About This Item
October 29, 1923 was a date steeped in history. In the middle of a year of political and economic crises, the age of public radio in Germany was ushered in with the first broadcast of the InchBerliner FunkstundeInch (Berlin Radio Hour) from the attic of an office building on Potsdamer Platz. - Radio offered entirely new possibilities for the production and reception of music. The two compositions on this CD not only benefited from these developments but also played an active role in shaping them. Eduard Künneke's five-movement Concerto grosso InchTänzerische SuiteInch op. 26 for jazz band and large orchestra was the sixth commission the composer received from the Berliner Funk-Stunde. It's five movements corresponded to modern dances the Overture is a Foxtrot, the Andante a Blues, the Intermezzo a Tango, the valse mélancolique a Boston Waltz and the Finale a Foxtrot again. The premiere took place under Künneke's baton on September 8, 1929 in Hall 5 at the Berlin Funkausstellung. The Berlin Funk Orchestra played together with Dajos Béla's renowned jazz band. The suite was celebrated as a milestone in contemporary radio music and soon became part of the regular concert programme. Even the critics were enthusiastic InchKünneke skilfully combines the character of the old suite with modern means. Modern dances are stylised vividly with exciting rhythms and rich tone colours, and with delightful use of prominent solo instruments such as the violin, the saxophone, etc. It all sounds very good on the radio this is pleasing, imaginative, symphonic jazz at the best level. Inch Hanns Eisler's cantata InchTempo der ZeitInch (Tempo of the Times) op. 16 for soloists, narrator, choir, winds and percussion was written in 1929 as a commission for the Donaueschingen Festival (known as InchDeutsche Kammermusik Baden-BadenInch from 1927 to 1929). The premiere took place in Baden-Baden
