Comedian Harmonists
Encyclopedia
Close harmony
Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note , while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array expanding the harmonic range past the octave...
ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
that performed between 1928 and 1934 as one of the most successful musical groups in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The group consisted of Harry Frommermann (tenor buffo), Asparuh "Ari" Leschnikoff (first tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
), Erich Collin (second tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
), Roman Cycowski (baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
), Robert Biberti (bass), and Erwin Bootz (pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
).
The hallmark of the Comedian Harmonists was its members' ability to blend their voices together so that the individual singers could appear and disappear back into the vocal texture. Its repertoire was wide, ranging from the folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and classical songs arranged by Frommermann to appealing and witty popular songs of the day by writers such as Peter Igelhoff
Peter Igelhoff
Peter Igelhoff was an Austrian pianist, light music and film composer, arranger and entertainer; he took his mother's maiden name as soon as he resolved on a career in light entertainment.Peter Igelhoff made an early career as a jazz pianist in bars before deciding to hone what became a sharp...
, Werner Richard Heymann and Paul Abraham (composer).
History
In 1927, unemployed actor Harry Frommermann was inspired by The RevelersThe Revelers
The Revelers were an American quintet popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Revelers' recordings of "Dinah", "Old Man River", "Valencia", "Baby Face", "Blue Room", "The Birth of the Blues", "When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba", and many more, became popular in the United States and...
, a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-influenced popular vocal group from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to create a German group of the same format. Frommermann held auditions in his flat on Stubenrauchstraße 47 in Berlin-Friedenau, and, once the group was assembled, it quickly began rehearsals. After some initial failures, the Harmonists soon found success, becoming popular throughout Europe, visiting the United States, and appearing in 21 films.
The members of the group were:
| Ari Leschnikoff | (1897–1978) | first tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
| Erich A. Collin | (1899–1961) | second tenor |
| Harry Frommermann | (1906–1975) | Tenor buffo |
| Roman Cycowski | (1901–1998) | Baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
| Robert Biberti | (1902–1985) | Bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
| Erwin Bootz | (1907–1982) | Pianist Pianist A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:... |
The group's success continued into the early 1930s, but eventually ran into trouble with the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
regime: three of the group members – Frommermann, Collin, and Cycowski – were either Jewish or of Jewish descent, and Bootz had married a Jewish woman. The Nazis progressively made the group's professional life more difficult, initially banning pieces by Jewish composers, and finally prohibiting them from performing in public. The group's last concert in Germany was in Hannover on March 25, 1934.
Frommermann, Cycowski, and Collin subsequently fled Germany and formed a new group, which performed under the names "Comedian Harmonists" and "Comedy Harmonists" with a new pianist, bass, and high tenor. The remaining members in Germany likewise replaced their counterparts in a successor group named "Das Meistersextett" (as the authorities forbade an English-language name). Neither group was able to achieve the original success of the Comedian Harmonists, with the German group stifled by political in-fighting and heavy censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, as well as the war draft (call-up); the emigrant group was unable to find work in America due to hostility to German entertainers, and they were unable to return to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where they had enjoyed extensive success in the 1930s. The Bulgarian Asparuh Leschnikoff /Leshnikov/ returned to his fatherland in 1938 and started a successful career. By 1941, both groups had broken up. Although all members survived the war, they never re-formed after the war.
The group remained largely forgotten until filmmaker Eberhard Fechner created a four-hour black-and-white television documentary, in which he interviewed the surviving members, who were scattered throughout the world. The documentary aired over two nights in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
in 1975 and caused a resurgence of interest in the music of the Comedian Harmonists, with their records being released on vinyl.
They won recognition from the musical entertainment industry in 1998 when they won the Echo Prize from the Deutsche Phonoakademie. They were also the subject of an award winning 1997 movie titled 'The Harmonists' .
Following the death of the last surviving member of the group, Roman Cycowski, in 1998, German a cappella group Wise Guys
Wise Guys (band)
The Wise Guys are a band that began in early 1990 in Cologne, Germany. They are an a cappella group.-History of the Group:Apart from Ferenc Husta and Nils Olfert, the members all attended the Hildegard-von-Bingen-Gymnasium in Cologne from 1981 to 1990. With their schoolmates Clemens Tewinkel and...
wrote a tribute song, called Die Comedian Harmonists, which was released as part of the album 'Skandal' in Spring 1999.
Discography
- Ah Maria, Mari
- Ali Baba
- An Der Schönen Blauen Donau ("The Blue DanubeThe Blue DanubeThe Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 , a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866...
") - Auf Dem Heuboden ("In the Hayloft")
- Auf Wiedersehen, My Dear ("See You, My Dear")
- Baby
- Barcarole
- Bin Kein Hauptmann, Bin Kein Großes Tier ("I'm No Officer, I'm No Hot Shot")
- Blume Von Hawaii ("Flower From Hawaii")
- Creole Love Call by Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
- 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 Comes, Love Goes")
- Du Bist Nicht Die Erste ("You're Not The First 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 Welt ("A Song Goes Around The World")
- Ein Neuer Frühling Wird In Die Heimat Kommen ("A New Spring Will Come Home")
- Eine Kleine Frühlingsweise ("A Little Spring Melody")
- Einmal Schafft's Jeder ("Everyone Does It Once")
- Eins, Zwei, Drei Und Vier, Glücklich Bin Ich Nur Mit Dir ("One, Two, Three And Four, I'm Only Happy When 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 With The Kraus Family")
- Gitarren, Spielt Auf ("Guitars, Play")
- Guten Tag, gnädige Frau ("Good Day, Madam")
- 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 WeltIrgendwo auf der Welt"Irgendwo auf der Welt" is one of the most popular songs by the German sextet, the Comedian Harmonists. The music is by Werner Richard Heymann, the lyrics by Robert Gilbert...
("Somewhere In the World") - Kannst Du pfeifen, Johanna? ("Can you Whistle, Johanna?")
- Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus ("My Little Green Cactus")
- Puppenhochzeit ("Dolls' Wedding")
- Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein ("Sleep, My little Prince, Go To Sleep")
- Schöne Isabella von Kastilien ("Beautiful Isabel from CastileIsabella I of CastileIsabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
") - Schöne Lisa, süße Lisa ("Beautiful Lisa, Sweet Lisa")
- Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 5 ("Hungarian Dance No. 5")
- Veronika, der Lenz ist daVeronika, der Lenz ist daVeronika, der Lenz ist da is a popular 1920s song by Walter Jurmann. Covered countless times, probably the best known version is by the German sextet, the Comedian Harmonists in 1930.- References :...
("Veronika, Spring is here") - Wenn die Sonja russisch tanzt ("When Sonja Dances Russian-like")
- Wenn der Wind weht über das Meer ("When The Wind Blows Over The Sea")
- Wenn ich vergnügt bin, muß ich singen ("When I'm Merry, I Must Sing")
- Whispering
- Wir sind von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt ("Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)"Falling in Love Again " is the English language name for a 1930 German song composed by Friedrich Hollaender as Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt...
") - Wochenend und SonnenscheinWochenend und Sonnenschein"Wochenend und Sonnenschein" is a song with German lyrics that was copyrighted in 1930 by Charles Amberg and Milton Ager . The music is based on the famed American song "Happy Days Are Here Again" that was copyrighted in 1929 by Ager and Jack Yellen...
("Weekend and Sunshine")/ Happy Days Are Here AgainHappy Days Are Here Again"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen and published by EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc./Advanced Music Corp...
Film biography
In 1997, a German biopic entitled Comedian HarmonistsComedian Harmonists (film)
Comedian Harmonists is a 1997 German film by Joseph Vilsmaier. It is a biopic about the popular German vocal group Comedian Harmonists...
(The Harmonists in the American version), with the actors synching their lips in the musical performances to the group's original recordings.
(Sheet music)
-
- Vol. 1 (1997): ISBN 3-7649-0433-X, ISMN M-2011-0433-1
- Vol. 2 (1999): ISBN 3-7649-0437-2, ISMN M-2011-0437-9
- Vol. 3 (2000): ISBN 3-7649-0443-7, ISMN M-2011-0443-0
- Vol. 4 (2001): ISMN M-2011-0450-8
External links
- The Web's Resources for The Comedian Harmonists Lyrics, photos, discography, and more.
- Comedian Harmonists at the Internet Movie Database
- Comedian Harmonists (1997 movie) entry at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Fan page currently in German only, English promised to follow
- History and pictures
- Discography
- Links to audio samples
- http://www.harmonymusical.com Link to Barry Manilow's HARMONY – The new Musical website
- Comedian Harmonists arrangement of Am Brunnen vor dem Tore, sung by Christoph Wendel, Julien Neel, Daniel Westphal and Patrick von Massow