German music

• 1.GERMAN MUSICGENRES German Classical EastGermanPopular & Contemporary

2. ABOUT GERMAN MUSIC German music has a long and illustrious musical history withcontributions made from as long as we could remember. From Wagner to Beethovens majestic musical melodies, Germanmusic has a steady place in history. 3. MODERN GERMAN MUSICRammstein are at the same time one ofGermanys most loved and hated bands. Theiruncompromising heavy metal, obscene lyricsand over the top live shows are reminiscent ofMarilyn Manson. 4. TRADITIONAL GERMAN MUSIC Germanys traditional folk songs, known as Volkslieder,are popular with the older generations and occupyprime-time on some German TV stations. This kind of music is not so popular with youngergenerations, partly because of its history of beingmanipulated by politicians of all colours. Germany is also the home of many Christmas carols.Such universally admired classics as Silent Night andOh Christmas Tree were both originally German. 5. THE GERMAN CLASSICAL COMPOSERS Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Bach who once said of playing an instrument - Theres nothingremarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right timeand the instrument plays itself - is considered the greatest exponent ofbaroque music. 6. His best known works areprobably the BrandenburgConcerti, The Well-TemperedClavier, The Art of Fugue, TheMass in B-minor, and The St.Matthew Passion. 7. FRIEDRICH HANDEL (1685-1759)The name of Friedrich Handel is now most strongly associated with his WaterMusic. The suite was composed to appease King George I . 8. LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Both the father and grandfather ofBeethoven were court musicians. Hispersonal style is characterised by itsoptimism, where ill-fortune is joyfullyovercome by enthusiasm. He went deaf at the age of 29, but carriedon composing and was planning a tenthsymphony on his deathbed. 20,000people attended his funeral. 9. WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) Mozart was without doubt the most brilliant musical child genius of all time. He produced more than 600 works before his premature death. Rumour has it that he was poisoned by his rival Salieri who worried that he might be displaced as the most popular composer in Italy. 10. CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVALS The largest summer festival for classicalmusic in Germany is the Schleswig-HolsteinMusik Festival. 11. FOLK MUSIC Germany has many unique regions with their own folk traditions of musicand dance. Much of the 20th century saw German culture appropriated forthe ruling powers (who fought "foreign" music at the same time). Mostrecently, the East German regime promoted folk music as long as it waswhat they saw as an expression of pure German tradition, and a tool forspreading party propaganda. In both East and West Germany, folk songs called volkslieder were taught tochildren; these were popular, sunny and optimistic, and had little relation toauthentic German folk traditions.