The colorful umbrella: Austria's musical heritage from the ESC 1962

The colorful umbrella: Austria's musical heritage from the ESC 1962

In a colorful look back at Austrian musical culture, we learn that the preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1962, entitled “The Colorful Umbrella”, was an important event for Austria. This was produced and broadcast live by Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), and was moderated by the charismatic Maxi Böhm and Martha Hauser. Five talented contributions, characterized by classic Viennese flair and pop elements, competed against each other and offered the audience an unforgettable musical journey.

The artists who wanted to fight for the title were not just tired sounds, but real representatives of the Viennese musical tradition. Eleonore Schwarz impressed with her waltz-like and catchy piece “Nur in der Wiener Luft”. Erni Bieler brought a humorous twist to the competition with “Everyone in Vienna is instantly in love.” Peter Heinz Kersten revived nostalgic memories of coffee culture with “The Little Café in the Praterallee”, while Cora Verena celebrated the classic chanson in waltz time with “The Songs Tell About Vienna”. Finally, Helmut Wallner brought the mystery and fascination of Viennese music culture to life with “Viennese music is like a secret”.

Jury victory and ESC success

The winner of “The Colorful Umbrella” was Eleonore Schwarz, who took first place with 52 votes. Second-placed Erni Bieler was able to win 41 votes. However, the decision was made solely by a jury, without audience influence or televoting, which is the format-technical core of this preliminary round. This approach reflects the practices of the Eurovision Song Contest at the time, when voting was based exclusively on juried assessments.

The Eurovision Song Contest 1962 itself took place on March 18, 1962 in the Grand Auditorium of Villa Louvigny in Luxembourg. With the Frenchwoman Isabelle Aubret winning with “Un premier amour”, France was crowned for the third time in five years. Austria, on the other hand, received zero points in this competition, which was not only the disappointment of a promising performance, but also became a historical footnote that several countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, also had to leave without points.

Austria's ESC history in review

Austria's journey through the Eurovision Song Contest began back in 1957, and since then the country has taken part a total of 57 times. There have been ups and downs over the years - from first place in 1966 by Udo Jürgens with "Merci, Chérie" to the sensational successes to the frustrating zero-point placements that Austria had to accept four times. In more recent history, Conchita Wurst shone in 2014 and also has a victory under her belt with “Rise Like a Phoenix”.

The preliminary decision “The Colorful Umbrella” remains an example of the musical identity of the early 1960s, and although the Austrian song did not receive any points in Luxembourg, the influence of this era and the celebration of the Viennese musical tradition lives on. The ORF is planning a national preliminary decision for 2025, which will provide a breath of fresh air and new talent after a break of ten years. It remains exciting to see which artists venture onto the stage and whether they can lead Austria to new successes.