Switzerland has long had a distinct cultural identity, despite its diversity of German, French and other ethnicities. Religious and folk music dominated the country until the 17th century, with growth in production of other kinds of music occurring slowly. The first music conservatory in the country was founded in Geneva in 1835. Composers like Hans George Naegeli and festivals like the Fête des Vignerons helped establish a classical music tradition, and the Swiss Musicians Association was founded in 1900. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ...

The early part of the 20th century saw Ernest Ansermet's Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, which was the focal point for musical innovation in Switzerland. Other musicians included Ernest Bloch, Arthur Honegger and Rolf Lieberman. Prominent contemporary composers of Switzerland include Klaus Huber and Heinz Holliger (who is also an oboe virtuoso). (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Ernest Alexandre Ansermet (November 11, 1883 – February 20, 1969) was a Swiss conductor. ... The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Orchestra of French-speaking Switzerland, OSR) was founded in 1918 by Ernest Ansermet. ... Ernest Bloch with children This article is about the composer. ... Arthur Honegger in 1921. ... Klaus Huber (born November 30, 1924 in Bern, Switzerland) is a Swiss composer. ... Heinz Holliger (born May 21, 1939) is a Swiss oboist and composer. ... The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. ...

Folk music

Due to a lack of detailed records, little is known about Swiss folk music prior to the 19th century. Some 16th century lute tablatures have been reconstructed into authentic instrumental arrangements, however, the first major source of information comes from 19th century collections of folk songs, and work done by musicologist Hanny Christen. One of the oldest varieties of Swiss song is Kühreihen, an agricultural Alpine song in the Lydian mode. Traditional instruments included hammered dulcimer, fife, hurdy-gurdy, rebec, bagpipe, cittern and shawm. Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including: Traditional music: The original meaning of the term folk music was synonymous with the term Traditional music, also often including World Music and Roots music; the term Traditional music was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... A medieval era lute. ... Example of numeric vihuela tablature from the book Orphenica Lyra by Miguel de Fuenllana (1554). ... Musicology is reasoned discourse concerning music (Greek: μουσικη = music and λογος = word or reason). In other words: the whole body of systematized knowledge about music which results from the application of a scientific method of investigation or research, or of philosophical speculation and rational systematization to the facts, the processes and the... Due to historical confusion, Lydian mode can refer to two very different musical modes or diatonic scales. ... A diatonic hammered dulcimer made by Masterworks The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. ... Fife from the American Civil War A fife is a small, high-pitched, transverse flute that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore. ... This article is about the musical instrument. ... The rebec in Virgin among Virgins (1509), by Gerard David. ... A bagpipe performer in Amsterdam. ... A woodcut of a Cittern The cittern is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance, having evolved considerably since that time. ... The shawm was a Renaissance musical instrument of the woodwind family, made in Europe from the late 13th century until the 17th century. ...

At the beginning of the 19th century, Swiss folk music was largely performed by ensembles made of itinerant musicians and solo acts using an instrument, with only a few duos. In the 1830s, however, the Swiss military was reorganized, leading to the formation of brass bands that used modern instruments. These instruments, mostly brass or wind, were built much better than those played by itinerants, and musicians brought them back to their villages. Local players joined these ensembles, which played dance music for festivals and other celebrations. Dance styles included schottisch, mazurka, waltz and polka. // Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Evolutionary theorist Charles Darwins expedition on the HMS Beagle. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A brass band a musical group consisting mostly or entirely of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ... The Schottische is a partnered country dance, Bohemian in origin, that is two short runs and a hop followed by four turning hop steps: step step step hop, step step step hop, step hop step hop step hop step hop. ... The mazurka (Polish: mazurek, named after Polands Masuria district[1]) is a Polish folk dance in triple metre with a lively tempo, containing a heavy accent on the third or second beat. ... A waltz (German: , Italian: , French: , Spanish: , Catalan: ) is a ballroom and folk dance in   time, done primarily in closed position. ... Street musicians in Prague playing a polka Polka is a type of dance, and also a genre of dance music. ...

In 1829, the accordion was invented in Vienna, and it had spread to Switzerland by 1836. The accordion was popular because it was relatively easy to play and cheap to acquire, and took only one musician to play the melody and accompaniment. By the 1850s, the accordion was an integral part of Swiss folk music, and semi-professional ensembles were appearing to play at large social dances. Alongside the brass bands came string instruments like violins and a double bass; string bands soon began to displace the older brass bands. The accordion, however, did not make an appearance in these dance bands until about 1903, and it eventually replaced the two violins which had become standard. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the instrument as a whole. ... “Wien” redirects here. ... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... // Production of steel revolutionized by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Railroads begin to supplant canals in the United States as a primary means of transporting goods. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

Following World War I, Switzerland became more heavily urbanized, and music moved to cities like Zürich. Rural folk music became the most popular style for middle-class audiences, and musicians like Joseph Stocker became renowned across the country. Stocker knew his audience liked the exotic appeal of rural music, and so he bought traditional costumes from Unterwalden for his band. This was the beginning of laendlermusic. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... Unterwalden is the old name for what is now two cantons in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne. ...

In the urban areas of Switzerland, folk music began to mix with new styles, like jazz and the foxtrot, while the saxophone replaced the clarinet. Beginning in the 1930s, the Swiss government began to encourage a national identity distinct from Germany and other neighbors. Laendlermusic became associated with this identity, and grew even more popular. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article is about the dance. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... Face The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ...

Following World War 2, however, laendlermusik quickly grew less popular with the influx of imported styles. The field also grew less diverse, with more standardized band formats and only four or five dances in the repertoire. By the 1960s, trios consisting of two accordions and a double bass were the most common format, and many Swiss people felt it was a civic duty to preserve this tradition and guard it against change. They have largely succeeded in preventing change, but the field has grown much less popular and stagnant. There are still popular performers, such as Res Schmid, Willi Valotti, Markus Flueckiger, Dani Haeusler and Carlo Brunner, but the total fanbase has shrunk enormously. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Appenzell

The rural Appenzell region is a major center of folk music. While other parts of Switzerland adopted the accordion (Langnauerli and Schwyzerörgeli) in the 19th century, Appenzell kept the violin and hammered dulcimer. Appenzell Quartetts were popular throughout Switzerland playing string quartets adding Austrian influences to popular acclaim. More recently, the band Appenzeller Space Schöttl has added psychedelic and other avant-garde influences to the music. Appenzell (or Appenzellerland) is a region in the northeast of Switzerland, entirely surrounded by the Canton of St. ...

Pop and rock

1960s

Later in the 20th century, in the 1960s, rock and roll, or beat music, was popular, peaking in 1968 with the release of Les Sauterelles' "Heavenly Club". Rock began its Swiss popularity beginning in 1957, when the Hula Hawaiians incorporated rockabilly, setting the stage for the early 1960s boom. The Francophone section of Switzerland soon found itself dominated by French stars like Johnny Hallyday, and soon Swiss artists like Les Aiglons, Larry Greco and Les Faux-Frères became major artists. Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music to emerge during the 1950s. ... Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday (born June 15, 1943 in Paris, France) is a French singer and actor. ... Les Aiglons were a 1970s Guadeloupan cadence band. ...

1964 saw Beatles-inspired pop take hold on the continent, displacing the earlier instrumental rock and inspired musical battles in Basel, the capital of Swiss rock. Swiss bands in the same mold included The 16 Strings and Pichi, and German-speaking acts soon dominated the field. Zürich then became a center of innovation, drawing on Chris Lange's blues-roots explorations, Heiner Hepp's Bob Dylan-inspired folk and Toni Vescoli's pop fame. Other Swiss artists of the period included R&B act The Nightbirds from Locarno, light rock stars The Wild Gentlemen and pop band Marco Zappa & the Teenagers. In 1967, artists like Mani Matter, Franz Hohler, Sergius Golowin, and Kurt Marti began establishing Swiss-German dialect rock, glorifying their distinct national identities. 1973 saw the first commercial release of dialect rock with Rumpelstilz's "Warehuus Blues"; the band broke into the mainstream in 1976 with the release of the reggae-influenced chart-topper Füüf Narre im Charre. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Basel (British English traditionally: Basle and more recently Basel , German: , French: , Italian: ) is Switzerlands third most populous city (166,563 inhabitants (2004); 690,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area stretching across the immediate cantonal and national boundaries made Basel Switzerlands second-largest urban area as of 2003). ... Binomial name Zaedyus pichiy Pichi or Dwarf Armadillo is a small armadillo that is the only member the genus Zaedyus. ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... Chris Lange (born September 15, 1982) is a New Zealand local rally driver. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician, and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Mani Matter (1936–1972, officially Hans-Peter Matter) was a popular Swiss songwriter. ... Franz Hohler (Hohler means more hollow) was born in 1943. ... Sergius Golowin (* January 31, 1930 in Prague, Czech Republic; † Juli 17 2006 in Berne, Switzerland) was a Berne writer, myths researcher, and publicist. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Dialect rock - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

By 1968, Swiss rock was dying, and artists were exploring sonic innovations. Basel's Barry Window, for example, used soul and Indian music to make raga rock, while The Sauterelles explored psychedelia. For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Timeline and Samples Genres Classical (Carnatic and Hindustani) - Rock - Pop - Hip hop Awards Bollywood Music Awards - Punjabi Music Awards Charts Festivals Sangeet Natak Akademi – Thyagaraja Aradhana – Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Media Sruti, The Music Magazine National anthem Jana Gana Mana, also national song Vande Mataram Music of the states Andaman and... Raga rock is a generic term used to describe rock and roll records with heavy South Asian influence, either in construction or use of instrumentation, such as sitar and tabla. ... Psychedelia is a term describing a category of music, visual art, fashion, and culture that is associated originally with the high 1960s, hippies, and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, California. ...

1970s

Progressive music formed by the 1970s, when jazz, blues and other genres were combined with socially aware lyrics, outlandish solos and macho posturing. The first band of the progressive rock boom was supergroup Flame Dream, Krokodil, and The Shiver and Brainticket soon followed. Sinus Studio in Bern, and engineers Eric Merz and Peter McTaggart, became the center of innovation by the mid-1970s, however. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For other uses, see Supergroup (disambiguation). ... This 1930 poster reads: . Krokodil (i. ... Brainticket is a pioneering Krautrock / Psychedelic Rock group formed by Belgian born keyboard player Joel Vandroogenbroeck. ... Location within Switzerland The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Bernese German Bärn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel). ...

Later in the decade, hard rock became popular and Toad soon established a Swiss scene with the debut single, "Stay!", setting the stage for the 1980 explosion of Flame Dream (band)Krokus, the most popular rock band in Swiss history. By this time, punk rock, New Wave and pub rock had become popular, while The Swiss Horns, Red Devil Band and Circus from Basel continued to expand musical boundaries. A Swiss band, Celtic Frost, soon became a leading heavy metal band and have inspired much of European 90s metal. Hard rock is a variation of rock and roll music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Krokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... New Wave is a term that has been used to describe many developments in music, but is most commonly associated with a movement in Western popular music in the late 1970s and early 1980s inspired by the punk rock movement. ... Revival of the Pub Rock Scene made popular by Dire Straits and Elvis Costello. ... Celtic Frost is a highly influential extreme metal band from Zürich, Switzerland, best known for their influence on the thrash, black, doom and death metal genres. ... Heavy metal (sometimes referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

1980s

Swiss punk is best represented by pioneers like Kleenex, Dieter Meier, The Nasal Boys, Troppo, Mother's Ruin, TNT, Dogbodys and Sperma, who were inspired by American underground heroes like the New York Dolls and British celebrities like the Sex Pistols. Zürich was Switzerland's capital of punk rock, which soon expanded across the country. Other areas with a punk scene included Bern' Glueams and Lucerne's Crazy and Lucerne's progressive rock Flame Dream. Pioneers Le Beau Lac de Bâle established a Francophone New Wave-influenced punk rock scene based out of Geneva, and bands like the Bastards, Yodler Killers, The Tickets, The Zero Heroes, Technycolor arose. This article is about the Kleenex band. ... Dieter Meier (born March 4, 1945 in Zürich) is a Swiss vocalist and lyricist. ... Below is a list of terms used in musical terminology which are likely to occur on printed or sheet music. ... For other uses, see Sperm (disambiguation). ... The New York Dolls are a rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... The Sex Pistols were an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... Another view across Lake Lucerne. ... A bastard is an illegitimate child. ...

Later in the 80s, Swiss punk bands began drifting in New Wave and techno, where Vera Kaa soon became the biggest Swiss star. 1983 saw Ex-Trem Normal release "Warum" and "Welcome to Switzerland", which revolutionized Bernese rock by adding distinctive dialect trends. They were followed by Züri West and other bands. More internationally known is The Young Gods. Formed in 1985 by vocalist and sampler Franz Treichler, the group used digital sampling (see sampler (musical instrument)) to create an intense amalgamation of classical and rock music with the help of original members Cesare Pizzi (sampler) and Frank Bagnoud (percussion). The sound of the Young Gods gradually evolved from abrasive industrial music to atmospheric electronica. Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Züri West is one of Switzerlands most well-known rock bands. ... The Young Gods is a Swiss band of Industrial music. ... An AKAI MPC2000 sampler Playing a Yamaha SU10 Sampler A sampler is an electronic music instrument closely related to a synthesizer. ...

Since the 1980s Swiss jazz has formed more and more. Notable exponents of the Swiss jazz scene are saxophonist Fritz Renold or trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti. Stephan Eicher is a popular folk rock musician, rising to prominence in the mid 1980s and gaining a popular following across Europe in the 1990s. Saxophonist, composer, bandleader, teacher and festival director Fritz Renold maintains his home base in Aarau, Switzerland, took a decade off from the road to firm up his production company, compose 400,000 compositions and arrangements, spend time with his wife Helen of 78 years raising their three children Lydia (14... Franco Ambrosetti (born December 10, 1941) is a Swiss jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer born in Lugano, Switzerland, perhaps most noteworthy for his many albums released on the jazz recording label Enja Records. ... Stephan Eicher (Born 17 August 1960 in Münchenbuchsee near Berne, Switzerland ) is Swiss singer. ...

1990s

In the 1990s, many rappers and DJ's started to enrich Switzerland's musical heritage. Black Tiger from Basel was the first one to rap in a Swiss German dialect. Sens Unik from Renens (a suburb of Lausanne) are one of the most important rap groups, merging hip hop with influences from many other styles. Even their first EP included a track in Spanish, due to MC Carlos's Spanish and Galego heritage. Electronica is also part of the Swiss musical experience, Yello's first album came out in 1979, in the 1980s, Touch El Arab scored a hit in several European countries with the song "Muhammar". Producer Pat Jabbar from Basel established his own record company Barraka el Farnatshi in the late eighties; dedicated to music from the Arabic world (especially Morocco) mixed with dance music from the west. Black Tiger, born Urs Baur, is the first rapper to rap in a Swiss German dialect, namely Basel German. ... Sens Unik is probably the most famous rap group from Switzerland. ... Yellos newly created Logo Yello is a popular Swiss electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. ... Touch El Arab was a pop/electronica group from Basel, Switzerland, formed by members Philippe Alioth, Christoph Müller and Stefan Hopmann. ... Pat Jabbar is a producer, musician and founder of the record label Barraka el Farnatshi. ...

One of the most popular Swiss singer and performance artists is DJ Bobo, born René Baumann. DJ BOBO René Baumann (born January 5, 1968) better known as DJ BoBo, is a successful Swiss Eurodance musician. ...

Emerging in the early 90's, the band Gotthard evolved to become the leading Swiss rock group and one of the most acclaimed bands in Europe. With a total of 8 studio albums, 2 compilation albums and 2 live albums (one of which unplugged), they changed their style from hard rock to adult contemporary rock. They are presently very popular in Switzerland, but also in Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil.

References

• Wagner, Christopher. "The Alpunk Phenomenon". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 7-12. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0
• M.P. Baumann, Die Älplerfeste zu Unspunnen und die Anfänge der Volksmusikforschung in der Schweiz, in: Schweizer Töne, ed. A. Gerhard, A. Landau, 2000, pp. 155-186.
• M. P. Baumann: Volkslied in German, French or Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
• http://culture.all-about-switzerland.info/swiss-music.html

The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland is an encyclopedia on the history of Switzerland that aims to take into account the results of modern historical research in a manner accessible to a broader audience. ...

See also