by Gert Fischer | Aug, 2025 | EN, famous people from Bonn, history, Music, tradition
Nowadays, Beethoven festivals are almost routine. They take place annually. There is stable funding (we will draw a veil over the years 1993 to 1998), early planning by the artistic director and a firm foothold in the city’s society. At the first Beethoven Festival in 1845, everything was very different.
The occasion for the celebrations was not only the 75th birthday of the master, who died in 1827, but above all the inauguration of the Beethoven monument by the Dresden sculptor Ernst Hähnel on Münsterplatz. It all stemmed from what we would today call a ‘civic initiative’. At its helm was August Wilhelm Schlegel, one of the greats of the German scholarly world. His successor was a less fortunate choice. Heinrich Carl Breidenstein, the university’s ‘music director’, was a proven expert but had a difficult character. He was always controversial in Bonn society and was also openly hostile due to his enthusiasm for modern music (apart from Beethoven, he admired Liszt and Berlioz). He was simply not up to the task of organising a music festival with hundreds of guests in a small town without infrastructure or experience (Bonn had less than 20,000 inhabitants at the time). The matter was further complicated by the fact that King Frederick William IV and his guest Queen Victoria intended to attend. The support of Franz Liszt, which had already been needed to finance the monument, was a double-edged sword. Liszt’s connections were helpful, but his exuberant self-confidence was not. He polarised opinions and virtually invited criticism.
When Liszt arrived in Bonn a few weeks before the festival, at which he was to conduct alongside court conductor of Kurhessen Spohr, he immediately made his mark. He flatly rejected Breidenstein’s idea of using the Hussars’ riding arena in front of the northern city wall as a concert hall – according to a contemporary source, a ‘stinking hut’. The result was perhaps the greatest miracle in Bonn’s architectural history, which is otherwise not particularly rich in miracles: in less than two weeks, a consortium of Bonn carpenters, with the support of Cologne cathedral master builder Zwirner, erected a wooden festival hall in the ‘Raess’schen Gärten’. Today, we know this area as the car park in the Viktoriakarrée. With a height of around 7 metres, the building measured approximately 62 × 23 metres. However, it is difficult for us today to understand how contemporaries calculated that this space of just over 1,400 square metres could accommodate up to 3,000 visitors plus an orchestra and choir. The Bayernzelt at Pützchens Markt needs more than 2,000 square metres for such large numbers. In any case, the concerts are said to have been attended by around 2,000 people each. Incidentally, the hall was sold for demolition a few weeks after the end of the festival. The wish of the correspondent of the Leipziger illustrirte Zeitung thus remained unfulfilled. At the end of September, he had wished the hall a long life as a music venue and not as a ‘fool’s hall’. This is somewhat reminiscent of the current discussions about the use of today’s Beethoven Hall.
It was thanks in no small part to Liszt that hundreds of guests from out of town had gathered in Bonn on the eve of the celebrations. In addition to Beethoven enthusiasts including many Englishmen and a large group of Frenchmen led by Hector Berlioz, Liszt’s personal fan club also attended (mainly ladies who were almost hysterically devoted to him). Among them was the ‘it girl’ of her generation, the dancer and scandalous Lola Montez. How close she was to the maestro during those days was obvious.
The festival got off to a good start. The opening concert on the evening of August 10th, conducted by Louis Spohr, featured the Ninth and the Missa Solemnis. Even the critical critics were satisfied – although Spohr admitted that he had not known the Missa at all and had had to learn it in a crash course shortly before the concert. The next day was a day of rest, so to speak. The programme was limited to christening a ‘steamboat’ named Ludwig van Beethoven and taking it on a day trip to Nonnenwerth. On this and many other occasions, the people of Bonn held out their hands. The out-of-town guests found this unusual, and even local Gottfried Kinkel complained about the rampant commercialism and excessive merchandising.
The main reason for the festival, the unveiling of the monument on 12 August, was no longer under a lucky star. After a high mass in the cathedral, during which Berlioz had to climb over a barrier to reach his seat, the crowd gathered tightly packed on the cathedral square. It took an hour and a half before Their Highnesses, coming from Brühl, appeared on the balcony of the Fürstenberg Palace, today’s post office. The festive song composed by Breidenstein and ‘sang by a male choir’ was blown away by the wind, as was his speech, which was delivered too quietly. The unveiling itself, however, was not the ‘scandal’ that many later generations would have us believe. Queen Victoria merely noted in her diary that it was unfortunate that the statue could only be seen from the back. It was not she, but King Frederick William IV who expressed his surprise, audible only to his immediate neighbours. Alexander von Humboldt, standing next to him, made the matter the most famous anecdote in Bonn’s city history with his reply: ‘Your Majesty, please bear in mind that Beethoven was also a rough fellow during his lifetime.’
The final day was the 13th and indeed an unlucky day. The grand morning ‘artists’ concert’ began an hour late, even though the king had asked for it to start without him and his guests. The egomaniac Liszt nevertheless delayed the start because he did not want to conduct his own cantata without royal accompaniment. This was untenable, but as luck would have it, the distinguished guests arrived just as the piece ended. So the maestro started from the beginning. The rest of the audience was not amused. After a few more items on the programme, the princes had to leave for Cologne to visit the cathedral. They were once again among themselves and had two more hours of music to endure. When it was time for lunch, most of the audience left the hall (‘Too much torment!’). The concert lasted until half past one.
The low point in the evening was reached at the banquet in the ‘Hotel zum goldenen Stern’ on the market square. Despite many toasts, Liszt did not acknowledge the French delegation. This led to turmoil and the ladies present fled. Only Lola Montez remained and danced on the table. Liszt had to lock her in her hotel room, where she promptly smashed the furniture.
Today’s Beethoven festivals are more civilised. The only reminder of 1845 is the iconic monument on Münsterplatz. And perhaps that’s just as well.
by Ursula Dillenburger-Brendt | Jun, 2025 | EN, Events, Music, tradition
On August 28th, the time has come: The Beethovenfest 2025 will open under the patronage of Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of NRW, followed by over 100 events in and around Bonn until September 27th. During this time, the city of Bonn will be dedicated to its greatest son, Ludwig van Beethoven, and his music. The festival looks back on a long and rich history. It first took place in 1845 on the occasion of the ceremonial inauguration of the Beethoven monument on Bonn’s Münsterplatz. Composer Franz Liszt played a key role in its realisation, both as a financier and as artistic director of the entire celebration. He promptly devised a multi-day festival and, as conductor, designed the musical events in a concert hall specially built in 11 days. It was the beginning of a festival tradition that continues to this day. Initially held only on important Beethoven anniversaries, pianist Elly Ney established a regular schedule for the festival in the 1930s. Since the construction of the new Beethoven Hall in 1959, it has taken place every two to three years, and since 1999, every autumn for four weeks. The people of Bonn support the festival with two associations, the “Freundeskreis Beethovenfest Bonn e.V.” and the “Bürger für Beethoven“, and with their regular attendance.
The festival has always seen itself as a bridge between tradition and innovation, treating Beethoven’s works not as a museum opus, but as a source of inspiration for musical exploration. Beethoven’s pieces are performed, reinterpreted and juxtaposed with contemporary music. Furthermore, commissions encourage a modern, direct engagement.
This year’s festival motto “Alles ultra”, loosely adapted from J.W. von Goethe, is fitting. The slogan stands for the pursuit of new things, creative innovation, and the pushing of boundaries. While Goethe denounced the excesses of his contemporaries as a problematic development resulting in disorientation and mediocrity with “Everything but… is now ultra! Everything transcends unstoppably, in thought as well as in action” in 1825, in Bonn 2025, “Everything ultra” is reinterpreted and understood not only as an interpretation of world events but above all as an expression of Beethoven’s nature and his musical genius. For it was precisely the nonconformist Beethoven who often took uncharted paths and actively and innovatively approached the future. Appropriately, artistic director Steven Walter is promising “around 100 events to celebrate our colourful, vibrant, and, despite all the social concerns, also full of opportunities. A festival is dedicated to human diversity, the positively crazy, and the humanistic “ultras” – entirely in the spirit of Beethoven” and promises: “The Beethovenfest Bonn 2025 will be loud, it will be surprising, it will be chic, it will be moving – and certainly ultra!” – Well then!
If you look through the Beethovenfest program, you will indeed discover a lively potpourri of concert forms. As expected, there are the major symphony concerts at the Opera House by famous orchestras playing works by Beethoven (2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Symphonies as well as the Violin Concerto – after all, it is still the Beethovenfest), but also symphonic works by Mozart, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and others. Also notable are the many chamber concerts taking place at a wide variety of venues: Classical chamber music, with piano and string ensembles, is primarily represented in the Chamber Music Hall of the Beethovenhaus. At the other venues performances are mixed according to the motto “Anything but classical” where unusual, new and even improvised interplay between various instruments creates unusual yet fascinating sound experiences. For example, the Kreuzkirche offers cross-genre soundscapes, a walk-in musical theatre and relaxed after-work concerts. The “Pantheon,” “Harmonie,” and “Haus der Springmaus” cabaret theatres offer a colourful mix of performances, and percussion concerts are popular at the Dransdorf tram station.
The Beethovenfest Bonn has always been distinguished by its international appeal and high artistic quality. The program serves as a platform for encounters and artistic exchange between renowned musicians and up-and-coming young talents. As part of the Fellowship Program and the Beethoven Talents program, young musicians are given the opportunity to make the leap to the stage with exclusive master classes, coaching, and concerts. Bonn pianist Fabian Müller, now a star of the Bonn music scene, has already taken this path. He will be represented at the Beethovenfest with five concerts. He will conduct his own orchestra with Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 and, over four evenings, he will complete his project to play all 32 Beethoven sonatas, spread across two festivals. He will precede each Beethoven work with his own musical preface. Listening to him is a pleasure, and attending one of his concerts is highly recommended.
“Alles Ultra” from August 28 to September 27, 2025, in Bonn? The Beethovenfest, with its blend of traditional and innovative, will offer us a sizzling mix where everyone is sure to find something for themselves and can even be tempted to try something new. I’m looking forward to it!
by Helga Stark | Jun, 2025 | EN, Events, Music
Most people think of Beethoven and classical music when they think of Bonn, but Bonn also has a lot to offer in terms of other genres of music.
Back in the 60s and 70s, Bonn was a hotspot for music, and even Queen, who were still unknown at the time, performed at the Club Underground. Other bands also made this music club famous. Even though the Underground had to close after only three years and other so-called beat clubs also did not survive, the spirit of that time can still be felt in the city today.
Bonn has numerous pubs where live bands perform (e.g. Kater 26, Session, Namenlos, Mausefalle 33 1/3… and many more). Every Thursday, Session hosts a jam session with local blues musicians that is definitely not to be missed! Music performances are also becoming increasingly common on small stages such as the Rheinbühne and the Pantheon.
A special highlight in Bonn-Endenich is the Harmonie. This music hall-style venue hosts live performances by artists of various genres from September to May. If you’re interested, take a look here. Even WDR Rockpalast still records concerts in this great hall, where photos on the walls show which music greats have played here.
The outdoor music season generally starts at the beginning of May with ‘Rhein in Flammen’ (Rhine in Flames) where several stages ensure that everyone from hard rockers to lovers of Cologne music get their money’s worth. And it’s free and outdoors, like so much else in Bonn.
The concerts in the beer garden of the Parkrestaurant Rheinaue are also an integral part of the Bonn summer, with cover bands performing almost daily from mid-July to the end of August and Latin music on Sundays. More information is available here.
The Bonn City Garden offers a wide variety of musical events in August.
In August, the younger generation can look forward to the two-day Green Juice Festival with indie, pop, rock and a colourful supporting programme.
At Jeck im Sunnesching you can see people in carnival costumes parading through Bonn in the middle of summer!
The big names in music can be found at Kunstrasen. From BAP (sold out) to Lynnard Skynnard and Deichkind, there are some high-quality concerts.
In Bad Godesberg, don’t miss ‘Musik im Park’ and Musik unter der Zeder.
In Beuel, established musicians and up-and-coming artists perform at ‘Musik auf der Treppe’.
Bonn has music in every corner and city council even has a representative for rock and pop! This list is certainly not exhaustive and is influenced by the author’s age and musical taste 🙂 So, music lovers will get their money’s worth in Bonn, and why not combine a concert with a Greet?
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