Music Around the World: Austria

Today, our Musical World Tour makes a stop in the Central European country of Austria. Austria is home to some of the world's most beautiful architecture, particularly its castles, as well as a large host of some of the world's most well-known composers of classical music. I so looked forward to looking into Austria's musical culture, and I can gladly say I was not disappointed. And now for a fact dump:

-Capital City: Vienna

-Official Languages: German, but other recognized languages include Hungarian, Slovene, Burgenland, and Croatian

-Government: Federal parliamentary republic, currently under the leadership of President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Karl Nehammer

-The name Austria was claimed by the territory in November 966, evolved into the Austrian Empire by August 1804, formed Austria-Hungary in March 1867, formed German-Austria in November 1918, became a Republic twice in both September 1919 and April 1945, and signed their State Treaty in July 1955

-Land Area: 32,386 square miles (113th largest in the world)

-Population: 8,935,112 estimated as of 2020 (98th most populous in the world)

-Religion: 57% Catholic, 8.7% Eastern Orthodox, 3.3% other Christian denomination, 22% no religious affiliation, 7.9% Islamic, 1.1% other religious affiliation, 0.4% Jewish

-Drive on the right side of the road

Austrian music is a blend of contemporary classical, electronic, juchizn (or yodel), Neue Deutsche Harte (New German Hardness in English), pop, and rock. There's going to be a couple of familiar names on the list this week, so let's go ahead and dive on in!

Rock Me Amadeus by Falco (written by J. Hölzel, F. Bolland, R. Bolland)

Johann Hölzel, better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian musician who explored the genres of new wave, Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave in English), rock, pop, and hip hop. Born in Vienna in 1957, Falco was a singer, musician, and composer who was a talented vocalist, bassist, and pianist. Throughout his twenty-three year career, he became the best selling Austrian singer of all time until his untimely death at the age of 41 due to complications from a bus crash. Rock Me Amadeus, undoubtedly Falco's biggest hit inspired by the life and times of Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, was included on his 1985 album Falco 3. This song oozes '80s from its every pore, but it's still a bop and most of you have heard it even if you didn't realize. An English translation of the original German lyrics is below.

He was a punk and he lived in the big city/It was in Vienna, was Vienna, where he did everything/He was in debt because he drank, but all women loved him/And everyone shouted, "Come and rock me, Amadeus"/He was superstar, he was popular/He was so exalted because he had flair/He was a virtuoso, was a rock idol/And everyone shouted, "Come and rock me, Amadeus"/Amadeus, Amadeus/Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus/Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus/Oh, oh, oh, Amadeus/Come and rock me, Amadeus/Amadeus, Amadeus/Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus/Amadeus, Amadeus, Amadeus/Oh, oh, oh, Amadeus, ey

Ständchen (Serenade) by Franz Schubert (written by F. Schubert)

Classic/Romantic Era crossover composer Franz Schubert was born in Himmelpfortgrund, Vienna in 1797. A household name in classical music nowadays, Schubert was well known for his secular vocal works, symphonies, sacred music, operas, incidental music, piano music, and chamber music. Though he passed away very young at age 31 to either typhoid fever or syphilis (what a debate), he is widely regarded as one of the most prolific composers in the history of Western music and his works are still performed regularly today. Schubert composed over 600 pieces of music during his lifetime, but the one I chose this week is Ständchen (Serenade) performed by the musical group Breve. Written in 1826, this is one of Schubert's vocal works, and as a classically trained musician myself I think it's just absolutely lovely. An English translation of the original German lyrics is below.

My songs softly plead/Through the night to you/Down into the silent grove/Darling, come to me/Whispering slender treetops rustle/In the moon’s light/Listening hostilely to the traitor/Fear not, fair one

Land der Berge, Land am Strome by Herbert von Karajan & Berlin Philharmonic (written by P. von Preradović, J. Holzer)

Land der Berge, Land am Strome (translated to Land of Mountains, Land by the River in English) was adopted as the Austrian national anthem in 1946, the year after the second Republic was formed. For years, I myself believed that Edelweiss (from The Sound of Music) was the national anthem and felt extremely silly upon finding out that that wasn't true, but we live and we learn so let's go on. Austrian poet Paula von Preradović provided the words in 1946, and the tune (which was adopted a year earlier), was originally attributed to Mozart but is now widely believed to have actually been composed by Johann Holzer and possibly co-written by Mozart, but no one is really sure. An English translation of the original German lyrics is below.

Land of peaks, oh, land of rivers/Land of fields, oh, land of steeples/Land of labours, future-bound/Home thou art to prodigious kin/Shining brighter than ever been/Austria, of high praise/Austria, of high praise

Zemlinsky's Night by Johanna Beisteiner (written by J. Beisteiner)

Austrian classical guitarist Johanna Beisteiner was born in Wiener Neustadt (40 miles south of Vienna) in 1976. She has both a degree in Classical Guitar as well as a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Performing her music internationally, her repertoire covers five centuries as well as including contemporary music by both other musicians as well as her own personal compositions. Zemlinsky's Night is one of Beisteiner's personal compositions from 2012, and I absolutely loved it. I'm a big sucker for classical guitar, so I knew this one would get me, but the 7+ minute run time didn't feel remotely long and I enjoyed every single second.

Piano Concerto in F Major, Hob. XVIII No. 3: I Allegro by Joseph Haydn (written by J. Haydn)

Joseph Haydn, Father of the Symphony & the String Quartet, was born in Rohrau (28 miles southeast of Vienna) in 1732. Throughout his 77-year life, he became known as one of the most important composers of the Classical Music Era, and today is well-known for his chamber music, string quartets, and piano trios. I listened to a lot of Haydn in college, especially during my Music History semesters, and he truly is one of the GOATs. I chose the first movement of the Piano Concerto in F Major, written in 1766 and performed in this recording by Philippe Entremont & Wiener Kammerorchester, to highlight for this post. It really shows off the grandiose musicality that Haydn is known for, and it's an absolutely gorgeous piece.

Live Is Life by Opus (written by E. Pfleger, G. Grasmuck, H. Rüdisser, K. Plisnier, P. Gruber)

Opus is an Austrian pop rock band that was formed in Graz (124 miles southwest of Vienna) in 1973. Featuring a current lineup of vocalist Herwig Rüdisser, guitarist/backing vocalist Ewald Pfleger, keyboardist Kurt-Rene Plisnier, and drummer/percussionist Günter Grasmuck, they are most well known in their home country of Austria as well as in Germany and Switzerland. Live Is Life, their most popular and highest charting song to date, was originally featured on their 1984 album Up and Down. It was definitely another '80s bop, and the band has a really great energy about them as they play it that's super infectious on their crowd in the live version.

All together now/Live is life/Live is life/Live is life/When we all give the power, we all give the best/Every minute of an hour, don't think about a rest/Then you all get the power, you all get the best/When everyone gives everything and every song everybody sings/Then it's life/Live is life/Live is life/Live/Live is life, when we all feel the power/Live is life, come on stand up and dance/Live is life, when the feeling of the people/Live is life, is the feeling of the band, yeah

Booty Swing by Parov Stelar (written by M. Füreder)

Marcus Füreder, better known by his stage/band name Parov Stelar, is an Austrian producer and DJ. Born in Linz (115 miles west of Vienna) in 1974, Füreder is known for his electro-swing and downtempo music and has worked with artists such as Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga throughout his twenty-four year career. Booty Swing, from his 2012 album The Princess, includes vocals from Cleo Panther, who was Parov Stelar's lead singer from 2011-2019, and charted very well both on American and Canadian iTunes for electronic music. This song is most definitely a bop and I really enjoyed it, despite the...interesting? lyrics...you'll see what I mean below.

Arab sheiks on the burning sands/Come into their harems and clap their hands/Said, "Come on, girls, are you ready to play/Let's have a little more of that swingin' today"/Now, in the land of Fu Manchu/The girls all now do the Suzie-Q/Clap their hands in the center of the floor/Saying, "Ching, ching, chop-suey, swing some more"/Now, geisha girls in old Japan/Wink behind their peacock fans/Since they learned to say, "Yeah/Let's swing it like Amelican's swing swing dance

Bis dass das Blut gefriert by Stahlhammer (composer unknown)

Stahlhammer was an Austrian Neue Deutsche Härte (a subgenre of rock) group formed in 1992. They've been on hiatus since 2010, but during their time together released 6 studio albums. At the time of their most recent album (Opera Noir, released in 2006), their lineup included vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist/programmer Gary Wheeler, bassist Peter Karoly, and drummer Michael Stoker. Bis dass das But gefriert (Until the Blood Freezes in English) was featured on their 1995 album Killer Instinkt. As I've mentioned before, my husband is a big hard rock/metal fan, so this sound wasn't super jarring to me, and I'd place it at a fairly solid metal song (keeping in mind that I can be called a casual hard rock fan a best). An English translation from the original German lyrics is below.

I am the power and the power and the glory/I’ll show you the way/Want you day and night and me/I’m just a phantom/Infatuation/Destruction/In my heart rests the pain and me/Don't let go/I am the Hasz and your pass into the kingdom/That leads down/I desire/I destroy

Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen by The Trapp Family Singers (written by F. Zipp, H. Isaac)

Yes, you're seeing that correctly - these are THE Trapp Family Singers, who most of the English speaking world knows better as the Von Trapp Family from The Sound of Music. Formed in Salzburg (183 miles southwest of Vienna) in 1935, the band truly did consist of the entire Von Trapp Family: parents Georg and Maria, and children Rupert, Agathe, Maria Franziska, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, Martina, and Johannes. Emigrating from Austria to the United States during World War II to escape the Nazis, the Trapp Family was best known for their renditions of vocal, religious, and instrumental music throughout their twenty-two year career. They have a rather large collection of Christmas songs available on Apple Music, but the song I chose to highlight is their cover of Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen (Innsbruck, I Have to Let You in English), a choral piece written by Friedrich Zipp and Heinrich Isaac. Their voices are every bit as beautiful as I wanted them to be having grown up with the story of their lives, and I highly encourage you to listen to them. An English translation of the original German lyrics is below.

Innsbruck, I have to let you/I drive there my streets/Away to a foreign land/My friend is taken from me/I don’t know/Where I am in misery/I have to bear great sorrow now/That I alone do complain/My favorite lover/Oh dear, now leave me poor/Your mercy in my heart/That I must be from there

A Steirermadl, a Tiroler Bua by Ursprung Buam (composer unknown)

Ursprung Buam (Origin Boys in Austro-Bavarian) is an Austrian folk group formed in Zillertal, Tyrol, Austria (280 miles southwest of Vienna) in 1993. One of the most popular touring groups in all of Austria, the group consists of fiddler/vocalist Martin Brugger, his brother Andreas Brugger the accordionist/vocalist, and their cousin Mannfred Höllwarth the bassist/harpist/vocalist. A Steirermadl, a Tiroler Bua (A Styrian Girl, a Tyrolean Boy in English) is from their 1999 album Aufgeigt weacht. I think folk music is so fun and fascinating, and this group is no exception. I totally see why they're top of their class at home, and even though I couldn't get a good translation of the lyrics I encourage you to give them a listen.

Idomeneo: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (written by W. Mozart)

Naturally, I have saved the most dramatic of our Austrian artists for last. The one and only Johannes Chrysostamus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart (I am not even kidding with that name, look it up) was born in Salzburg in 1756. A child prodigy who began playing the piano at the age of 3, he is often seen as the pinnacle of Classical Era music, having written over 800 pieces that covered every available genre during his lifetime. His repertoire spanned symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral works by the time of his early and somewhat mysterious death at the age of 35. While he had an ego bigger than Texas, he was definitely a genius that was under-appreciated in his time and I have a great deal of respect for him. I got to work on several Mozart pieces in college (Requiem, his final piece, is one of the greatest compositions of all time in my opinion, and also check out pretty much anything from The Marriage of Figaro), but the piece I've chosen to highlight here is the Overture for his 1781 opera Idomeneo, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest operas ever written. The overture is all instrumental, but any part of this piece is worth a listen for sure.

I hope you enjoyed our short virtual trip through Austrian music today - we packed some good ones in here for sure. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!