Tivoli (in English also called
Tivoli Gardens) is a famous
amusement parkAmusement park or theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group of people. An amusement park is more elaborate than a simple city park or playground, usually providing attractions meant to cater...
and pleasure garden in
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
,
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and is, with the exception of
DyrehavsbakkenDyrehavsbakken , commonly referred to as Bakken , is the world's oldest operating amusement park. It is located near Klampenborg but belongs under Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune, Denmark about 8 miles north of Copenhagen...
in nearby Klampenborg, the oldest amusement park in the world.
Tivoli is currently the most visited theme park in
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...
and the 3rd most visited in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
.
History
The amusement park was first called "Tivoli & Vauxhall"; "Tivoli" alluding to the
Jardin de TivoliThe Tivoli gardens of Paris were located at what is the current site of the Saint-Lazare station. These were several similarly named gardens, named after the gardens of the Villa d'Este in Tivoli near Rome. None of these remain today....
in Paris (which in its turn had been named from
TivoliTivoli, the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km from Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river, where it issues from the Sabine hills...
near Rome), and "Vauxhall" alluding to the
Vauxhall GardensVauxhall Gardens /vɒks'ɔ:l/ was a pleasure garden, one of the leading venues for public entertainment in London, England from the mid 17th century to the mid 19th century. Originally known as New Spring Gardens, the site was believed to have opened before the Restoration of 1660 with the first...
in London.
Tivoli's founder,
Georg CarstensenJohan Bernhard Georg Carstensen was one of the developers of Tivoli Gardens and a Danish army officer. He spent a most of his childhood in the Near East. He travelled widely and had a career in the military Royal Guards and reached the rank of lieutenant...
(b. 1812 - d. 1857), obtained a five-year charter to create Tivoli by telling King Christian VIII that "when the people are amusing themselves, they do not think about politics". The monarch granted Carstensen use of roughly 15 acres (61,000 m²) of the fortified
glacisA glacis in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth used in late European fortresses so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders until the last possible moment...
outside Vesterport (the West Gate) at the annual rent of 945 kroner. Therefore, until the 1850s, Tivoli was outside the city, accessible through Vesterport.
From the very start, Tivoli included a variety of attractions: buildings in the exotic style of an imaginary Orient: a theatre, band stands, restaurants and cafés, flower gardens, and mechanical
amusement rideAn amusement ride is any number of devices found at carnivals, fairs/funfairs, or amusement parks meant to appeal to various senses of the rider.-Amusement Park rides:Larger rides, normally only found in amusement/theme parks...
s such as a merry-go-round and a primitive scenic railway. After dark, coloured lamps illuminated the gardens. On certain evenings, specially designed
fireworksA firework is a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
could be seen reflected in Tivoli's lake.
Composer
Hans Christian LumbyeHans Christian Lumbye was a Danish composer of waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and galops, among other things.As a child, he studied music in Randers and Odense, and by age 14 he was playing the trumpet in a military band. In 1829, he joined the Horse Guards in Copenhagen, still continuing his music...
(b. 1810 - d. 1874) was Tivoli's musical director from 1843 to 1872. Lumbye was inspired by Viennese waltz composers like the Strauss family (
Johann Strauss IJohann Strauss I , born in Vienna, was an Austrian Romantic composer famous for his waltzes, and for popularizing them alongside Joseph Lanner, thereby setting the foundations for his sons to carry on his musical dynasty...
and his sons), and became known as the "Strauss of the North." Many of his compositions are specifically inspired by the gardens, including "Salute to the Ticket Holders of Tivoli", "Carnival Joys" and "A Festive Night at Tivoli". The Tivoli Symphony Orchestra still performs many of his works.
In 1874, Chinese style Pantomimeteatret (The Pantomime Theatre) took the place of an older smaller theater. The audience stands in the open, the stage being inside the building. The theatre's "curtain" is a mechanical peacock's tail. From the very beginning, the Theater was the home of Italian pantomimes, introduced in Denmark by the Italian Giuseppe Casorti. This tradition, which is dependent on the Italian
Commedia dell'ArteCommedia dell'arte is a form of improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century, maintained its popularity through the 17th century, and is still performed today. Performances were mostly unscripted, held outside and used few props...
has been kept alive, including the characters Cassander (the old father), Columbine (his beautiful daughter),
HarlequinHarlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popular of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
(her lover), and, especially popular with the youngest spectators, the stupid servant
PierrotPierrot is a stock character of mime and Commedia dell'Arte, a French variant of the Italian Pedrolino. His character is that of the sad clown, pining for love of Columbine, who inevitably breaks his heart and leaves him for Harlequin. He is usually depicted wearing a loose, white tunic...
. The absence of spoken dialogue is an advantage, as Tivoli is now an international tourist attraction.
In 1943,
NaziNazism, known officially in German as National Socialism , is the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party under Adolf Hitler, and the policies adopted by the dictatorial government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.Nazism is often considered...
sympathisers attempted to break the Danish people's spirit by burning many of Tivoli's buildings, including the concert hall, to the ground. Undaunted, the Danes built temporary buildings, and the park was back in operation after a few weeks.
Tivoli is always evolving without abandoning its original charm or traditions. As Georg Carstensen said in 1844, "Tivoli will never, so to speak, be finished," a sentiment echoed just over a century later when
Walt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the twentieth century. As the co-founder Walter Elias...
said of his own Tivoli-inspired theme park, "
DisneylandDisneyland is an American theme park in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company. It was dedicated with a press preview on July 17, 1955, and opened to the general public July 18, 1955...
will never be finished as long as there is imagination left in the world." Walt Disney during a trip overseas with his wife Lilly visited Tivoli Gardens. Walt was so impressed with the Danish amusement park, he immediately decided Disneyland should try to emulate its "happy and unbuttoned air of relaxed fun."
Rides
The park is best known for its wooden
roller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
,
Rutsjebanen or as some people call it
Bjerg Banen (
Mountain Track), built in 1914 in
MalmöMalmö is the third most populous city in Sweden, situated in its southernmost province of Scania.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County. The administrative entity for most of the city is Malmö Municipality which has 290 007 inhabitants in eight different...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
. It is one of world's oldest wooden roller coasters that is still operating today. An operator controls the ride by braking down the hills so it won't gain too much speed. It is an
ACEThe American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...
Coaster Classic.
Dæmonen,
The Demon, features an Immelmann loop, a
loopThe generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
, and a Zero-G roll all during the ride time of just one minute and forty six seconds. The old roller coaster,
Slangen, was removed to have enough space for The Demon. The roller coaster is situated next to the concert hall.
The world's tallest
carouselA carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
,
Himmelskibet, opened in Tivoli in 2006. Eighty meters high and built by the
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n company
FuntimeFuntime was the 7" single released by The Spitfire Boys, on Impeccable Records, in 1979. That time, the band haven't got the same line-up, as they were consisted by David Littler , as the only remaining member of the band, and ex-Nylonz members, Peter Millman , Kurt Prasser and Chris Brazier .The...
, it offers panoramic views of the city.
On May 1 2009 Tivoli opened the new thrill ride "Vertigo".
Performing arts
Besides the rides, Tivoli Gardens also serve as a venue for various performing arts and as a active part of the cultural scene in Copenhagen.
Tivoli Concert Hall
Tivoli Concert Hall is a classical concert hall featuring concerts with some of the largest names in international
classical musicClassical music is the mainstream music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times...
. It was built in 1956 by Hans Hansen and sits 1660 people. In 2005 the concert hall saw a major renovation and extension by
3XN3XN is a Danish architectural practice with offices in Århus and Copenhagen.-History:The company was founded in Århus in 1986 as Nielsen, Nielsen & Nielsen by Kim Herforth Nielsen, Lars Frank Nielsen og Hans Peter Svendler Nielsen. The latter left the company, which is today lead by a partner...
where the classical 50's style of the main
auditoriumAn auditorium is where the audience is located to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
- including a characteristic colour scheme of red, blue, yellow and green colours - was restored while visitor facilities were upgraded and expanded. These include a new gardenside
foyerA foyer [IPA: fwa'je] is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
with a two-story bar and lounge and Europe's longest saltwater
aquariumAn aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
in the basement.
The Pantomime Theatre
The
pantomime theatre is an open-air theatre designed by
Vilhelm DahlerupJens Vilhelm Dahlerup was a Danish architect who specialized in the Historicist style. One of the most productive and noted Danish architects of the 18th century, he is behind many of the most known buildings and landmarks of his time and has more than any other single architect contributed to the...
, also known for the design of the
Royal Danish TheatreThe Royal Danish Theatre is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first serving as the theatre of the king, and then as the theatre of the...
. It is a toy-like
historicistHistoricism refers to philosophical theories that include one or both of two claims:# that there is an organic succession of developments, a notion also known as historism , and/or;...
built in Chinese style and noted for its mechanical front curtain that takes five men to operate and unfolds like a
peacock's tailThe term peafowl can refer to the two species of bird in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. The African Congo Peafowl is placed in its own genus Afropavo and is not dealt with here. Peafowl are best known for the male's extravagant tail, which it displays as part of courtship...
. As indicated by the name, it is primarily a scene for pantomime theatre in the classical Italian
commedia dell'arteCommedia dell'arte is a form of improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century, maintained its popularity through the 17th century, and is still performed today. Performances were mostly unscripted, held outside and used few props...
tradition, which is performed daily with a live
pit orchestraA pit orchestra is a type of orchestra that accompanies performers in musicals, operas, and other shows involving music. In performances of operas and ballets, the pit orchestra is typically similar in size to a symphony orchestra, though it may contain smaller string and brass sections, depending...
. Besides this original function, the theatre leads a second life as a venue for
balletBallet is a formalized type of performance dance, which originated in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form...
and
modern danceModern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century broom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Origins:...
.
The Tivoli Guard
The Tivoli Guard is a music ensemble of boys aged 8-16 dressed in uniforms reminiscent of those of the
Royal Danish GuardDen Kongelige Livgarde is an infantry regiment of the Royal Danish Army, formed in 1658. It serves a dual role as both a front line combat unit, and as a guard/ceremonial unit in regard to the Danish monarchy. The regiment was founded by King Frederik III...
complete with
bearskinA bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers, and is still worn by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies.-Origins:...
s. It was founded in 1844 and gives concerts, makes parades, stands guard at the garden's buildings and monuments at special occasions and represents the gardens at various events.
Live music
During the warmer summer months, Tivoli also features a live music series dubbed Fredagsrock (Friday Rock), which in the past has featured the Smashing Pumpkins, Sting,
the Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance...
,
Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an British electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasionally guitar and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals....
and Danish groups such as
TV-2TV·2, Taurus Version 2 , is a Danish pop/rock group.TV·2 was created before the Danish TV Channel TV 2...
,
NephewNephew is a term referring to the son of one's sibling or spouse's sibling, and niece to the daughter of one's sibling or spouse's sibling. Sons and daughters of siblings-in-law are also informally referred to as nephews and nieces respectively, even though there is no blood relation...
, Hanne Boel, Raveonettes and
Thomas HelmigThomas Helmig is a Danish rock singer and musician, and has been one of the most popular singers in Denmark since the middle of the 1980s.-Biography:...
.
During
Copenhagen Jazz FestivalCopenhagen Jazz Festival is an annual Jazz event held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The 2006 edition comprised around 850 concerts, and in 2005 240,000 people attended the festival."...
Tivoli Gardens is one of the many Copenhagen localities that serves as a venue for concerts.
External links