Figure 1.--The Tölzer choristers are seen here wearing their trade-mark checked red and white shirts woth lederhosen halters and hgrey jackets.
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Figure 1.--The Tölzer choristers are seen here wearing their trade-mark checked red and white shirts woth lederhosen halters and hgrey jackets. |
Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden during 1956 founded the Tölzer Knabenchor in Bad Tölz, the center of Upper Bavaria.
The Munich branch of the choir has been in existence since 1970 and now occupies its own studio in Munich-Solln. At the moments nearly 70 percent of the choir members come from Munich, the rest lives in Bad Tölz.
The thorough all-araund musical education of the members emanates from the voluntary self-discipline of each chorister, with creativity, spontaneity and the joy of singing, being held as much in esteem as the attainment of a highly- developed technique.
The choir, renowned for its wide musical range, has a priority in the performance of religious oratorios of the Baroque period, often accompained on original instruments, as some remarkable records prove, among them Schütz´s "Little Sacred Concertos" recorded between 1987 and 1993 under the direction of Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden.
Thanks to approxiamtely 240 concerts- and opera performances given by the various choir esembles per annum, the high educational cost are able to be met with. The children receive their financel due. Extensive concert-tours have led the Tölzer Knabenchor to China, Japan, USA, Israel, England, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria and Switzerland. Many great conductors such as Abbado, Barenboim, Bernstein, Böhm, Celibidache, Gardiner, v. Karajan, Levine, Maazel, Matha, Muti, Ozawa, Sawallisch ans Sir Georg Solti have performed and are performing with the Tölzer Knabenchor in leading opera houses and festivals of renown world wide. Opera an other solos for boysoprano were and are still sung by members of the CTölzer Knabenchor. Until now, 7 record procductions of Mozart´s "Magic Flute" exist, in wich the part of the 3 boys are sung by solits from Tölz.
The choir commonly presents amusing shows on German TV.
Finding U.S. Standard (NTSC) video of European boy choirs has been
almost impossible until now-- but here is a NTSC Release of the famous
TOELZER KNABENCHOR of Germany! This delightful video was taped
in Munich and has HI-FI Stereo sound. There are eight selections and
each one has the boys performing in a different 'formation' with colorful religious paintings in the background.
You will find their manner of singing different, in that on some selections, the boys turn and smile at each other while singing-- as if they were around a campfire. Some short solos are featured, and one piece features a duet with a second-camera shot of the featured boys being superimposed above-left of the other singers.
The selections are Christmas-- HOWEVER, since they are traditional European songs (instead of "Deck the Halls With Rudolph's Shiny Nose", and are sung in German, I believe U.S. viewers will enjoy them during any season! This video is available from the German Language Video Center . You may order on-line. Just ask for Item Number XM 88. Price is $19.95 plus $4 for Priority Mail Shipping. - Length: 25 minutes.
Figure 2.--The Tozer choir is seen here in their trademark knicker-length lederhosen. |
The native costumes worn by the Tölzer choristers are unique. A HBC contributor reports that the knicker-length lederhosen that the boys wear are probably not the normal concert dress. He thinks the lederhosen are worn for folkloric presentation. Available images show the boys wearing grey jackets or sweaters, red checked shirts, knickers-length lederhosen with halters, and red stockings. When they perform outside Germany this helps to create the impression that most German boys wear lederhosen. A German reader reports, "The Tölzer Knabenchor only wear lederhosen when they are on tour. Probably few of the choristers wear lederhosen at home or to school."
The Choir provided this information in 1996. Hopefully the financial situation of this fine choir has since improved.
Weltberuehmt und knapp bei Kasse - Der Toelzer Knabenchor wird 40. Die Solisten des Toelzer Knabenchores sind von der New Yorker Metropolitan Opera bis zur Oper in Tokio auf allen Buehnen der Welt zu Hause. Das Publikum in Deutschland hoert die bestens ausgebildeten jungen Saenger regelmaessig als "Drei Knaben" in Mozarts "Zauberfloete" oder bei den Bayreuther Festspielen als Hirtenknaben in Wagners "Tannhaeuser". Markenzeichen des
laengst nicht mehr in dem oberbayerischen Kurort Bad Toelz allein beheimateten Knabenchores sind seine professionell ausgebildeten Solisten, die an den grossen Opernhaeusern der Welt saemtliche Knabenpartien singen. Ausgerechnet in diesem Jahr, wenn der beruehmte Chor in den naechsten Wochen sein 40jaehriges Bestehen feiert, steckt das
Ensemble in einer ernsthaften Krise - nicht kuenstlerisch, sondern finanziell. Chorgruender und -leiter Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden blickt im Jubilaeumsjahr sorgenvoll in die Zukunft: "Die Eltern fordern immer hoehere Gagen fuer ihre Soehne, die wir nicht mehr bezahlen
koennen." Der Toelzer Knabenchor ist - anders als etwa die Wiener Saengerknaben oder die Regensburger Domspatzen - ein reines Privatunternehmen ohne Internat und Schule, das wenig Zuschuesse erhaelt. Obwohl Schmidt-Galen stolz darauf ist, dass seine
Saenger 80 Prozent der Kosten durch Auftritte einspielen, meint er, dass die Stadt Bad Toelz, "fuer die wir weltweit Reklamemachen", etwas mehr fuer den Chor tun muesste.
Der Chor mit seinen Saengern im Alter zwischen acht und 13 Jahren - mit dem Stimmbruch kommt automatisch das Aus - hat viele Erfolge vorzuweisen. Nach bescheidenen Anfaengen gelang der internationale Durchbruch 1960, als die Saenger in England 19
Konzerte gaben. Schicksalhaft fuer den Chor war die Begegnung mit Carl Orff im Jahr 1962. Daraus resultierte eine mehrjaehrige Zusammenarbeit mit dem Komponisten der "Carmina Burana". Neben Tourneen in alle Erdteile singen Solisten jaehrlich an die 200
Opernauffuehrungen. Es gibt keinen beruehmten Dirigenten, der nicht schon mal mit den "Toelzern" zusammengearbeitet hat. Vorerst gilt in Bad Toelz wegen der Ebbe in der Kasse jedoch ein "Gagenstop" fuer alle Saenger. Weil das Defizit derart gestiegen
ist, haben die Eltern zugestimmt, dass keine Gelder mehr auf die Konten der kleinen Stars ueberwiesen werden, bis sich die finanzielle Lage gebessert hat.
World famous and short of cash. The Toelzer Boys Choir at 40. The soloists of the Toelz Boys Choir are at home on all stages in the world, from the New York Metropolitan Opera to the Tokyo Opera. The German public regularly listens to these well-trained young singers performing as the "Three Boys" in Mozart's "Magic Flute" or at the Bayreuth Festival as the
"Shepherd Boys" in Wagner's "Tannhaeuser". The trademark of this boys chorus, that since some time no longer resides exclusively in the Upper-Bavarian spa of Bad Toelz, are its professionally trained soloists, who sing the entire boys' parts repertoire in the big opera
houses of the world. In this year (1996) when the famous choir is celebrating, of all things, it's 40th anniversary, the troupe is experiencing a serious crisis--not artistically, but financially. In this jubelee year the founder and director of the chorus,
Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, looks worriedly into the future. "Every time the parents demand higher fees for their sons, which we are not able to pay". The Toelz Boys Choir is different from, for example, the Vienna Boys Choir or the Regensburg Domspatzen (lit.transl.: "cathedral sparrows"!) in the sense that it is a genuine private enterprise without a boarding school and one that receives few donations. Although Schmidt-Gaden is proud of the fact that 80 percent of the costs are being earned through performances by his singers, he thinks that the city of Bad Toelz, "for whom we advertise world-wide", could do a little more for the choir. The choir with its singers between 8 and 13 years of age--the change of voice means an automatic termination--can show many successes. After modest
beginnings the international break-through was achieved in 1960 when the singers gave 19 concerts in England. Fateful for the choir was the meeting with Carl Orff in the year 1962. A collaboration of many years followed with the composer of the "Carmina Burana". Besides tours in all continents, the soloists sing in nearly 200 opera houses a year. There are no famous conductors who have not worked with the "Toelzers". For the time being, on account of the low tide in cash flow, there should be a stop in receiving fees for all singers. Since the deficit has climbed so much, the parents have agreed that there will be no more money transfers into the accounts of the little stars until the financial situation has improved.
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