Simon Rattle puts out call for Bavarian brass bands
OrchestrasMunich’s incoming music director is looking to boost the local culture.
This press statement just dropped:
Sir Simon Rattle invites you to the big hands-on competition for Bavarian wind ensembles
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and its future chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle are looking for brass bands from all over Bavaria for the “Symphonic Hoagascht”. After rehearsal phases in the respective home towns of the ensembles, the hands-on project concludes with a joint concert with the BRSO in July 2024 in Munich.
What next – Rattle in Lederhosen?
One of the current brass bands in the EU and worthy of Rattle’s support is a female only group called the Balkan Paradise Orchestra. It’s made up of young Barcelona based women, all conservatory trained and boy can they play. German oompah is no problem. They are making a bigger and bigger name for themselves now with international tours on stage and in festivals. Here is one of their earliest videos. Their energy is infectious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXOgXN5nyvY another more recent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDSmMdkiBD8 Another, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZyHUNtsRRY If Rattle needs them to play oom-pah, they can easily adapt and it would be a feather in his cap hiring an all female band with real musicality and spirit!
He is looking for BAVARIAN brass bands
Maazel and Zubin did it without Lederhosen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYyfMirve-c
“What next – Rattle in Lederhosen?”
Oh thanks. How do I get that image out of my head?
He may soon be in a position to replace Kaiser Franz.
They are practical, suitable for cold and hot weather, easy to look after and very long-lived. Perfect for perfect men’s legs, will make a few heads turn and we girls wear them also at times.
But they are hard to wash after shit happens.
That sounds awesome. Maybe similar to the old brass band competitions in Royal Albert Hall. Good way to enlist the community.
…that still take place every October…
https://www.kapitol.co.uk/
“What next – Rattle in Lederhosen?” I find this sentence/question inappropriate. On the contrary, I believe that Sir Rattle’s efforts are helping to encourage people to get involved in amateur music groups. Any initiative that encourages people to make music is to be welcomed.
Two additional comments: 1) Do not underestimate the challenges of playing brass music, even (?) if it is Bavarian folk music. 2) As a matter of taste, I really like the sound of the brass section of the Munich Philharmonic and BRSO. I prefer this particular sound to many other brass players in other orchestras. I’ve always wondered if this has something to do with being exposed to brass music from an early age if you live in Bavaria. Don’t get me wrong: There are really excellent brass section in other orchestras, too. I do like those also (CSO, Vienna, Staatskapelle Dresden, ….).
Disclaimer: Although I am German, I do not live in Bavaria or anywhere near it.
Oh dear, there goes that word again
It is built into our DNA
Bavarian/Austrian brass bands have a distinct sound and style (articulations, phrasing) that’s every bit as ‘indigenous’ as the authentic British brass band sound (or the American ‘Civil War’ bands, for example). Many of those bands, are very, very good. They often times incorporate a small section of clarinets as well. I’m a fan of the tone quality emanating from German rotary valve trumpets and flugelhorns.
The irony is that picture is a London based oompah band called Hosen Brass who mostly play pop covers…
So, it turns out that “Hoagascht,” literally translated, means “home garden”.
Try as Sir Simon might, he will never be able to fin a current band to equal this classic band of the 1960’s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqWV_sra6-o
This needless criticism of Rattle is started to get on my nerves. Most people here don’t like him – fine but get over yourselves if he’s doing something objectively good and helpful artistically please.
He’s trying to bridge the gap between the essential cultural heritage of Bavaria (basically every village has at least (!) one brass ensemble) and professional orchestras. A large part of the BRSO brass even started out playing in these amateur groups growing up.
So we should all just look forward to a fun and inclusive evening in Munich!
I am certain that Simon is looking for wind bands, not brass bands.He wrote to me about this some time ago, a piece has been commissioned for mass b ands and the second half of the concert will be the Berlioz Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale.