Switzerland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 with the song "Io senza te", written by Peter Reber and Nella Martinetti, and performed by Peter, Sue and Marc. The Swiss participating broadcaster, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR), selected its entry for the contest through a national final.
Before Eurovision
Finale Suisse
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) held a national final to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1981. The broadcaster received 67 total song submissions, and initially selected four to take part in the selection (three in Italian and one in German). Due to the lack of songs selected by the juries, the broadcaster commissioned popular Swiss artists to submit two more songs— "San Gottardo" by Swiss Union and "Comme l'eau de la mer" by Pascal Auberson.[1]
In total, six songs were set to compete, with three being in Italian, two in German, and one in French.[2][1][3] Among the participants were Peter, Sue and Marc— who represented Switzerland in 1971 and 1976 and 1979 —, and Piera Martell— who represented Switzerland in 1974 and was a member of Swiss Union along with Marc Dietrich. Mariella Farré would later represent Switzerland in 1983 and 1985, and Franz Müller— one of the members of Swiss Union —, would represent Switzerland in 1984.
Swiss French broadcaster Télévision suisse romande (TSR) staged the national final on 21 February 1981 at 21:20 CET at the Palladium in Geneva.[4] It was presented by Jean-Pierre Pastori. The Ken Warwick Ballet, the Le Feuillu Orchestra, and Jean Madd made guest appearances.[4][2][5]
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | Songwriter(s) | Language | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composer | Lyricist | ||||
| 1 | Peter, Sue and Marc | "Io senza te" | Peter Reber | Italian | |
| 2 | Rose Brown | "Du fehlst mir" |
|
Günther Loose | German |
| 3 | Pascal Auberson | "Comme l'eau de la mer" | Pascal Auberson | Michel Bühler | French |
| 4 | Ireen Indra | "Io" | Irene Schwendimann | Danny Bolla | Italian |
| 5 | Swiss Union | "San Gottardo" | Peter Reber | German | |
| 6 | Mariella Farré | "Una cosa meravigliosa" | Thomas Fortmann | Italian | |
The voting consisted of regional public votes which were sent to the three divisions of SRG SSR (DRS, TSR, TSI: German, French, and Italian speaking, respectively), a press jury, and an "expert" jury.[6] Applications for viewers to join the regional juries were sent via postcard until 14 February, and 50 viewers from each canton were randomly selected to cast their votes to their broadcaster divisions via phone call.[4] The winner was the song "Io senza te", composed by Nella Martinetti and Peter Reber and performed by Peter, Sue and Marc, marking the fourth and last time the trio entered the Eurovision Song Contest.
| R/O | Artist(s) | Song | Regional Juries | Press Jury |
Expert Jury |
Total | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRS | TSR | TSI | |||||||
| 1 | Peter, Sue and Marc | "Io senza te" | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 1 |
| 2 | Rose Brown | "Du fehlst mir" | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 5 |
| 3 | Pascal Auberson | "Comme l'eau de la mer" | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 4 |
| 4 | Ireen Indra | "Io" | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 3 |
| 5 | Swiss Union | "San Gottardo" | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 25 | 2 |
| 6 | Mariella Farré | "Una cosa meravigliosa" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
At Eurovision
At the Eurovision Song Contest 1981, held at the RDS Simmonscourt in Dublin, the Swiss entry was the ninteenth entry of the night following Cyprus and preceding Sweden. The Swiss conductor at the contest was Rolf Zuckowski, who previously conducted the 1979 Swiss entry. At the close of voting, Switzerland had received 121 points in total; finishing in fourth place out of twenty countries.
Voting
Each participating broadcaster assembled a jury panel with at least eleven members. The jurors awarded 1-8, 10, and 12 points to their top ten songs.
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References
- ^ a b "Am Samstag findet in Genf die Ausscheidung für den Concours Eurovision de la Chanson statt: — Concours: Wer reist nach Dublin?" [On Saturday, the elimination round for the Concours Eurovision de la Chanson will take place in Geneva: — Concours: Who will travel to Dublin?]. Thuner Tagblatt (in German). Vol. 105, no. 41. 19 February 1981. p. 9. Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via E-newspaperarchives.ch.
- ^ a b c "Finale Suisse du Concours Eurovision de la Chanson" [Swiss Final of the Eurovision Song Contest] (in French). 21 February 1979. p. 14. Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via Scriptorium.
- ^ a b c "Schweizer Ausscheidung - Finale Suisse - Finale Svizzera 1981". Vorstadt Music & Records. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ a b c "Concours Eurovision de la chanson — Pascal Auberson en finale" [Concours Eurovision de la chanson — Pascal Auberson in the final]. Journal d’Yverdon et du Nord vaudois (in French). 10 February 1981. p. 9. Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via Scriptorium.
- ^ a b c Suisse Finale (Video) (in French). 21 February 1981.
- ^ Vallette, Mireille (19 February 1981). "Finale suisse du Concours Eurovision de la chanson — Un Tremplin pour Dublin" [Swiss Eurovision Song Contest Final – A Springboard to Dublin]. Radio TV – Je vois tout (in French). p. 25. Retrieved 4 March 2025 – via Scriptorium.
- ^ a b "Results of the Final of Dublin 1981". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
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