will yodel for spring

February 19th, 2009

One can still hear yodelers calling from the Alps in Switzerland.  In a country with such a rich relationship to the outdoors, that’s not surprising. 

But who knew that there are three major music festivals a year in Lucerne?  The first festival took place seventy years ago, in the gardens of Richard Wagner’s villa.  Now an Easter festival, Summer festival, and Piano festival round out the year in this beloved Swiss city.

First up is the LUCERNE FESTIVAL at Easter, from March 28 to April 5.  The mix of sacred and secular music, much of it performed in churches around the city, just might lift everyone out of their winter blues.   Among the headlining events is the soaring conclusion to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and performances honoring the 200th anniversary of the death of Haydn and the 250th anniversary of the death of Handel.  A new spin on a ‘spring awakening,’ for sure.

As an added pleasure for culture-lover, several events will take place at the KKL, the Culture and Congress Center.  The KKL was designed by Jean Nouvel, an edgy architect who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2008.  The KKL has outrageous acoustics and overhangs Lake Lucerne.  The spot is so sensational that it may just inspire a little yodeling.

Come home to the Palace Luzern, just across the lake from the KKL.  Feast at their Michelin-starred restaurant Jasper and hear a little night music at the bar, where the musicians tend to hang out after-hours.  Finally, curl up in the Suite of Arts and wake up to a Swiss spring.

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