Traditional music is a reflection of our time: multi-voiced, contradictory, and vibrant. Alpine Sounds explores the fascination it exerts, the associated clichés, and new ways of approaching it. What does traditional music have to do with me? How did traditional music come to symbolize Swiss identity? Which developments have shaped Swiss cultural heritage and experimental fervour? And why is there no such thing as traditional Swiss music?  

This exhibition is an experience for the body, the heart, and the mind. It has been developed in cooperation with approximately 25 traditional musicians who have drawn on their considerable experience to select topics and address relevant questions about traditional music. We will look at its history, Swissness, and popularization, become familiar with a wide range of musicians, brush up on well-known traditional songs, and play music together on the communal instrument in the display areas. The soundspace at the heart of the exhibition draws us in to a sensory world of mountain imagery, the sounds of nature, and instrumental and vocal collages. Anyone who enjoys playing music or just making sounds in general is welcome to take a turn on the stage. One thing is clear: traditional music is something else. And it’s a lot more than we imagined.