Bohemian-looking acrobat dances ballet with a crystal ball, young DJs spin records under a canvas tent, stilt-walkers dressed like wood-nymphs parade through the streets, and jugglers don’t fail to impress with their surprising talent. Not exactly “official” entertainment in that the Tribune de Genève does not list them in their specially-printed weekend guide, the different street performers, which gather crowds all along the tree-lined central pathway in the Parc des Bastions, are worth keeping an eye out for.
Ethnic Food
Whether celebrating music, art, livestock, or a national holiday, a festival anywhere in the world is hardly a festival unless it offers special festive foods that can not be had readily at any other old place or time. This principal holds true for Geneva’s Fête de la Musique, which with over a dozen food “villages” – each with several different associations offering an assortment of food and beverages – guarantees that everyone will find something enticing. The cuisine is as varied as the population of this most international of cities, and the food stalls at the Fête offer the crowds a mindboggling array of mouth-wateringly, stomach-rumblingly tasty things to tickle your tastebuds:
Arroz con leche, baba ghanoush, baklava, brownies, burritos, butterfly shrimp, caipirinhas, chili con carne, chicken curry, chocolate fondue, cotton candy, crêpes, dal, empanadas, focaccia, fois gras, fruit and cheese plates, gazpacho, grilled sausage, guacamole, hummus, ice cream, injera, jambalaya, lamb medallions, mussels, panini, panzerotti, pizza, quiche, raclette, roast pork, saffron rice, samosas, sandwiches, sesame balls, spring rolls, tabbouleh, tapas, tarts, vegetarian platters, wine, and – if you can even dare to believe it – much more.
Ambiance in Place du Bourg du Four
Of all the pleasing plazas in all the picturesque pockets of Geneva, there is none quite so delightful and “now this is Europe”-feeling as the Place du Bourg du Four in the Old City. On a sunny day in any season, the chairs and tables at the outdoor cafés which pepper the cobbled plaza are always bustling, filled with happy people enjoying a renversé or a glass of wine.
During the Fête de la Musique, diners will experience an elevated level of ambiance, with live music – perhaps a panpipe parade one day, an accordionist another, or a Native American musician playing wistful melodies on his flute – practically guaranteed for the duration of the festival weekend.
Well-conceived and executed, the Fête de la Musique is masterfully organized and equipped on all fronts. From the amount and variety of musical acts, to the diverse and unique culinary offerings, and regarding accessibility by public transit, restroom availability, crowd control, publicity, signage, and ease of participation, the city's event coordination team achieves grand success on a large scale. For the spectator, the most difficult part of the experience will be making a decision about what to enjoy first.
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