The Music Festival as Pedagogical Experience

Music festivals exploded in size and number across Central Europe in the decade after 1945. Many hundreds of thousands of people took part through both professional and amateur choirs and other musical ensembles, while millions more encountered party-approved music by attending concerts. Cultural officials made significant and ongoing attempts to include amateur groups in these festivals and also to bring in audience members from all population groups. Musicians and conductors appreciated the festivals, as they heightened audience interest and attracted attention to ensemble activities. For contemporary composers, the festivals provided very welcome and indeed essential opportunities to have their works