I love artists, who perform on the street. Whether classical music, song, pop, paintings, acrobats, comedians, actors, living statues. I can watch them all and enthuse about a good performance.
I admire the really good artists and feel sorry for the mediocre. I like watching and let myself by entertained and carried away. Then I’m generous, because a good performance should be rewarded and if someone succeeds in making me laugh, I also want to show my appreciation.
There are highlights, like in June at Whitsun in Ascona with the Artisti di strada, who transform the piazza into numerous open-air stages. One can laugh, wonder and take part (very often against one’s will) from morning to late in the night. The artists come from the whole world and also provide world class performances. In London in Covent Garden there is also always something to admire with a wide range of opera music through to popular comedy. In Prague on the Altstadtplatz there is also entertainment to be found.
German-speaking Switzerland is miserly with such offerings. Perhaps it’s because of the strict laws, which require an official licence for practically everything. Occasionally there are street musicians at the lakeside in Zürich, whom one can listen to, and in Berne not far from the station towards the Bundeshaus there are also occasionally musicians. One of my clients has its offices in Berne. I visited them and was having a conversation with the CFO. Below the window a fairly well played violin piece of classical music. I thought it was great and commented very positively about the artistic performance. Continue reading
