Tonhalle Zürich: How a painstaking renovation is helping reveal an orchestra's 'singing sound'

Haydn peruses a score, watched by Gluck. To their left, Bach and Mozart appear to have reached a hiatus in conversation – the younger composer stares over the balcony. Perhaps Bach is perturbed that Mozart, like Beethoven, has been gifted a laurel wreath, while he remains empty handed. The blue skies of the ‘composers’ heaven’ stretch high above the Tonhalle stage (pictured below). Painted by Karl Peyfuss, they have watched over Zurich’s musicians and audiences since the Swiss venue opened in 1895, with the inaugural concert conducted by Brahms. Now, after painstaking restoration and renovation, the historic forefathers look down on a hall that is a pristine version of its 19th-century self – with the benefit of some cutting-edge 21st-century adaptations.

©Frederic Meyer

Architectural taste, like all art and design, is in flux. As a highly subjective discipline, the boldest projects are rightly scrutinised. You might see brilliance in the brutalist Barbican Centre or find happiness in Iceland’s glassy Harpa. But adaptations of existing buildings are even more complex. The Tonhalle’s original brick pavilion and terrace looked out on to Zurich’s lake. Then, in 1937, it was decided that the surrounding area should be carved up to make space for a conference centre. Many crimes against architecture can be attributed to 1980s property development – my own flat in a converted, now asbestos-ridden, convent is a case in point. While British builders were slipping in fake ceilings and PVC glazing wherever they could, changes on a much larger scale took place at the Tonhalle. A 1985 project expanded capacity at the conference centre, bricking up the lake-side view in the process.

In 2012, renewed discussions began to take place about righting this architectural wrong. As the UK engaged in a rather different referendum in 2016, the citizens of Zurich participated in a vote about developing the Tonhalle and Congress buildings. Almost 75 per cent voted in favour of the changes and the project was financed with 90 per cent private donations, with the city of Zurich in charge of the renovation process. 'Building began in September 2017 and we reopened in 2021,' says Ilona Schmiel, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich's executive and artistic director, adding, 'We lost eight months due to Corona.' As building projects go, the delay was not substantial, given the circumstances. And the ensemble continued to perform during that period, working from the neighbouring Maag Music Hall, a modular space with 1,224 seats.

Having admired distant snow-capped mountains and the changing light across the lake, concert attendees’ attention might be drawn to the intriguing textured wall in the lobby. The original sgraffito has been uncovered and reinstated. It’s one of many original elements to be celebrated: the red marble platform that the composers look down from is echoed in the pink marble pillars surrounding the real-life balcony. I’m pondering how heavy they must be and working out how they were brought on site (former years on a fork-lift truck magazine have never left me), as Ursula Sarnthein, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich’s viola player – and, today, my tour guide – reveals they are wooden. ‘Two tonnes of grey paint were removed from the interior,’ she says.

The Hall's interior reflects the Karl Peyfuss fresco adorning the ceiling ©Georg Aerni

Visually, it is specular, but what about the sound? The new parquet floors facilitate the distribution of lower sound frequencies and there's a bespoke Kuhn-built organ. 'The sound was already very fine even before the renovation,' says Paavo Järvi, chief conductor of the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich since 2019. 'I always thought the acoustic was beautiful. Now, the warmth is even more evident; to me, that warm glow is a game changer.' The resonance could certainly be felt during a recent performance of Mahler's Fifth, where Järvi coaxed detailed and vibrant colours from the ensemble. (Sat at the back of the hall in the balcony, the brass and timpani rumbled with astonishing power. 'One has to be careful with bigger orchestra set-ups and very intensive parts in the score,' agrees Schmiel.) Large symphonic works like these were difficult to perform in the previous iteration of the hall, where the stage was significantly smaller. Now, with leaf-like stage extensions, the platform can be changed to accommodate the appropriate number of musicians.

'It has made things much more comfortable,' says Sarnthein, as we take in the exquisite gold detailing around us. That's not the only area that's had a positive impact on the practicalities of making music. Backstage, the ensemble now has a proper space to rehearse, store instruments, and – as we discover in one room – sleep. Such essential elements were difficult in the previous area that – unimaginably – shared a wall with a nightclub, Adagio (Shouldn’t it have been Presto? Or Allegro at least.)

'The area serves the orchestra better,' agrees Järvi, 'that's very important for the comfort of every-day life – a lot of activities are held backstage. It definitely has a very positive effect on the orchestra and makes everything less crammed.' In addition to the building's modernisation, the ensemble's sound has been slowly developing, supported by Järvi, who also serves as artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Estonian Festival Orchestra. The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich was formed in 1868, before the hall was built. It's the oldest orchestra in Switzerland, established after the success of the Swiss Music festival in 1867, when the country saw the benefit of a permanent professional orchestra. The Tonhalle Society Zürich was set up with this objective in mind; the group continues to support the ensemble today.

Chief conductor of the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich Paavo Järvi takes a bow with oboist Cristina Gómez Godoy ©Alberto Venzago

'The orchestra is in very, very fine shape right now,' says Järvi, 'They always had a beautiful sound, but I find that they are even warmer and richer now, especially the strings. This process is always very gradual, so it is not something that one can notice overnight, but if you listened to the orchestra, let's say three or four years ago, I believe there is now a more singing sound.'

Audiences and management seem to agree: both Järvi and Schmiel have had their contracts extended for a further five years until 2029. 'We see huge potential for further development,' says Schmiel, who is keen to make the most of the refreshed facilities to welcome new audiences. There is an interest in extending the repertoire to represent Nordic composers and encourage contemporary music, as well as working across genres (Bryce Dessner is the current creative chair, curating activity between galleries/museums and the Tonhalle.) But, in essence, the aims of the Swiss ensemble are universal. 'Our motto,' says Schmiel, 'is to be an orchestra and a concert hall with access for everyone.'