Upscale light music
Upscale popular music is a term in German musical culture that developed with the introduction of radio orchestras in Germany in the 1920s. Alternative terms are Light symphonic music and radio music or radio music .
stylistics
The music of the spa concert formed a basis since the 19th century. There the musicians of the symphony and opera orchestras played a mixed repertoire between symphonic music and salon music in the summer months . With the advent of the gramophone and radio media , this repertoire developed into an independent genre.
The main consumer was radio with its entertainment orchestras, which until the 1960s had a constant need for new compositions. In contrast to art music , the listeners demanded symphonic music (without singing voices), which did not have to be listened to with full attention. Characteristic of the upscale light music was the use of simple harmonies with complex instrumentation as well as the inclusion of jazz and folklore. Another special feature was the playing time of the works of a maximum of 20 minutes, which was tailored to the needs of broadcasters . Character pieces , suites , potpourris or variations were popular as genres , and virtuoso concert pieces were also in demand. A typical work of this genre is Memory of a Ball Experience (1939) by Hans Bund .
Due to the constant demand, a trunk of professional composers for high-quality light music was formed. They were classically trained and could mediate between entertainment and art music. This made it possible to perform the works in the concert hall. Particularly popular pieces were also arranged for salon orchestras . The pieces were rarely released on record .
Up until the end of the 1960s, works of upscale light music were often recorded by radio orchestras and broadcast by German broadcasters. But there was already a trend towards even shorter compositions lasting up to 5 minutes. At the same time, the focus on current dance music increased. In the 1970s the popularity of this genre decreased or concentrated on arrangements of well-known evergreens.
In Winterthur (Switzerland) since 1991, hosts the annual International Festival of popular music instead.
Composers (selection)
literature
- Margaret Engeler: Upmarket light music. Verlag Krebs, Basel 1993, ISBN 3-85775-953-7 .
- M. Spohr: History and media of "upscale popular music" . Chronos, Zurich 1999, ISBN 3-905313-39-1 .