Comedian Harmonists
Andrew
Comedian Harmonists fans in this group. For those who are unfamiliar,
this was a pre-WWII German quintet who sang with only piano
accompaniment. They were very polished with tight harmonies
and....they "were" comedic. The relation to classical music came via
their transcriptions of various pieces including Perpetuum mobile,
Brahms' Hungarian Dance #5, Boccherini Minuet, etc.
Anyone wanting an introduction might want to consider the BROINC
available recordings on Mastertone (@ $1.99 per) and the movie made
about the group which was titled The Harmonists (a very touching film
I might add.)I believe there was a documentary done with actual
footage of the group but I've yet to see that one.
Andrew
Matthew B. Tepper
@posting.google.com:
> This one's mildly off topic but I was curious if there are any other
> Comedian Harmonists fans in this group. For those who are unfamiliar,
> this was a pre-WWII German quintet who sang with only piano
> accompaniment. They were very polished with tight harmonies
> and....they "were" comedic. The relation to classical music came via
> their transcriptions of various pieces including Perpetuum mobile,
> Brahms' Hungarian Dance #5, Boccherini Minuet, etc.
>
> Anyone wanting an introduction might want to consider the BROINC
> available recordings on Mastertone (@ $1.99 per) and the movie made
> about the group which was titled The Harmonists (a very touching film
> I might add.) I believe there was a documentary done with actual
> footage of the group but I've yet to see that one.
I've seen the movie (it didn't really play for long here, but someone was
able to supply me with a screener cassette), which is splendidly done and
musically delightful where that is called for.
Thanks for the CD reference; I'm expecting a Berkshire order any day now,
and don't know when I'll do the next, but this goes on the list. I've
downloaded several (public-domain!) sides via various Fast Track clients
(currently using KaZaA Lite), and they are great fun. I most enjoy "Creole
Love Call," "Veronika, der Lenz ist da," and "Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus."
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
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To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Top 3 worst UK exports: Mad-cow; Foot-and-mouth; Charlotte Church
Johannes Roehl
>
> wei...@aol.com (Andrew) wrote in news:5dd5890f.0207280948.3c504925
> @posting.google.com:
>
> > This one's mildly off topic but I was curious if there are any other
> > Comedian Harmonists fans in this group. For those who are unfamiliar,
> > this was a pre-WWII German quintet who sang with only piano
> > accompaniment. They were very polished with tight harmonies
> > and....they "were" comedic. The relation to classical music came via
> > their transcriptions of various pieces including Perpetuum mobile,
> > Brahms' Hungarian Dance #5, Boccherini Minuet, etc.
> >
> > Anyone wanting an introduction might want to consider the BROINC
> > available recordings on Mastertone (@ $1.99 per) and the movie made
> > about the group which was titled The Harmonists (a very touching film
> > I might add.) I believe there was a documentary done with actual
> > footage of the group but I've yet to see that one.
>
> I've seen the movie (it didn't really play for long here, but someone was
> able to supply me with a screener cassette), which is splendidly done and
> musically delightful where that is called for.
In the movie they actually used heavily
'remastered/filtered' original recordings; there are may
compilations available, some cheap, some ultra-cheap and
most of them over-filtered etc... But I do not know if there
are any better transfers (there used to be a 6 or so CD-BOx
from EMI)
The movie is well-made, if somewhat kitschy, but there is a
rather long (I saw it on TV several years ago and IIRC it
was in two parts, so probably about three hours) documentary
by a guy named Eberhard Fechner which includes interviews
with the members of the group who were still alive in 1975
(all but one or two IIRC) which is quite intersting, but
probably impossible to find...
> Thanks for the CD reference; I'm expecting a Berkshire order any day now,
> and don't know when I'll do the next, but this goes on the list. I've
> downloaded several (public-domain!) sides via various Fast Track clients
> (currently using KaZaA Lite), and they are great fun. I most enjoy "Creole
> Love Call," "Veronika, der Lenz ist da," and "Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus."
There are versions of several (semi)classical pieces, I find
the "perpetuum mobile" absolutely hilarious, but so is the
original (I am less convinced by their version of the Blue
Danube). The kitsch pieces like Kreislers Liebesleid are
treated with a mixture of seriousness and irony I find very
compelling (if I am in the mood for them). They also did
many of the 20ties and 30ties Standards like "tea for two",
German folksong and, mostly, contemporary German popsongs
like the ones you mentioned, some of them pieces of
(unintended) humour of almost dada quality and their
interpretations and arrangements are very witty.
Johannes
Larry Friedman
"Andrew" <wei...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:5dd5890f.02072...@posting.google.com...
I'd like to add my small voice to those already raised in praise of this
wonderful group. It's amazing to think of a group of "pop" musicians who had
such precision and taste. Can you imagine them on stage in today's world?
Their tuxes, their musical ability would make them ... um ... different from
the other boy groups!
I have a 3-disk set, obviously a cheapy, called "Comedian Harmonists: die
grössten Erfolge" on the Selected Sound Carrier label. It's undoubtedly
heavily filtered, but still sounds good.
If any have not heard them, I urge you to take a listen.
-L
Andrew
websites devoted to them. One lists the lyrics to many of their songs,
including one of my favorites: Wenn ich vergnugt bin, muss ich singen
- the nonsense syllables are transcribed perfectly (I think).
http://www.marktkreisel.ch/fun/comedian-harmonists/header.htm
Andrew
Matthew B. Tepper
news:5dd5890f.02072...@posting.google.com:
"The requested URL /fun/comedian-harmonists/header.htm was not found on
this server." :--(
Andante teneramente
> wei...@aol.com (Andrew) wrote in
> news:5dd5890f.02072...@posting.google.com:
>
> > There's an amazing internet presence for this group, with all sorts of
> > websites devoted to them. One lists the lyrics to many of their songs,
> > including one of my favorites: Wenn ich vergnugt bin, muss ich singen
> > - the nonsense syllables are transcribed perfectly (I think).
> >
> > http://www.marktkreisel.ch/fun/comedian-harmonists/header.htm
>
> "The requested URL /fun/comedian-harmonists/header.htm was not found on
> this server." :--(
Try
http://www.marktkreisel.ch/fun/001/comedian-harmonists.htm
Regards
Andrew
> wei...@aol.com (Andrew) wrote in
> news:5dd5890f.02072...@posting.google.com:
>
> > There's an amazing internet presence for this group, with all sorts of
> > websites devoted to them. One lists the lyrics to many of their songs,
> > including one of my favorites: Wenn ich vergnugt bin, muss ich singen
> > - the nonsense syllables are transcribed perfectly (I think).
> >
> > http://www.marktkreisel.ch/fun/comedian-harmonists/header.htm
>
> "The requested URL /fun/comedian-harmonists/header.htm was not found on
> this server." :--(
So sorry..try:
http://www.marktkreisel.ch/fun/001
and click on the cactus.
Andrew
Gene Frazier
called "Whistle While You Work." The web site includes selected audio
samples:
http://www.naxos.com/naxos/naxos_marco_polo.htm
wei...@aol.com (Andrew) wrote in message news:<5dd5890f.02072...@posting.google.com>...
REG
made it to a small Bway house only briefly, and the second, with music by
Barry Manilow (I kid you not) didn't.
"Andrew" <wei...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:5dd5890f.02072...@posting.google.com...
Brendan R. Wehrung
> Naxos has a released a June 2002 Comedian Harmonists compilation
> called "Whistle While You Work." The web site includes selected audio
> samples:
>
> http://www.naxos.com/naxos/naxos_marco_polo.htm
>
I can't get the samples to work. Will somebody review the disc?
Brendan
Wayne Reimer
Rich...@hotmail.com says...
> And there were two attempts to do Broadway musicals on their lives...one
> made it to a small Bway house only briefly, and the second, with music by
> Barry Manilow (I kid you not) didn't.
>
>
album to follow, but haven't actually heard anything about it.
wr
Matthew B. Tepper
letters to be typed in
news:MPG.17c231dee...@news.sf.sbcglobal.net:
> In article <QQm19.123947$Wi.31...@twister.nyc.rr.com>,
> Rich...@hotmail.com says...
>>
>> And there were two attempts to do Broadway musicals on their lives...
>> one made it to a small Bway house only briefly, and the second, with
>> music by Barry Manilow (I kid you not) didn't.
>>
> And Chanticleer is doing a tribute concert soon. I'd suspect there's
> an album to follow, but haven't actually heard anything about it.
I can't recall offhand if I already mentioned this, but the Kings Singers
did a tribute to the C.H. years ago. Needless to say, like so many of
the K.S. recordings, they are no longer in print.
gggg gggg
"Comedian Harmonists: Du paßt so gut zu mir wie Zucker zum Kaffee"