Figure 1.--German boys are involved in a variety of fine arts disciplines. In Germany the most important fine art is certainly music. Germany is perhaps more famed for music than any other country. Here we see a German boy who looks to be about 5 years old beginning his piano studies. He is diligently practicing at home in 1953.

German boys are involved in a variety of fine arts disciplines. In Germany the most important fine art is certainly music. Germany is perhaps more famed for music than any other country. Many of the most famed classical compsers were German. The German musical tradition is long and deep and at the hear of the western musical tradition. Learning and playing a musical instrument is an important tradition in many German families. German immigrants heped bring that tradition to America. In addition to instrumental music, there is also a strong choral tradition in Germany. Many countries of Western and Central Europe have a long tradition of church boys' choirs dating back to the medevil era. Germany has like, neigboring countries, has an important choral tradition. Germany includes formerly independent states with both protestant and catholic populations. The choral tradition in Germany is associated with both catholic and protestant churches. The dance tradition is much less important, but there are notable folk traditions. The drama tradition dates from the medieval passion plays. German boys also engage in the visual arts, something that childeen can begin to enjoy from an early age.

Art

German boys also engage in the visual arts, something that childeen can begin to enjoy from an early age. And of course Germany has produced many well-known artists.

Choir

Many countries of Western and Central Europe have a long tradition of church boys' choirs dating back to the medevil era. Germany has like, neigboring countries, has an important choral tradition. Germany includes formerly independent states with both protestant and catholic populations. The choral tradition in Germany is associated with both catholic and protestant churches. Protestant churches dominate the north while catholic churches are diominate in Bavaria and other southern areas near Austria.

Dance

We have little information on dance in Germany. We know nothing about social dancea t this time. We see some dancing at what looks like festivals. We think children were involved in May Day dancing as in America and Britain. This wouldn't be folk dancing as the children dress up in their best outfits rather than folk costumes. We know more about folk dancing. The only dance that we are aware of at this time is the ethnic Bavarian Schuhplattler dances performed as Octoberfests and ethnic festivals. We know that there was a revival in all aspects of folk culture, including songs and dance, in Germany during the late 19th and eraly 20th century. The Wandervogel in particular was noted for this. The Hitler Youth in the 1930s adopted many features of Wandervogel, but an interest in folk dance was not one of them.

Drama

The German dramatic tradition is somewhat different than the rest of Europe in that Germany thnks to the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest did not become part of the Roman Empire. The Empire for nearly four centuries stopped at the Rhine. Thus the Germans were not exposed to classical drama and there were no Roman theaters in Germany. As the classical tradition was virtally lost in the West, this may not have been as big a factor as might have been thought. The history of German drama dates to a generalized European medieval era and the entertaiments of markets. Often they were quite baudy. Another influence was the liturgical tradition of the church bits of chanted dialogue, known as tropes, were used with the liturgy. Priests playing biblical figures, acted out scenes from the holiday stories. These short plays eventually became more elaborate and began to be staged outside the churches. We now know them as passion plays. Secular often baudy elements were introduced as guilds began to replace the priests. The glorification of God became mixed with the celebration of local toen's aschievements. This tradition continues weith the Oberammergau Passionsspledarsteller. The nature of the plays and roles was strongly influenced by the guild master-singers of Nuremberg and other important market towns. At about this time, as a result of the renaissance, clasical plays become increasingly known to scholars. German dramicists emerged. Luther was suspious of drama. And German dramicists were eclipsed by French and English authors by Moliere and Shakespeare. German dramna came into its own with Gothe and "Faustus" (19th century). We know very little about school theatricals in Germany. A factor here may also be the more limited approach to extra-curricular activities in German schools. We note some unidentified boys putting on a play during World War I, but we are not sure it is a school group. One author describes Berlin today as one of the culturally most vibrant cities in Europe. Berlin has more than a hundred theaters as well as and several opera houses. Theatrical performances are very divers. Theater goers can chose from performnces of classical drama, vaudeville, Broiadway musicals, and opera.

Music

Germany is perhaps more famed for music than any other country. Many of the most beloved classical compsers were German. We are unsure just why this was, but surely the education system is at least partially responsible. Hopefully our German readers will provide some insight here. We are unsure just how Germany approached music instruction. We suspect is was essentially a matter of home training by musically inclined parents and private instruction. This would suggest that it was largely a middle-class phenomenon. We are not sure at this time how common instrumental music was among working-class Germans. Churches may have also played a role. Many important figures in German music cae out of church choirs. Both Catholic and Protestant churches had choirs. Germany of course until the 1870s was split into many different countries and other jurisdictions. So there may have been substantial differences among the different German states. At this time we only have some limited information on marching bands. We note portraits of boys with instruments. We are unsure at this time just how popular different instruments were among German boys.

Created: 1:31 AM 12/10/2010
Last updated: 1:31 AM 12/10/2010