Vienna Art Orchestra

The Vienna Art Orchestra ( VAO ) was an Austrian orchestra of Modern Creative. It was founded by Mathias Rüegg, Wolfgang puschnig and Woody Schabata in Vienna in 1977. Until its dissolution in 2010, it was developed under the guidance of Mathias Rüegg one of the most innovative and successful groups of the younger jazz history.

Band History

The ensemble was initially " out of pure joy, inspired by the Viennese underground" founded and joined soon becoming increasingly sophisticated compositions and arrangements by Mathias Rüegg on numerous stages across Europe.

When the end of the 1980s, the original cast, which included long years the singer Lauren Newton and Herbert Joos, Hannes Kottek and Jürgen Wuchner, largely dissolved, followed after a short stagnation in 1992 a re-orientation in smaller ensembles with musicians like Matthieu Michel, Andy Scherrer, Klaus Dick Bauer, Marc half army and Florian Bramböck and the singer Corin Curschellas. Rüegg wrote less, it arose mainly arrangements for programs such as European Songbook, Ballads or American Rhapsody.

In 1997, again the cast of the ensemble. Musicians such as pianist Uli Scherer left the orchestra, dle band was a total younger, and musicians such as Anna Lauvergnac, Thomas Gansch, Robert Riegler, Arkady Shilkloper, Christian Muthspiel, Martin Koller, Alegre Corrêa and Georg Breinschmid added met. The formation played again in great big band occupation. She developed the swinging big band in its traditional form and their ability to provide not only the musical quality also dramatic and visually durchkonzipierte concerts. In addition, again were regularly compositions by Mathias Rüegg on the program.

In 2009 there was another major reshuffle of the ensemble. The sound of the big band body was replaced by a chamber orchestra, were united in the classical and jazz musicians, all appeared as soloist in appearance. In the new program Rüegg processed his knowledge of jazz and classical music and let it flow into a new unit together.

The last concert of the ensemble took place at the Music forum in pen Viktring in Carinthia on 9 July 2010. The next day, Mathias Rüegg announced on the website of the ensemble under the heading " Game over " the end of the Vienna Art Orchestra. As reasons for his decision he called " chronic underfunding, a massive drop in demand from the core countries of Austria, Switzerland and Germany as well as economic contingent collapse of countries like Italy, Spain or France," and finished with a become known by Janis Joplin quote from the song Me and Bobby McGee by Kris Kristofferson: " Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose ."

On October 6, 2012, came for one concert a reunion of the Vienna Art Orchestra in largely original cast of the 80s. As part of the "generations " Jazz Festival in Frauenfeld ( CH) most musicians were together again after 23 years on stage and played only pieces of the time. A longer-term reactivation of the band, however, is not provided.

Importance

With over 800 concerts in 50 countries and more than 35 recordings, the VAO was regarded as one of the leading European ensembles of Modern Creative Jazz and act as official cultural ambassadors of Austria. 2001 and 2003 was nominated the Vienna Art Orchestra for one Amadeus Austrian Music Award.

In an article by Klaus fasting this pointed out last saxophonist Harry Sokal in the 21- member ensemble had played as a " senior member ": " He was the first gig there." In the eighties, the VAO " was to spearhead of musical postmodernism "has become. Mathias Rüegg, interviewed in writing, commented on the impact of the economic crisis with " ... of course it hits the lobby free jazz scene in particular. ", The creative industry will be undervalued as an economic factor. The VAO is " the only privately run large professional formation in Europe in the field of jazz " was, " which was occupied internationally and has worked consistently. " Rüegg praised in an interview Gerhard Randa ( Bank Austria ) " for its massive commitment in the field of jazz ," without it " the VAO long gone " would have been. When asked about his personal future career Rüegg said what fasting made ​​her the title of the report: "A better orchestra I will not find it. "

For the author and music critic Robert Fischer, published in 2007 trilogy 3 is something like the musical legacy of the Vienna Art Orchestra: "On the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Art Orchestra he gave himself and us the trilogy " 3 ", the first part - " American Dreams Portraits of 13 American Women. " - masterfully demonstrates what today is to make big band music in the situation the second and longest part -. » European Visionaries Portraits of 13 European Men " -. has come even a more intensive and controls with the Stephen Hawking dedicated circuit piece "Black Holes " on a brilliant climax of the entire production to the third part but -. " Visionaries & Dreams Portraits of 13 Couples ' -. represents a successful synthesis of the first two parts represent and, especially, Mathias Rüegg pur ...

Discography (selection)

  • Tango from Obango - 1980 - Extraplatte
  • The Minimalism of Erik Satie - 1984 - HatHut Records
  • Night ride of a lonely saxophoneplayer 1985 Live double LP, Moers Music 02054 /5
  • Swiss Swing ( Vienna Art Orchestra And Voices) 1986 - Moers Music 02060
  • Inside Out - Live 1986 - Moers Music 02062 /63
  • European Songbook - 1995 - BMG
  • Duke Ellington 's Sound of Love - 1999 - TCB Records
  • Big Band Poetry - 2004 - Universal Music
  • American Dreams - European Visionaries - Visionaries & Dreams - 2007 - Universal Music
  • Third Dream - 2009 - Extraplatte
  • Vienna Art Orchestra - The Big Band Years - 2010 - Universal Music (Compilation on 4 CDs, Limited Edition)
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