In the 18th and 19th centuries, the salons were a societal meeting place for merchants, intellectuals, artists, et cetera, which provided the opportunity during the summer holidays in the Salzkammergut region to dedicate oneself to the subjects of the day in bourgeoisie private spaces. In the salons, the woman, the salonnière, had an especially political role: the salons were the only platform available to women to actively participate in shaping political, intellectual and artistic life. The private framework also allowed free exchanges and encounters between different classes.
This cultural richness was directly repressed by the wars: salons in the sense of a larger literary, artistic or political circles become more seldom and nearly completely disappeared following the Second World War.
In the concerts, compositions by composters most of whom have been forgotten or who were driven away will be performed. The search for “forgotten notes” and the reconstruction of fates is always an adventure with an open outcome. These evenings are to be experienced as homages.
