Das Deutsche Zupforchester - Mandolin Concertos and more

[mandoisland]

I have just compiled two playlists with recordings by the Deutsche Zupforchester (German Plucked Strings Orchestra) conducted by Siegfried Behrend.
This orchestra was composed of the best mandolin and guitar players in Germany at that time, including Takashi Ochi, Michael Tröster, Keith Harris, Wolfgang Bast, Fred Witt and many others.
Those recordings were made in the 1970s and 1980s. They have now been made available at youtube, but they are hard to find. I guess that you can also find those recordings on other sources - but I prefer listening to youtube.

You can find the playlists in my (German) blog post.

The first playlist includes many Vivaldi concertos and also some great concertos for oboe an plucked strings orchestra. Those concertos were originally published on different albums.
The second playlist ends with the famous experimental piece Styx by Greek composer Anesthis Logothetis which is still hard to listen to today.

I have played with this orchestra one year - and I can be found on this picture which was used on one of the albums:

[Martin Jonas]

Thanks a lot, Michael. I didn't realise you used to play with the DZO!

In addition to the audio recordings you have linked, Youtube also has a 30-minute TV documentary from 1971, dubbed into English, showing Behrend working with the DZO, with Takashi Ocho on first mandolin. The first part includes a performance of the Vivaldi Concerto for Two Mandolins (first movement), and the second includes a 10-minute performance of "Styx", as mentioned in your post. It's not any easier to listen to when you have the visuals as well as the audio.

Part 1:



Part 2:



Martin

[margora]

The DZO recordings are historically very important, as are the YouTube videos, which I have watched many times. Personally, I would absolutely LOVE an opportunity to participate in a performance of "Styx" or, alternatively, Behrend's "Requiem for Hiroshima". Steffen Trekel told me once that "Styx" was in fact performed again not long ago by an "en masse" pickup group at a festival in Germany (I think Steffi Acquavella-Rauch may have also participated in his performance). So much of the literature for mandolin orchestra is musically bland (or worse). Can't say that about "Styx".