TheEurovision Song Contest 1956, originally titled theGran premio Eurovisione 1956 della canzone europea[1] (English:Grand Prix of the Eurovision song competition 1956;[2]French:Grand prix Eurovision 1956 de la chanson européenne[3]), was the first edition of theEurovision Song Contest, held on 24 May 1956 at theTeatro Kursaal inLugano, Switzerland, and presented byLohengrin Filipello. It was organised by theEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcasterRadio svizzera italiana (RSI) on behalf of theSwiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR). It is the only time that the contest has been hosted by a solo male presenter.
Inspired principally by the ItalianSanremo Music Festival, held annually since 1951, the concept of a televised European song contest, initially proposed by Italian broadcasterRadiotelevisione italiana (RAI), was formulated by an EBU committee led by Swiss broadcaster and executiveMarcel Bezençon. Following approval at the EBU's General Assembly in 1955, the rules and structure of the contest were agreed upon. Several of the rules utilised in this first contest would subsequently be altered for future editions, and it remains the only edition in which each country was represented by two songs, with a voting process which was held in secret and where juries could vote for the entries from their own country.
Broadcasters from seven countries participated in the inaugural edition of the contest, and the first winner was the host countrySwitzerland, with the song "Refrain" performed byLys Assia. The result was determined by an assembled jury composed of two jurors from each country, with each juror giving each song a score between one and ten. Only the winning country and song were announced at the conclusion of the event, with the results of the remaining participants unknown. Even though it was broadcast on television via theEurovision network and radio in ten countries, no video footage of the event is known to exist, with the only video available being of thereprise performance from an independent archiver; the majority of the broadcast is, however, available in audio.
TheEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU) was formed in 1950 among 23 organisations with the aim of facilitating creative cooperation and the exchange of television programmes.[4][5] The word "Eurovision" was first used as a telecommunications term in the United Kingdom in 1951, in reference to a programme by theBritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) being relayed by Dutch television, and was subsequently used as the title for the union's newtransmission network upon its creation in 1954.[6][7] Following the formation of the EBU, a number of notable events were transmitted through its networks in several European countries, including Belgium, France, West Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A series of international exchange programmes were subsequently organised for 1954, with this "European Television Season" relayed live across Europe through the Eurovision network.[4][6][8]
Following this series of transmissions, a "Programme Committee" was set up within the EBU to investigate new initiatives for cooperation between broadcasters each year, withMarcel Bezençon of theSwiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) serving as the committee's first president. This committee agreed to study the concept for a new televised European song contest during a meeting in January 1955, a concept initially proposed by the Italian broadcasterRadiotelevisione italiana (RAI) and inspired by its both theSanremo Music Festival, held annually since 1951,[6][9] and the Venice International Song Festival held in 1955 on the radio.[10] The new European contest was subsequently approved at the EBU's annual General Assembly in October 1955, leading to the creation of theEuropean Grand Prix.[6][11][12]
The first Eurovision Song Contest took place inLugano, Switzerland,[3][11] following an offer by the SRG SSR to stage the event at the EBU's General Assembly in October 1955.[4][12] In addition, Switzerland was a logical choice from a technical perspective for the hosting of what was a live, simultaneous, cross-border transmission, as its geographically central location in Europe facilitated terrestrial broadcasts across the continent, as well as being the location of the EBU's headquarters.[4][10] The selected venue for the contest was theTeatro Kursaal, acasino and former theatre situated onLake Lugano.[3][13] It had a capacity of 700 seats.[14] 400 seats in thestalls were reserved for invited guests whereas tickets for the balcony were on sale from 17 May 1956 forCHF 20.[14][15][16] The theatre, used for theatrical and musical performances,ballroom dance and other shows, closed shortly after featuring its last performance in April 1997 before being demolished in 2001 to make room for the extension of the casino.[17][18]
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Eurovision Song Contest 1956 – Participation summaries by country
Broadcasters from seven countries participated in this first contest – Belgium,France,Italy,Luxembourg, theNetherlands,Switzerland andWest Germany (identified simply as "Germany" in the contest). Those fromAustria andDenmark are believed to have also been interested in participating; however, they reportedly missed the cut-off point for entry.[3][19] These two, as well as the BBC in theUnited Kingdom, would broadcast the contest along with those in the participating countries, with the BBC having chosen to not send an entry for this event in favour of organising its own contest, theFestival of British Popular Songs.[4][12][20]
Two of the performers, Switzerland'sLys Assia and Luxembourg'sMichèle Arnaud, performed both entries for their respective countries.[21] Assia, as well as the Netherlands'Corry Brokken and Belgium'sFud Leclerc, would return to compete in the contest in future editions, with Assia returningin 1957 and1958, Brokken also returningin 1957 and1958, and Leclerc returningin 1958,1960, and1962.[22][23][24]
Marcel Bezençon(pictured in 1980) was instrumental in the creation of the contest as president of the EBU's Programme Committee.
A planning sub-group, headed by Eduard Hass of SRG SSR, was formed following the sign-off on the organisation of the event to build out therules of the competition. Taking inspiration from the Sanremo Music Festival and the Venice International Song Festival as a basis in planning the new contest, the group made several amendments and additions to these rules to suit its international nature.[4][13][10] Ideas suggested but ultimately rejected during this planning phase included featuring each song a second time with a piano accompaniment instead of orchestral backing, as well as technical initiatives such as a separate producer from each participating broadcaster involved in the contest's organisation. Prize money for the winners was also ruled out at this stage.[4][12] The rules of the contest were finalised and distributed to EBU members in early 1956. The rules set out in detail the criteria for the participating songs and performers; production details and requirements; timelines for the submission of materials by the participating broadcasters; the method by which the winning song would be determined; details related to the financing of the event; and the responsibilities which lay with the host broadcaster and the participating broadcasters.[31][32]
The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest was produced by the Italian-language radio broadcasterRadio svizzera italiana (RSI), in cooperation with the television service of SRG SSR, which brought atelevision production truck fromZurich to Lugano.[e][34][35]Franco Marazzi served as director of the event on behalf of RSI, withRolf Liebermann overseeing the production and the jury deliberations on behalf of the EBU as its executive supervisor and jury president.[3][36][37]
Each participating broadcaster submitted into the contest a maximum of two songs not exceeding three to three-and-a-half minutes in duration, which must have been solely original compositions.[4][32] They had sole discretion on how to select their entries for the contest but were strongly encouraged by the EBU to hold their own national contests to determine their representatives.[32] Each song was accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra, with members of the Radiosa Orchestra supplemented by strings of the Italian Swiss Radio Symphony Orchestra, presided over by the contest's musical director,Fernando Paggi; the contest's musical director was also available toconduct the performances of the participating entries if a separate conductor was not otherwise appointed by that country.[4][32]
Broadcasters were required to submit to the EBU by 10 May 1956scores for their participating songs for use by the orchestra, audio recordings of each song, and copies of the songs lyrics in the original language, as well as translations into French or English to aid the jury members and commentators.[4][12][32] The confirmed selection of each country's musical director (if separate to that of the host) was required to be communicated between 21 and 24 May.[32] According to the rules, the order in which the countries and songs were performed was to be determined artistically by the host broadcaster, with input and support by the musical directors from each country.[4][32] However, a draw determining the order of countries seems to have taken place inGardone a few days prior to the contest.[f][28][39] Rehearsals in the contest venue with the competing artists and the orchestra began on 21 May 1956.[4]
Following the performance of all songs, the winner was determined by an assembled jury composed of two individuals from each country, with each individual member rating secretly each song between one and ten, including those representing their own country, with higher scores given to more appreciated songs.[32] The jury followed the contest in thebridge room in the same venue in Lugano through a small television screen, replicating the conditions as close as possible to how viewers at home would watch the contest.[40][32] The winning song was thus that which gained the highest score from the votes cast by all jury members.[4][32] In the event of a tie between two or more entries all songs with the highest score would have been declared winners.[32]
In news reports at the time, according to one Dutch juror, the jury members were removed from the jury room once they had cast their votes and were therefore unable to follow the tabulation of the final results.[41] The jury members from Luxembourg were unable to attend the contest in Lugano, and subsequently the EBU allowed two Swiss nationals to vote in their place.[3][42] This would remain the only contest in which many of these rules would be utilised, and several changes were made ahead of the 1957 contest. These included restricting each country to only one song, expanding the number of performers allowed to participate for each country, introducing a more visible voting system, and restricting each country from voting for their own entry.[43]
Switzerland'sLys Assia(pictured in 1957) was the first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, and would represent her country in the contest again in1957 and1958.
The contest was held on 24 May 1956, beginning at 21:00 (CET) with an approximate duration of 1 hour 40 minutes.[3][4] The event was hosted in Italian byLohengrin Filipello.[3] This remains the only time in which the contest was hosted by a solo male presenter, and one of only two contests not to feature a female presenter, alongside the2017 contest held 61 years later.[12][44] Additionally this would remain the only contest to feature a male presenter for 22 years, until the1978 contest featured a male and female presenting duo.[45]
During theinterval between the final competing act and the announcement of the winner, performances byLes Joyeux Rossignols andLes Trois Ménestrels [fr] were featured to entertain the audience, with the latter performing "Guerre de Troie" and "Ma mie, ma caravelle" along with other works.[46][39][47][48] Upon the announcement of the results, the winning artist returned to the stage for areprise performance of the winning song to end the broadcast.[32][26]
The winning song was "Refrain", composed byGéo Voumard, written byÉmile Gardaz, performed byLys Assia and representing the host countrySwitzerland.[49] During the reprise performance of the winning song, Assia became emotional and suffered a lapse in memory of the song's lyrics, subsequently requesting a restart by the orchestra.[26] After the show, a reception for the participating delegations was held in the upper hall ofTeatro Kursaal on behalf of the host city Lugano, the canton ofTicino, and SRG SSR.[50][51][52]
The full results of the contest were not revealed, with only the winning song named at the end of the show by the jury presidentRolf Liebermann; the full breakdown of the scores of each juror has not been retained by the EBU, and is presumed lost.[3][28] Attempts to reconstruct the voting through interviews with jury members have also failed to reveal a reliable result.[3] An article in Italian newspaperLa Stampa published on 25 May 1956, the day after the contest, reported that Switzerland's winning entry received a score of 102 in total, while in a post-contest interview withStelio Molo [de], the director-general of SRG SSR, published in the Italian magazineSettimana Radio TV in the weeks following the contest, the gap between the first- and second-placed songs was revealed by Molo to be two points, and that the remaining entries also finished close to the winner.[53][54] These claims have not been corroborated by the contest's organisers in the years since.[3]
Winner
Results of the Eurovision Song Contest 1956[21][26]
Broadcasters competing in the event were required to relay the contest via its networks; non-participating EBU member broadcasters were also able to relay the contest.[32] In addition to the television channels of the seven participating broadcasters and three non-participating passive broadcasters, the contest was also broadcast live on seven radio networks and recorded for later transmission by another 13.[4][13] The United Kingdom's BBC took only partial live transmission of the event, joining 45 minutes into the contest and only showing the second set of entries from each country.[2][4] Due to a technical fault, the transmission of images was interrupted duringMathé Altéry's performance for about three minutes on German, Danish, and French television.[19][55][56][57]
No video footage of the whole contest is known to exist, with the only known footage being clips of the reprise performance of the winning song vianewsreel and other recordings. As such, this is one of only two editions of the contest, along with the1964 contest, to not have video recordings of the full event retained.[58] Audio of most of the contest has, however, survived, with only the majority of the contest's interval acts currently lost. Attempts to find audiovisual materials related to the contest have yielded some results in recent years, including a large cache of photographs and some video footage taken by Swiss photographer Vincenzo Vicari from inside the venue.[59][60][61]
Broadcasters were able to send commentators to provide coverage of the contest in their own native language and to relay information about the artists and songs to their television viewers. Known details on the broadcasts in each country, including the specific broadcasting stations and commentators, are shown in the tables below.
Broadcasters and commentators in participating countries
^On behalf of the German public broadcasting consortiumARD[27]
^abCredited as "Das Lied vom großen Glück"[28][29]
^Dolf van der Linden, who was originally selected to lead the orchestra for the Dutch entries, was unable to attend the contest and was replaced by the host musical director Paggi.[30]
^In 1956, SRG SSR had a single television service, which was the only one operating in the country. This service was directly managed by the corporation with a provisional license, and had two production centers, one in Zurich for German-speaking Switzerland and one in Geneva for French-speaking Switzerland.[33]
^A meeting of EBU's working group GTV/2 (Eurovision) took place from 21 to 25 May in Gardone.[38]
^Delayed broadcast on 30 June 1956 at 20:15 (CET)[68]
^Delayed broadcast on 18 June 1956 at 23:00 (CET)[71]
^Delayed broadcast on 24 June 1956 at 21:30 (WAT)[83]
^"Singing out loud and proud".Bristol Evening Post.Bristol, United Kingdom. 17 May 2005.In the mid-1950s, the members of the European Broadcasting Union set up an ad hoc committee to investigate ways of rallying the countries of Europe round a light entertainment programme. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was formed on 12 February 1950 by 23 broadcasting organisations from Europe and the Mediterranean at a conference in Devon, United Kingdom. It was on 6 June 1954, that Montreux became the venue for the first transmission by the EBU's Eurovision Network of the Narcissus Festival and its flower-bedecked procession floats. At Monaco, in late January 1955, this committee, chaired by Marcel Bezençon, director general of Swiss Television, came up with the idea of creating a song contest, inspired by the very popular San Remo Festival. The idea was approved by the EBU General Assembly in Rome on 19 October 1955, and it was decided that the first "Eurovision Grand Prix" – so baptised, incidentally, by a British journalist – would take place in spring 1956 at Lugano, Switzerland.
^"Cronaca cittadina: Gran Premio eurovisione 1956 della canzone europea" [City news: 1956 Eurovision Song Grand Prix].Corriere del Ticino (in Italian).Lugano, Switzerland. 16 May 1956. p. 2.ISSN1660-9646.OCLC1284212173.
^Dubin, Vuletic & Obregón 2022, Carniel, Jessica. "High, Low and Participatory: The Eurovision Song Contest and Cultural Studies".
^ab"Radio og Fjernsyn: Velkommen Eurovision" [Radio and TV: Welcome, Eurovision].Berlingske Tidende (in Danish). 25 May 1956. p. 6.OCLC1367883859.Udsendelsen [...] bød paa international Sangkonkurrence med Deltagelse af Eurovisionens Lande med Undtagelse af Danmark, Storbritannien og Østrig, som havde meldt sig for sent. [The show [...] offered an international song contest with the participation of the countries of Eurovision, with the exception of Denmark, Great Britain and Austria, which had registered too late.]
^abcGrand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne 1956 [Eurovision Grand Prix of European Song 1956] (Television programme) (in French and Italian).Lugano, Switzerland:Radio svizzera italiana (RSI). 24 May 1956.
^"Wir sahen und hörten" [We saw and heard].Fernseh-Informationen (in German). No. 14/1956.Munich, West Germany. 1956. p. 311.ISSN0015-0134.OCLC643533986.
^"Nouvelles internationales : Calendrier des conférences et réunions internationales intéressant à quelque titre la radiodiffusion" [International News: Calendar of international conferences and meetings of any interest to broadcasting].Bulletin de l'U.E.R. (in French).7 (36).Geneva, Switzerland:European Broadcasting Union (EBU): 211. March–April 1956.
^"Alla canzone svizzera 'Refrain' il 'Gran Premio Eurovisione 1956'" [The Grand Prix Eurovision 1956 to the Swiss song 'Refrain'].Corriere del Ticino (in Italian).Lugano, Switzerland. 26 May 1956. p. 2.ISSN1660-9646.OCLC1284212173.[...] ma durante quel venti minuti che i giurati hanno dedicato alla fase conclusiva della loro deliberazioni nella sala del bridge il brioso duo del 'Rossignols' e i tre argutissimi menestrelli si sono prodotti [...] [[...] but during those twenty minutes which the jurors dedicated to the final phase of their deliberations in the Bridge room the lively duo 'Rossignols' and the three very witty menestrels performed [...]]
^Fasolis, Ugo (26 May 1956)."Il premio Eurovisione 1956" [The Eurovision prize of 1956].Libera Stampa (in Italian).Lugano, Switzerland. p. 7. Retrieved11 November 2023.
^"Grand Prix Eurovision 1956 de la Chanson européenne" [Eurovision Grand Prix 1956 for European Song].Bulletin de l'U.E.R. (in French).7 (36).Geneva, Switzerland:European Broadcasting Union (EBU): 323. March–April 1956.ISSN0770-7487.OCLC473721192.
^"Grand Prix Eurovision 1956 de la Chanson européenne" [Eurovision Grand Prix 1956 for European Song].Bulletin de l'U.E.R. (in French).7 (38).Geneva, Switzerland:European Broadcasting Union (EBU): 641. July–August 1956.ISSN0770-7487.OCLC473721192.
^"Il premio Eurovisione 1956 per la canzone europea a Lugano: ha vinto il Refrain di marca elvetica" [The 1956 Eurovision prize for European song in Lugano: the Refrain of the Helvetic brand won].Settimana Radio TV (in Italian). No. 23. 3–9 June 1956.
^Becker, Rolf (26 May 1956). "Im Fernsehen: Solche und solche Gesichter" [On television: All kinds of faces].Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (in German).Cologne, West Germany. p. 36.OCLC724431472.
^"Binnen- en buitenlandse televisie programma's van 20 tot 26 mei 1956" [Domestic and foreign television programmes from 20 to 26 May 1956].De radio- en televisieweek (in Dutch). Vol. 12, no. 21.Brussels, Belgium:Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio-omroep [nl] (NIR). 20–26 May 1956. p. 19.OCLC1399842623.
^"München".Bild+Funk (in German). No. 26/1956. 24 June 1956. p. 46.OCLC643528928.
^"Bremen".Hör zu!, Norddeutsche Ausgabe (in German). No. 21/1956.Hamburg, West Germany. 20 May 1956. p. 47.OCLC724053084.
^ab"Rund ums Programm".Funk und Familie (in German). No. 25/1956.Hamburg, West Germany. 17 June 1956. pp. 4, 20 (supplement "Sendewoche vom 17. bis 23. Juni 1956").OCLC648143500.
Dubin, Adam; Vuletic, Dean; Obregón, Antonio, eds. (2022).The Eurovision Song Contest as a Cultural Phenomenon: From Concert Halls to the Halls of Academia.Abingdon-on-Thames, United Kingdom; New York, NY, United States:Routledge.ISBN978-1-003-18893-3.
Roxburgh, Gordon (2012).Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s.Prestatyn, United Kingdom:Telos Publishing.ISBN978-1-84583-065-6.
Thorsson, Leif; Verhage, Martin (2006).Melodifestivalen genom tiderna : de svenska uttagningarna och internationella finalerna [Melodifestivalen through the ages: the Swedish selections and international finals] (in Swedish).Stockholm, Sweden: Premium Publishing.ISBN91-89136-29-2.
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