ABSTRACT
The Cabaret Voltaire, birthplace of the Dada movement, opened its doors on 5 February 1916. It was on that momentous night that Tristan Tzara, recently arrived from his native Romania, first met Hugo Ball, the Cabaret's organiser and moving spirit; and it was from this encounter that Dada emerged. Tzara notes in his Chronique zurichoise that the Cabaret had been advertised by a poster, created by Marcel Slodki. The initial inspiration for the research on music in Zurich Dada was, indeed, provided by the fascinating figure of Swiss composer Hans Heusser. It was very obvious from the programmes of the Zurich Dada soirees, and from memories such as Otto Luening's, that he played a central role in Zurich Dada. The chapter suggest that, it was the only Zurich Dada performance event in which Tzara could allow the position of music in Dada to emerge, albeit indirectly, through his words.
