Children's scenes for child prodigies
Founded in 1936, the Braunwald Music Week took place for the 85th time this year. The motto provided the perfect setting to discuss the topic of "giftedness".
Exchange has always been important at the "Musical Holiday Course" in Braunwald. This was the name given to the music week by teacher Nelly Schmid and musicologist Antoine-Elisée Cherbuliez when it was founded in 1936 (see Thomas Meyer A feast for the ears. Article on the 75th anniversary, in: SMZ 6/2010). It is - without explicitly referring to it - the oldest music festival in Switzerland.
- Memorial stone for Nelly Schmid and Antoine-Elisée Cherbuliez in Braunwald
Motto "Children's scenes"
Schumann's piano cycle of the same name, op. 15, was played in the original by Lausanne pianist Cédric Pescia. The 13 sound images inspired Chris Wiesendanger to improvise. And they also inspired students from the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), who arranged them for numerous ensembles from the Glarus Music School. More than 80 musicians thus shaped the opening of the 85th Braunwald Music Week. It also offered encounters with up-and-coming talent from the ZHdK as part of a chamber music academy under the direction of Anna Gebert, with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Maurice Steger, the Stradivari Quartet and many other artists.
- Everything is ready for Letizia Gauck's presentation in the hall of the Märchenhotel in Braunwald
Gifted children
There was a lively exchange between the audience and speakers on the topic of "gifted children". Letizia Gauck, Head of the Center for Developmental and Personality Psychology at the University of Basel, is an expert in this field. With her presentation Development of musical talents she covered a wide range of topics: from recognizing potential and developing it to influencing factors and dealing with pressure. All aspects were later explored in greater depth in a panel discussion with the speaker. Together with Letizia Gauck, the young violinist Audrey Haenni, Daniel Knecht, Head of PreCollege Music at the ZHdK, and Peter Aebli, Rector of the Glarus Cantonal School, took part in the discussion, which was chaired by Michael Eidenbenz, Director of the Department of Music at the ZHdK and Artistic Director of the Braunwald Music Week.
There was agreement that, in addition to the private environment, the flexibility of public institutions plays a key role in the day-to-day development and promotion of individual talent. As far as research into musical talent and its development is concerned, however, we must be aware that most studies today relate to classical Western music - there are still many unanswered questions. Every child is basically a child prodigy at birth, whose prospects need to be recognized and developed, was a very general but always fascinating conclusion.
- Panel: from left Peter Aebli, Letizia Gauck, Michael Eidenbenz, Audrey Haenni, Daniel Knecht
Further information
The next Braunwald Music Week will take place from September 3 to 9, 2022.
Theme: "La voix humaine"
