Werner Müller (composer)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Werner Müller (born August 2, 1920 in Berlin , † December 28, 1998 in Cologne ) was a German author , composer , conductor , arranger and orchestra leader . He also worked under the pseudonyms Heinz Buchholz, Heinz Ullmer, Ricardo Santos .

Life

Müller actually wanted to become an “Africa researcher”, or alternatively a medical doctor. However, his father made sure that he received a music education. The piano and violin were Müller's first instruments and at the age of 10 he was already performing as a soloist with a violin concerto by Mozart. In 1936 Müller went to the military music school in Bückeburg . There he also learned the trumpet . During his military service, Müller joined a music corps in which the violinist Helmut Zacharias also served. While he was an American prisoner of war , Werner Müller enthusiastically became acquainted with swing .

In 1946 Müller got to know the Kurt Widmann Orchestra in Berlin, probably the “hottest” band in Berlin, for which he arranged until 1948. Not quite 30 years old, Müller took over the then newly established RIAS Berlin dance orchestra in 1949 , whose recipe for success, thanks to Werner Müller, soon included the formula "Swing with a lot of string". The instrumentalists of the RIAS dance orchestra included renowned musicians such as clarinetist Rolf Kühn , baritone saxophonist Helmut Brandt , pianist Fritz Schulz-Reichel and guitarist Arno Flor .

The concertmaster of the RIAS dance orchestra, Hans-Georg Arlt with 18 strings, was responsible for the “much string” . The further composition of the orchestra, with four trumpets , four trombones , five saxophones and four rhythm instruments, gave the recordings an unmistakable dance orchestra sound that still fascinates the audience today.

In the 1950s and 1960s, every cinema-goer knew Müller's title " Sport und Musik " from the sports coverage in the newsreel . His arrangement of “ Malagueña ”, composed around 1928 by the Cuban Ernesto Lecuona , in the vocal version with Caterina Valente, became a global success in the mid-1950s . Müller then proudly named his own motor yacht after this title. As a producer, Müller helped many vocal soloists in the post-war years to fame, such as Rita Paul , Mona Baptiste and Bully Buhlan . The title melody of the ARD sports show Topsy comes from Müller's pen , which was originally published as the B-side of the single Schaufenster Deutschland .

After 18 years in Berlin, Müller moved to Cologne in 1967, where he took over the WDR dance orchestra and was thus seen in many television shows. In the course of time, dozens of records were made with the name “Orchester Werner Müller”, but very few of them made it into the CD era. Because of the umlauts "ü" in his name, Müller also called himself " Ricardo Santos " for record releases abroad . His many tango recordings and instrumental titles such as "Baia" by Ary Barroso or "Siboney" and "Malagueña" as well as many other titles were successful . Numerous contemporary, including international hits were re-recorded as instrumental versions by the Werner Müller Orchestra and used in the weekday magazine broadcasts of the WDR radio.

As head of the RIAS and WDR dance orchestras, Müller was often responsible as the musical director for programs by Hans Rosenthal : “Fun has to be”, “Alone against all”, etc. a. In the early 1960s he produced the legendary series "Werner Müller's Schlager-Magazin" (NDR / RIAS production) with the presenter Harald Juhnke . Müller's composition "Blende auf" (Blende auf) was used daily for 42 years as a characteristic melody in the popular program "Car drivers on the move" on Radio Vienna (ORF).

Müller was also successful as a book author, for example in 1983 with his political thriller Gold for a Thousand Years ( Goldmann Verlag ), which was to be followed by three more thrillers.

Discography (excerpt)

  • "Blende auf" - Werner Müller and the RIAS dance orchestra, Bear Family Records BCD 16215 AH
  • "The great German dance orchestras - Werner Müller and the RIAS dance orchestra", Documents / Membran
  • "That is until 1970 (1956) / Die Musicbox" - Werner Müller and the RIAS dance orchestra, single Polydor 23 358
  • "Percussion in the Sky (1962) / Wild Strings" (1963) - Werner Müller and the RIAS Tanzorchester, 2 LPs on one CD, Vocalion (UK) CDLK 4235
  • "On the Move / The Latin Splendor of Werner Müller" - Werner Müller and the RIAS Dance Orchestra, 2 LPs on one CD, Vocalion (UK) CDLK 4303
  • “Spectacular Tangos / Gypsy!” - Werner Müller and his orchestra, 2 LPs on one CD, Vocalion (UK) CDLK 4318
  • "On Broadway (1965) / Hawaiian Swing (1963)" - Werner Müller and his orchestra, 2 LPs on one CD, Vocalion (UK) CDLK 4271
  • "Germany (19 ??) / Vienna (1969)" - Werner Müller and his orchestra, 2 LPs on one CD, Vocalion (UK) CDLK 4339
  • “Dancing with - Werner Müller and the WDR Dance Orchestra”, Delta Music, CD
  • "Keep Smiling" - Werner Müller, Jazz Club, CD
  • "The Golden Sound of Werner Müller" - Werner Müller and his orchestra, CD, Teldec Polygram 1984, 8.25779 ZP
  • "Tango Tango Tango" - Werner Müller and his orchestra, LP, Teldec 1983, 6.25672 AP

Film music

Lexical entries

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Conversations with contemporary witnesses with Roger Handt , u. a. on September 6, 2019 on WDR 4 in "Musiktalk" about the 70s with Peter Großmann