A few years ago, a friend gave me a cd compilation of the Pre WW2 German singing group, The Comedy Harmonists. The Comedy Harmonists were immensely popular and able with their close harmony ensemble style to let the various members drift in and out as the lead voice. They were able to convey the effect of a small orchestra and usually worked with only a piano accompaniment.
The last concert by the original group was in 1934. Three of the members were Jewish and another had a Jewish wife. As the Nazis enforced their anti Jewish laws, first, they were not allowed to perform any compositions by Jewish composers and then it became harder and harder for them to perform any where in Germany, in spite of their popularity.
Finally the group disbanded, the Jewish members made it to the States and the others tried to regroup under the name, Das Miestersextette as they were not allowed to use
foreign language words during the Nazi rule.
2 comments:
You forgot the fact that some of the Comedian Harmonists greatest fans were high level Nazis, in particular, Julius Streicher!
Streicher actually stopped heckling of the group by brownshirts because he liked them so much!!!
The group disbanded with the non-jews staying in Germany and forming an "aryan" version which wasn't up to the quality of the original group.
I suggest the film "Comedian Harmonists" for anyone interested in this group.
I really want to see the film.
I have a friend who gave me the cd collection a few years ago who is a music writer, musician, producer who wanted to know more about them.
He asked the German embassy in NYC for information and all they told him was when the war started they became very depressed...
I am leaning more about them as I read. the last living member of the original group died not so long ago.
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