Opus (Austrian band)

Opus is an Austrian rock band from Jewish village Straßengel in Styria, which had an international No. 1 hit with the title Live Is Life 1985. In Germany, this was the year in the best-selling single record.

• 3.1 Singles
• 3.2 albums

Band Members

Herwig Rüdisser is the lead singer of the band. He originally came from Klagenfurt and learned from the age of eight years of piano, and later, with 10 then came to guitar. In 1972 he won with the band JRC competition HELP. This was followed by training as a graphic designer and the move to Graz. In 1978, he became a singer of Opus, and took the band so far 13 studio albums on.

Ewald Pfleger is originally from Burgenland and lives in Graz since 1978. He studied from 1973 five years Geography and History at the University of Vienna and was involved in the founding of Opus.

Kurt René Plisnier began in 1963 with the music, when he took piano lessons at the music school Stegersbach. In 1972 he joined the Opus predecessor band. Three years later he graduated in Fürstenfeld and began his studies at the Musikhochschule in Graz.

Günter Grasmuck studied after high school Music and Performing Arts. In 1974 he became a member of the recently founded band "Opus ". Besides, he was with two other Styrian bands, STS and EAV, and when Kurt Gober band (KGB ) involved. In addition, he has worked as a producer for International artists.

History

The 13 -year-old Walter " Walt " Bachkönig had developed due to his musical education at the " Vienna Boys Choir " a passion for music, which was reflected in the establishment of a small band in the basement of his parents' house in Steger Bach. In the beginning was the drums out of empty cans of glue Steger Bacher shirt factory and a gift of Christmas Bass guitar and amplifier and an electric organ. With drummer Peter " Stevie" Stipsits and some amateur guitarists of Opus Pocus began. The basement was a magnet for young musicians from southern Burgenland and Styria. 1973 brought " Walt " the pianist Kurt " Kusche " Plisnier it. With it, the improvised sessions were to melodies. The young musicians did classical music such as the " Flight of the Bumblebee " by Nikolai Rimsky -Korsakov to rock music and began to write her own songs. Mostly bands like Deep Purple or Colosseum have been covered. Incidentally own compositions were recorded. The name " Opus " was found in " Stowasser " during the Latin homework sister of " Walt " Edith Bachkönig. First appearances were in restaurants and in the basement of the castle in Steger Bach. 1974 joined the drummer and guitarist Hans Günter Grasmuck pallier with the band. The latter left the band after 6 years. A first major success was winning the Styrian band competition. 1978 called the band's first Austrian rock festival to life. The end of this year, there was the whole band to Graz, shortly after the singer Herwig Rüdisser came about.

In 1980, the first plate, Daydreams, recorded, which appeared under the label Phonogram. Producer was Peter Janda. The bassist Walter Bach King left a short time later the group to pursue classical music projects; he was succeeded by Niki Gruber.

Breakthrough

1981 Opus came on the successful producer Peter Müller, with whom she recorded the LP Eleven. This placed in the top 10 of the Austrian charts, even posted some airplay with songs and was certified gold. The band also received the Austrian Journalist Award. This was followed on regional and gigs in Germany.

The second album, the concept album Opusition, was introduced in 1983 and due to great success in Austria and internationally published: Shortly before the band went on tour to the more than 100,000 people attended. The highlight was the Ö3 open-air concert in the Vienna West Stadium, in which she performed alongside artists such as Wolfgang Ambros already known or Rain Fendrich.

1984 album Up and Down was released after three months of studio work, producer was again Peter Müller. It was followed by another tour of Austria and Germany. Falco hired the now characteristic chorus of the band for his song Young Roemer.

Opus 1985 organized a concert at the stadium in Graz Liebenau was visiting from approximately 25,000 fans. Opus played with STS, the first general uncertainty, the Kurt Gober band, Wolfgang Ambros, Falco, Maria Bill and Wilfried, all sizes of then- Austropop.

International success

After the LP Up and Down the idea was floated to record a live album. There was also a new title with the name Live Is Life, which became an international success.

The band toured both the U.S. and by the states of the Eastern Bloc, then played concerts in Central and South America. The success was so great after all that Opus by Anton Karas and Falco was marketed as only the third Austrian band from New York music store Tower Records.

The seventh album Opus could not repeat the success of its predecessor. The single Whiteland only managed a top 3 ranking in Austria. The proceeds went towards Greenpeace. The band embarked on further international concerts, but got less and less consent and retired for now back from the music business.

Return

In 1991, the band's record company, and took a short time later the album Walking on Air out that could occupy in the Ö3 Austria Top 40 the 13th Place. It should be the last previously placed album. On the LP, there was also the single Gimme Love that could connect in Austria on previous successes.

In 1993, the group celebrated its 20th anniversary in Graz ( guest was, among others, Falco ) and took it to the live sampler Jubilée on. Singles and tours of the 1990s, however, have received little attention in the media.

Into the new millennium Opus started with an appearance on a ZDF Year's Eve Gala. After a two-year creative break in 2002 there were again international appearances and a new studio album titled The Beat Goes On.

For the 35th anniversary, the band released the best of Back to the Future. Shortly before the reggae remake of Live Is Life in the Austrian charts could place. The CD can be found next to the rock version, a dancehall remix of the classic. On the occasion of EURO 2008 in Austria, the song is marketed by Sony BMG.

2009 Opus played in the Graz Opera, accompanied by a classical orchestra under the direction of Christian Kolonovits some of their greatest hits. The concert was both published under the title Tonight at the Opera as audio and video recording.

Worldwide, Opus despite several nationally successful hits as a one- hit wonder.

Discography

Singles

Albums

Videography

Worth mentioning

• The band was originally called Pur also Opus and had to rename after the success of Live is Life of the Austrian band in 1985.
• Not infrequently played Falco as a surprise guest at the Bass Hit Flying High. Opus had boy Roemer participated in Falco's plate as background.