Vienna
en, Viennese
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has been an important center of musical innovation. 18th- and 19th-century composers were drawn to the city due to the patronage of the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
s, and made Vienna the European capital of
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
.
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
,
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
,
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
and
Johann Strauss II
Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...
, among others, were associated with the city, with Schubert being born in Vienna. During the
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
period,
Slavic and
Hungarian folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
forms influenced Austrian music. Vienna's status began its rise as a cultural center in the early 16th century, and was focused on instruments including the
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
.
Yodel
Yodeling, a form of singing that involves rapid and repeated changes of register, was developed in the Alps. What Austria called it was "juchizn".
Rock and pop music
Falco was the most popular Austrian solo artist throughout the 1980s. His song "
Rock Me Amadeus
"Rock Me Amadeus" is a song recorded by Austrian musician Falco (musician), Falco, for his third studio album, ''Falco 3'' (1985). The single was made available for physical sale in 1985 in German-speaking Europe, through A&M Records, A&M. "Roc ...
" reached number one of the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1986. His sudden death in 1998 in the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
catapulted his music from the 1980s once again into the spotlight.
Although Austria is not exactly the biggest exporter of international rock and pop-bands, there are a few notable musicians and bands.
Opus
''Opus'' (pl. ''opera'') is a Latin word meaning "work". Italian equivalents are ''opera'' (singular) and ''opere'' (pl.).
Opus or OPUS may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* Opus number, (abbr. Op.) specifying order of (usually) publicatio ...
also made it in the charts worldwide as well. In the last few years, several music groups toured Europe and had commercial success in the international charts. The most prominent being
Christina Stürmer
Christina Stürmer (born 9 June 1982) is an Austrian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Linz, she rose to fame as the runner-up of the inaugural season of the ORF eins television talent series '' Starmania''. Following her participation, ...
.
SheSays, who supported
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
on his European tour and some other bands like
Cornerstone
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Over tim ...
, are notable for their recent contributions. The bands
Wanda
Wanda is a female given name of Poland, Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends.Campbell, Mike"Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Wanda."''Behind the Name.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010. The name has long been po ...
and
Bilderbuch
Bilderbuch (English: "Picture Book") is an Austrian rock band and was formed in Kremsmünster, Austria in 2005 but has been based in Vienna since 2008. The current band members are Maurice Ernst (vocals, guitar), Peter Horazdovsky (bass), Micha ...
became successful in the 2010s.
Blackened
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
trio
Belphegor
In Christian demonology, Belphegor (or Beelphegor, he, בַּעַל-פְּעוֹר ''Báʿal-pəʿór'' - Lord of the Gap) is a demon. In later Kabbalah Belphegor is a demon who helps people make discoveries. He seduces people by suggesting to ...
currently leads the Austrian metal scene, which also includes
Hollenthon
Hollenthon is a heavy metal band from Austria founded in 1994.
History
The beginnings of Hollenthon date back to 1994, a time of an active Austrian Black Metal Syndicate and an incognito project known as Vuzem. He joined forces with drummer ...
,
Pungent Stench
Pungent Stench is a death metal band from Vienna, Austria, formed in 1988. Their last known lineup consists of Martin Schirenc (vocals/guitar), Danny Vacuum (vocals/bass), and Mike G. Mayhem (drums). Pungent Stench achieved early on prominence in ...
,
Abigor
Abigor is an Austrian black metal band formed in 1993. They are named after an upper demon of war in Christian demonology.
History
The band was formed in 1993 by Peter Kubik and Thomas Tannenberger. After the release of several demos, origi ...
,
Disharmonic Orchestra
Disharmonic Orchestra is an Austrian death metal/grindcore band.
History
The band was formed in Klagenfurt in 1987. Two demos were recorded. A gig in Germany with Pungent Stench led to a deal with Nuclear Blast in 1989. The first outcome of tha ...
,
Visions of Atlantis
Visions of Atlantis is an Austrian metal band from Styria, founded in 2000. Inspiration came both from successful symphonic metal band Nightwish and from the myth of Atlantis.
History
''Eternal Endless Infinity'' and lineup changes ( ...
,
Dornenreich,
Summoning and Estatic Fear.
Christian Fennesz
Christian Fennesz (born 25 December 1962) is an Austrian producer and guitarist active in electronic music since the 1990s, often credited simply by his last name. His work utilizes guitar and laptop computers to blend melody with treated samples ...
is an Austrian electronic musician. Other electronic musicians who call Austria home include
Der Blutharsch
Der Blutharsch was an Austrian martial industrial, neofolk and psychedelic rock project created in 1996 by Albin Julius.
Group leader Albin Julius died on 4 May 2022.
History
Originally a side project to The Moon lay hidden beneath a Clou ...
, active in the
Neofolk scene, as are
Sturmpercht.
Drummer
Thomas Lang
Thomas Lang (; born 5 August 1967) is an Austrian drummer. He is the founding member of the Los Angeles-based progressive/ avant garde metal band stOrk and is known for his international session work on a wide variety of genres such as rock, ...
was born in Vienna in 1967, and has played with artists such as
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is a British musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session ...
,
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
and
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
.
One of the few international touring bands is
Killed By 9V Batteries
Killed by 9V Batteries is an Austrian indie rock band.
Biography
Founded in Graz in 2002, the members entered a temporary hiatus in 2005. However in the same year, they re-grouped and later signed to the Vienna-based indie label Siluh Records ...
and
Gasmac Gilmore from Vienna.
Yearly the
Waves Vienna Music Festival & Conference takes place in October. This festival is a showcase festival for European pop music acts.
Contemporary classical music
The
Vienna Philharmonic
The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...
is a world-renowned classical music ensemble and tours throughout the year all over the world. Their
New Year's Day concert held in
Vienna
en, Viennese
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every year in the
Musikverein is one of Europe's most important classical concerts during the year.
Electronic music
There is a vital
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
scene in Austria. Groups and artists include
Parov Stelar
Marcus Füreder (born 27 November 1974), better known by his stage name Parov Stelar, is an Austrian musician, composer, producer, DJ and designer. His musical style is based on a combination of jazz, house, electro, hip hop, and pop.
Biog ...
,
Bernhard Fleischmann,
Kruder and Dorfmeister and
Elektro Guzzi.
Drum 'n' Bass also has a healthy reputation, with internationally successful Artists like
Camo & Krooked
Camo & Krooked are an electronic music duo from Vienna, Austria with their musical roots embedded in drum and bass, consisting of Reinhard "Camo" Rietsch (born 12 November 1983 in Salzburg) and Markus "Krooked" Wagner (born 31 July 1989 in Lilie ...
, Disaszt,
Ill.Skillz and
Mefjus.
Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte
Neue Deutsche Härte (; "new German hardness"), sometimes abbreviated as NDH, is a subgenre of rock music that developed in Germany and Austria during the early-to-mid 1990s and during the early 2000s. Alluding to the style of Neue Deutsche Well ...
(New German Hardness) is most popular in Austria and the rest of the
German Sprachraum. Notable bands include
Stahlhammer and
L'Âme Immortelle
L'Âme Immortelle (French for "the immortal soul") is an Austrian darkwave duo. Many of L'Âme Immortelle's songs feature melancholy or lovelorn lyrics in German or English, and juxtaposed harsh male and emotional female vocals. In 2004 they swi ...
, both of which have had some international success. The German band
Samsas Traum is now based in Austria as well.
Eurovision success
At 2014,
Conchita Wurst
Thomas Neuwirth (born 6 November 1988) is an Austrian singer and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst (or simply Conchita). Neuwirth came to international attention after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 as with t ...
won the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
representing Austria. Conchita Wurst is a drag queen portrayed by Thomas "Tom" Neuwirth, which sparked some controversy. Following the win, the
60th anniversary Eurovision was held in
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, registration_plate = W
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in 2015. This was the second Eurovision contest to be held in Austria, first one being
in 1967, after the winning performance
Merci, Chérie
"Merci, Chérie" (; "Thank you, darling") was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, performed for by Udo Jürgens with lyrics in German and partially in French. It is an earnest ballad in which the singer, as he leaves her, than ...
by
Udo Jürgens
Udo Jürgens (born Jürgen Udo Bockelmann; 30 September 1934 – 21 December 2014) was an Austrian composer and singer of popular music whose career spanned over 50 years. He won the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 for Austria, composed close ...
.
Other musicians
Other commercially successful musicians are:
Andreas Gabalier
Andreas Gabalier (born next to Friesach on 21 November 1984) is an Austrian folk singer. In 2012, he won the ECHO music award in folk music category, the Amadeus Austrian Music Award in 2012 as Best Live Act and Best Schlager Singer and in ...
,
DJ Ötzi
Gerhard "Gerry" Friedle (born 7 January 1971), better known by his stage name DJ Ötzi (), is an Austrian pop and Schlager singer. Successful mainly in German-speaking countries, he is best known in the English-speaking world for his 2000 single ...
,
Hansi Hinterseer
Johann Ernst "Hansi" Hinterseer (born 2 February 1954) is an Austrian singer, actor, entertainer and former alpine skier.
Sports career
Hinterseer is the son of Ernst Hinterseer, who won a gold medal in slalom skiing at the 1960 Winter Olympics. ...
,
RAF Camora
Raphael Ragucci (born 4 June 1984), known professionally as RAF Camora, is an Austrian rapper.
Biography
Raphael Ragucci was born in Vevey, Switzerland, to an Austrian father from Voralberg and an Italian mother from Naples. Ragucci settled i ...
,
Hubert von Goisern
Hubert von Goisern (born Hubert Achleitner, 17 November 1952) is an Austrian singer-songwriter and world musician. With his mix of rock music and elements of traditional Volksmusik he has become a prominent exponent of the so-called New Volksmus ...
,
Wolfgang Ambros
Wolfgang Ambros is an Austrian singer-songwriter. He is one of the most important contemporary Austrian musicians and is considered to be one of the founders of Austropop.
Life
1952–1970
Wolfgang Ambros was born in the Semmelweisklin ...
,
Rainhard Fendrich
Rainhard Jürgen Fendrich (born 27 February 1955) is an Austrian singer, composer, entertainer, and actor. He is one of the most successful Austropop musicians, and his songs are written in Viennese German. He is very popular in Austria, but less ...
,
Georg Danzer
Georg Franz Danzer (7 October 1946, in Vienna – 21 June 2007, in Asperhofen, Lower Austria) was an Austrian singer-songwriter. Although he is credited as one of the pioneers of Austropop (most famous are his comic songs "Jö schau" (about a ...
,
S.T.S.,
Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung
The ''EAV'' (Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung, German for "First General Confusion/Uncertainty/'Uninsurance'") was an Austrian band which was formed in 1977 and disbanded in 2019.
Nino Holm first established a band called "Anti-Pasta", but it ...
,
Willi Resetarits,
Papermoon,
Seiler und Speer, Pizzera & Jaus,
Die SEER, Nockalm Quintett,
The Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz,
Vienna Boys' Choir
The Vienna Boys' Choir (german: Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other count ...
.
See also
*
Austrian folk dance
*
Ländler
The Ländler () is a folk dance in time which was popular in Austria, Bavaria, German Switzerland, and Slovenia at the end of the 18th century.
It is a partner dance which strongly features hopping and stamping. It might be purely instrument ...
*
List of Austrians in music
This is a list of Austrian composers, singers, conductors and bands:
__NOTOC__
A
*Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736-1809), composer and music theorist
*August Wilhelm Ambros (1816-1876), composer (19th century)
*Wolfgang Ambros, singer (Austr ...
*
Music of Vienna
*
Music of Innsbruck
Innsbruck is a city in the Austrian Alps whose musical heritage long played an important role in the music of Austria. Modern Innsbruck is home to the International Festival of Early Music (which features music from 1500 to 1750), an Eastern mus ...
*
Schlager music#Germany and Austria
References
Further reading
"Famous Austrian Composers."Naxos Records
Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...
*Wagner, Christopher. "The Alpunk Phenomenon". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'', pp 7–12.
Rough Guides
Rough Guides Ltd is a British travel guide book and reference publisher, which has been owned by APA Publications since November 2017. In addition to publishing guidebooks, the company also provides a tailor-made trips service based on custome ...
Ltd, Penguin Books.
*Wagner, Christopher. "Soul Music of Old Vienna". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'', pp 13–15. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books.
External links
Music Information Center Austria*
Audio clip: traditional Austrian music. Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.
Schrammel-Quartett– from the web encyclopedia www.aeiou.at
Music Shoppe Gerald BradenClassical Music Channel,
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
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