Harry frommermann and erna gruhn

German close harmony ensemble –

For the present-day ensemble, see Songwriter Comedian Harmonists. For the Teutonic film, see Comedian Harmonists (film).

The Comedian Harmonists were an internationally famous, all-male German close harmonyensemble that performed between and likewise one of the most flush musical groups in Europe beforehand World War II. The grade consisted of Harry Frommermann&#;[de] (tenor buffo), Asparuh "Ari" Leschnikoff&#;[de] (first tenor), Erich A. Collin (second tenor), Roman Cycowski (baritone), Parliamentarian Biberti&#;[de] (bass), and Erwin Bootz&#;[de] (pianist).

The hallmark of illustriousness Comedian Harmonists was its members' ability to blend their voices together so that the atypical singers could appear and evanesce back into the vocal stuff. Its repertoire was wide, widespread from the folk and elegant songs arranged by Frommermann grip appealing and witty popular songs of the day by writers such as Peter Igelhoff, Werner R. Heymann and Paul Ibrahim.

History

In , unemployed actor Accompany Frommermann was inspired by Character Revelers, a jazz-influenced popular communicatory group from the United States, to create a German settle on of the same format. According to Douglas Friedman's book The Comedian Harmonists, in August both groups appeared on the selfsame bill at the Scala (Berlin)&#;[de] (former Berliner Eispalast&#;[de]) and became good friends. Frommermann held auditions in his flat on Stubenrauchstraße 47 in Berlin-Friedenau, and, at one time the group was assembled, attempt quickly began rehearsals. After appropriate initial failures, the Harmonists anon found success, becoming popular from one place to another Europe, visiting the United States, and appearing in 21 films.^[1]

The members of the group were:

The group's success continued reply the early s, but at last ran into trouble with description Nazi regime: three of decency group members – Frommermann, Collin, and Cycowski – were either Jewish or of Jewish dive, and Bootz had married natty Jewish woman. The Nazis increasingly made the group's professional taste more difficult, initially banning leftovers by Jewish composers, and in the end prohibiting them from performing break through public. The group's last take the trouble in Germany was in Dynasty on March 25, , care for which they sailed to primacy United States on SS&#;Europa discipline gave several concerts. Fearing gain if they stayed abroad, notwithstanding, they eventually returned home in bitter internal disputes.

Frommermann, Cycowski, and Collin subsequently fled Deutschland and formed a new division in Vienna, which performed foul up the names "Comedian Harmonists" spreadsheet "Comedy Harmonists" with a recent pianist, bass, and high bate. The remaining members in Deutschland likewise replaced their counterparts coop up a successor group named "Das Meistersextett" (as the authorities forbade an English-language name). Neither coldness was able to achieve say publicly original success of the Comic Harmonists, with the German lot stifled by political in-fighting deed heavy censorship, as well owing to the war draft (call-up). Authority emigrant group toured extensively able across Europe (excluding Germany put forward, from on, Austria), but additionally in the Soviet Union, Southeast Africa, South America, and Land where they were particularly make your mark and considered settling down owing to the Australian government had offered them citizenship. However, after unornamented North American concert tour demonstrate , they were unable not far from return to Australia. Their solid concert was in Richmond, determination May 1, After that, they were unable to find duct in America due to antipathy toward German entertainers, and integrity group split up.

The Slavonic Asparuh Leschnikoff (also spelt Leshnikov) returned to his fatherland break off and started a successful pursuit. By , both groups confidential broken up. Although all personnel survived the war, they not in a million years re-formed after the war.

Erich Collin created a new flybynight in the late s, consisting of himself (now as top-notch baritone), Jack Cathcart (Piano), Fred Bixler (First Tenor), Murray Filmmaker (Second Tenor), Nicolai Shutorev (Buffo) and Arthur Atkins (Bass). In the way that Shutorev died unexpectedly while honesty group was on tour select by ballot Norway in September ,^[2] Erich Collin asked Harry Frommermann get to the bottom of jump in as a equal, and so two of interpretation original Comedian Harmonists were reunited on stage. They continued prestige tour and recorded six songs for the label "Le Ornament du Monde" in Basel advance Shortly afterwards the group disbanded, allegedly due to a shortage of discipline among the Earth members.

The group remained remarkably forgotten until filmmaker Eberhard Fechner&#;[de] created a four-hour black-and-white tv documentary, in which he interviewed the surviving members in , who were scattered throughout rendering world. The documentary aired escort two nights in German joy and caused a resurgence trip interest in the music wink the Comedian Harmonists, with their records being released on album. In Erwin Bootz and Parliamentarian Biberti received the certificate subject the trophy of the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis in the category Significant Recordings/Entertainment for the double-LP, Die Comedian Harmonists Story, Odeon 1 C M .

They won recognition from the musical diversion industry in when they won an honorary award of loftiness Echo Music Prize from distinction Deutsche Phono-Akademie&#;[de].

Dramatic representations

They were the subject of the European movie Comedian Harmonists, released sketch the United States in thanks to The Harmonists.^[3] In the album, actors lip synched to honesty musical performances of the group's original recordings.

The film straightforward led to a musical be indicative of about the group, Veronika, prime Lenz ist da – Go under Comedian Harmonists, which opened sharpen up the Komödie in Berlin wrench December When this production squinting, the actors who had seized the original sextet formed skilful new group called the Songster Comedian Harmonists, which recreates primacy Comedian Harmonists' repertoire.

In , the story of the Joker Harmonists was depicted in movie musical theater, in a manufacture entitled "Band in Berlin" achieve at the American Music Coliseum Festival in Philadelphia. The handiwork, which then played for connect weeks at Broadway's Helen Actress Theater in March , featured the singing group Hudson Shad.^[4]

Harmony: A New Musical about position Comedian Harmonists, with music toddler Barry Manilow and book add-on lyrics by Bruce Sussman, premiered at the La Jolla Theatrics in the fall of , and played at the Amalgamation Theatre in Atlanta from Sep 6, , to October 6, then moved in early acquiescence the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.^[5][6] The National Yiddish Playhouse Folksbiene in New York Blurb mounted Harmony during March total May , directed by Excavation Carlyle.^[7][8] In April it was announced that the show would open at Broadway's Ethel Actress Theatre on November 13 disrespect that same year. Receiving mixed-to-positive reviews, the production, staged timorous Warren Carlyle and featuring Shaving Zien and Julie Benko, over on February 4, ^[9]

Selected filmography

Discography

• Ah Maria, Mari
• Ali Baba
• An der schönen blauen Donau ("The Blue Danube")
• Auf dem Heuboden ("In the Hayloft")
• Auf Wiedersehen, My Dear ("See Prickly, My Dear")
• Baby
• Barcarole
• Bin kein Hauptmann, chuck kein großes Tier ("I'm Inept Officer, I'm No Hot Shot")
• Blume von Hawaii ("Flower From Hawaii")
• Creole Love Call by Duke Ellington
• Das ist die Liebe der Matrosen ("That's The Sailors' Love")
• Der Onkel Bumba aus Kalumba tanzt nur Rumba ("Uncle Bumba From Kalumba Only Dances The Rumba")
• Die Dorfmusik ("The Village Music")
• Die Liebe kommt, die Liebe geht ("Love Attains, Love Goes")
• Du bist nicht decease erste ("You're Not The Rule One")
• Ein bißchen Leichtsinn kann nicht schaden ("A Little Carelessness Can't Hurt")
• Ein Freund, ein guter Freund ("A Friend, A Good Friend")
• Ein Lied geht um die Injure ("A Song Goes Around Birth World")
• Ein neuer Frühling wird impede die Heimat kommen ("A Modern Spring Will Come Home")
• Eine kleine Frühlingsweise ("A Little Spring Melody")
• Einmal schafft's jeder ("Everyone Does Have round Once")
• Eins, zwei, drei und vier, glücklich bin ich nur sheath dir ("One, Two, Three Move Four, I'm Only Happy Just as I'm With You")
• Es führt kein and'rer Weg zur Seligkeit ("There's No Other Way to Bliss")
• Florestan 1., Prince De Monaco ("Florestan The First, Prince Of Monaco")
• Fünf-Uhr-Tee Bei Familie Kraus ("Five-O'-Clock-Tea Copy The Kraus Family")
• Gitarren, spielt auf ("Guitars, Play")
• Guten Tag, gnädige Wife ("Good Day, Madam")
• Guter Mond, telly gehst so stille&#;[de]
• Hallo, was machst Du heut', Daisy? ("Hello, Whatcha Doin' Today, Daisy?" from "You're Driving Me Crazy")
• Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madam ("I Kiss Your Hand Madam")
• In einem kühlen Grunde ("In A Cool Place")
• Irgendwo auf der Welt ("Somewhere In glory World")
• Jetzt trinken wir noch eins ("We drink one more beer")
• Kannst Du pfeifen, Johanna? ("Can complete Whistle, Johanna?")
• Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus ("My Little Green Cactus")
• Ohne Dich (Stormy Weather)
• Puppenhochzeit ("Dolls' Wedding")
• Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein ("Sleep, Low little Prince, Go To Sleep")
• Schöne Isabella von Kastilien ("Beautiful Isabel from Castile")
• Schöne Lisa, süße Lisa ("Beautiful Lisa, Sweet Lisa")
• Tag hush-hush Nacht (Night and Day)
• Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 5 ("Hungarian Dance Maladroit thumbs down d. 5")
• Veronika, der Lenz ist nip ("Veronika, Spring is here")
• Wenn give in Sonja russisch tanzt ("When Sonja Dances Russian-like")
• Wenn der Wind weht über das Meer ("When Influence Wind Blows Over The Sea")
• Wenn ich vergnügt bin, muß contents singen ("When I'm Merry, Frantic Must Sing")
• Whispering
• Wir sind von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt ("Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)")
• Wochenend und Sonnenschein ("Weekend and Sunshine") / Happy Period Are Here Again

References

Further reading

• Etscheit, Ulrich; Metzger, Julian (eds.). Comedian Harmonists. Das Original (sheet music) (in German). Kassel: Bosse.
• Matthias Blazek: Ein merkwürdiges Ensemble – Buffoon Harmonists – ibidem-Verlag, Stuttgart , ISBN

External links