NEW KURKAPELLE BADEN

The Neue Kurkapelle Baden is bringing its 2026 concert season to a close with a new programme with strong historical roots. Mario Manazza was the last conductor in the true sense of the word to be responsible for spa music in Baden. The cellist, who had Italian roots, was active with his eight-piece orchestra from 1959 to 1967 and is still fondly remembered by many residents of Baden. Manazza possessed an extensive archive of sheet music, from which Jonas Ehrler has compiled a concert programme.

Excerpt from the book ‘150 Years of the Kursaal Baden’ (eds. Ruth Wiederkehr & Carol Nater Cartier):

In 1959, driven by a desire for greater variety, an experiment was launched involving three rotating spa orchestras; of these, the Manazza Orchestra in particular proved highly successful and breathed fresh life into the musical offerings at the spa town of Baden. Conductor Mario Manazza (1915–1994) was originally from Turgi and a resident of Gebenstorf. His eight-piece orchestra, which included three other members of the Manazza family, consisted solely of men, as had been the case with all previous Baden spa orchestras. It had already been active for 25 years and was regarded as one of Switzerland’s leading orchestras in the field of high-quality light music, with appearances on the radio and in all the country’s major spa halls. (..) The Manazza Orchestra played every afternoon at tea time, in the evenings at dance events or as part of entertainment concerts, and, weather permitting, three times a week in the mornings as well, with colourful and varied programmes. Disagreements with the Kursaal Commission ultimately led to the end of the Manazza era in 1967 and heralded the beginning of the end. This was followed by the five-piece Barbieri Orchestra, which, however, was no longer active exclusively in Baden but also performed in Bad Ragaz on the same days. (..) After that, Baden’s spa music scene came to a standstill and has only been experiencing a renaissance since 2021 thanks to the Neue Kurkapelle Baden.

Piazza Manazza | Neue Kurkapelle Baden