Report on the - then last -

EDELWEISS-Galakonzert of the Military Music Band TYROLin the year 2015

by Professor HR Dr. Friedrich WEYERMÜLLER,

 Honorary President of the International Music Federation CISM

Grand Gala Concert of the Military Music Band TYROL

 

The Military Music Band TYROL excelled at the concert under the sovereign conduction of Military Music Band Conductor Lieutenant Colonel Hannes APFOLTERER with a carefully selected musical program. The range of music selected for the performance included the finest „traditional wind music“ such as Jindrich PRAVECEKS (1909-2000) overture „Heimatland“ („Homeland“) or the rousing march compositions „Unsere Alpenjäger“ („Our Alpine Hunters“) by Georg KALTSCHMID (1885-1954) and „Unter der Admiralsflagge“ („Under the admiral flag“) by Julius Fucik (1872-1916).

 

From the rich palette of well-sounding, melody-dominated works from classical wind music literature that are always welcome were performed the compositions „Erinnerung an ein Ballerlebnis“ („Memory of a ball event“), a dancing sketch by Hans BUND (1898-1982) or „Der Teufelstanz“ („The Devil’s Dance“) by Joseph HELLMESBERGER jun. (1855-1907) in remarkably virtuosity with regard to the technic and the enormous pace.

 

Military Music Band Conductor Apfolterer worked out in a noteworthy way the wonderful richness of the tone-colors of the compositions with great transparency, absolutely correct in the sound of the different musical eras, carefully and effective and used the possibilities of a well-staffed symphonic wind orchestra in this way.

 

The overture, full of elan, to „Candide“ by Leonard BERNSTEIN (1918-1990) as well as the catchy tunes „Copacabana“ by Barry MANILOW and „Music“ by John MILES jointed to the classical repertoire. It became clear that both the conductor and his musicians have no problems with different musical worlds, with almost unbelievable freshness and concise rhythm. The audience reacted with true enthusiasm storms.

 

With relevant information about the compositions, essential music-historical data, occasionally supplemented with capricious anecdotes, Constanze KÖBERL-SCOZZAFAVA skillfully led through the evening.

 

In the attentive audience were among others the Abbot of the Monastery Stams, German ERD, the Mayoress of the state capital Innsbruck, Christine OPPITZ-PLÖRER and Former Governor of the State of Tyrol, Alois PARTL with his wife. Everyone in the audience clearly sensed the explosive nature of the situation of the Military Music Band TYROL and indeed of all the Austrian Military Music Bands with the exception of Vienna.

 

Was it clever coordination or coincidence in the first part of the concert that Military Music Band Conductor Lieutenant Colonel APFOLTERER under the premonition of the decided deciation of the Military Music Bands to 20 Musicians interpreted his recently released composition „Grief-Consolation-Hope“, finally he intoned the famous march „Zum Städtel hinaus“ by Georg MEISSNER, and in the end – after the Military Tattoo – he said goodbye to the audience saluting in full adjustment?

 

Involuntarily, the situation reminded us of Gustav MAHLER’S farewell to Vienna in December of the year 1907, from which we know…as the train started to move, Gustav KLIMT said what many thought „over“: