Bregenz Austria – The Cultural Capital of the World
A grand statement you may think.
But as we all know statements like this need to be quantified. I cannot think of another place that I know of that has such a high ratio of permanent arts establishments per person.
Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost federal state of Austria. The city is located on the eastern shores of Lake Constance (Bodensee), the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe at the 2014 figures has a population of 28,500 people.
They have a world famous music festival in the Bregenz Festival (Bregenzer Festspiele), a theatre, a museum of modern art, a cultural museum as well as multiple additional arts and music institutions.
On a visit here in the summer I thought it would be a perfect place to come a write a book. Sitting on the shores of the lake, it has a wonderful air of civility about it. Sitting by the harbour in one of the cafes I can imagine letting the world drift by whilst conjuring up tales, all the while being topped up by some wonderful Austrian cuisine, though with the fantastic cakes it is no surprise fitness is such a big scene here.
Read or previous feature – Bregenz, Austria: A love affair with Constance
Bregenz Festival
In 1946, one year after the end of the Second World War, the first Bregenz festival was held: the inaugural performance of Mozart’s early work Bastien et Bastienne was staged upon two barges moored on Lake Constance, one carrying the stage structures, the other the orchestra. For many the existence of such a grand opera for such a small town seemed a little eccentric. In 1950 the festival acquired its first home with the floating stage highlighting the lake as an integral part of the production. Buildings grew over the years and audiences followed with over 300,000 seeing Verdi’s Nabucco in the summer of 1993 and in 1998 a young people’s program cross culture was added.
The Seebühne (or floating stage), with 7,000 seats, is the location for large-scale opera or musical performances on a stage over water on the shores of Lake Constance.
Since December 2003, David Pountney has been the artistic director of the festival, leaving at the end of 2014. Over April and May 2008, scenes for the 22nd James Bond film Quantum of Solace were filmed on the Seebühne during a performance of Tosca and in June 2008 the German broadcasting corporation ZDF hosted its 2008 European Football Championship live broadcast studio on the floating stage.
The variety is diverse from the hugely successful Westside Story, to Benjamin Britten in 2007 to The Magic Flute in 2014, which I saw. There are tours backstage, seeing how the creative lake technology works as well as daytime opera tutorials and an array of other activities ALL THINGS MUSICAL.
I arrived early and ate dinner at The Restaurant Buhne, watching everyone arrive and the buzz starting to build. The performance was sold out and I could tell that there was a real pride in both the audience and the staff and crew. Chatting to some young attendants I could see in their faces how they felt and a real belonging which was lovely to see. I speak only a smattering of German and though a music lover am not an Opera expert but I found it very moving and highly impressive. With such an array of fantastic music and vocal strengths one has to pinch oneself a little just to remember there are 7000 people watching with the whole of Lake Constance in the background.
Kunsthaus: www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at The Voralberg State Gallery for Contemporary Art
The art museum stands in the light of the lake. Made of glass, steel and concrete the building is just as much and exhibit as the art itself. From the outside the building looks like a stamp, according to its architect Peter Zumthor and in July 1997 was opened to the public. The façade consists of etched glass shingles which both acts aesthetically, insulates and optimises the light. Diversity is key with 2014’s exhibitors ranging from Cameroon born Pascale Marthine Tayou to American photographer and painter Richard Prince, whom I saw with his take on American everyday culture and 2014 ends with Canadian artist Jeff Wall who’s influence comes from classical street photography and film noir (18 October 2014 to 11 January 2015)
www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at
Museum in the Martinsturm
Bregenz’s landmark, located within the old town walls, has a baroque onion dome and houses a small but beautiful museum which includes beautiful cultural photos from the area and of the Bregenz Festival opening in 1946.
www.martinsturmbregenz.at
Vorarlberg museum in Bregenz
After a thorough facelift, the Vorarlberg museum re-opened in the summer of 2013. The building, which integrates historically-protected parts won the Best Architects 14 label in gold. Apart from the eye-catching facade with 16,656 concrete flowers – actually nothing but the imprints of commercial PET bottles – visitors will stand aghast in the jaw-dropping 4th floor room, where they can marvel at the ever changing scenery of Lake Constance beneath them through floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows.
The museum houses a permanent art collection and stages changing exhibitions on different themes. The exhibition on “Romans, Alemanni, Christians – The Early Middle Ages at Lake Constance“ at the turn of the year will illustrate the early history of settlement and economic development in Vorarlberg (6 December to 19 April 2015). / www.vorarlbergmuseum.at
Do not miss out on the fantastic Rolls Royce Museum or if you have a love for classical music the wonder that is the Schubertiade, the world’s largest Schubert festival, in the picture-book village of Schwarzenberg in the Bregenzerwald.
Living in London I am spoilt for culture both historical and contemporary but can say quite honestly I was very impressed, and even more so when I think how small the population is, but they have been brave I feel and should continue to be so in not always going for the easy option. I liked some things more than others which is only natural but the standard and variety of cultural pursuits in the area is diverse.
The area is known for its architecture, museums, textiles, wellbeing and fitness so you can understand why it is known for a very high standard of living.
Read or previous feature – Bregenz, Austria: A love affair with Constance
And you cannot forget the skiing with world famous resorts nearby. I will leave this with you for the moment…
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