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Vienna, the capital city of Austria, is well-known for the contributions it has made in the word of music. The city had been famous as the European capital of classical music during the 18th and 19th centuries as the then rulers, the Habsburgs, had shown very keen interest in the field of music. This interest provided a chance for the musicians and music composers from across the world to visit the Austrian capital.
Some of the world famous musicians have renowned connections with this city. They include Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Strauss II and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The classical Austrian music was influenced by the Hungarian and Slavic folk music when Austria was under the Baroque empire. During the 1500s, Vienna grew popular as a cultural centre, the focus of the music being purely instrumental. Stringed instruments, especially lute, were used proficiently during the period.
Read in detail about the various types of music commonly heard in Austria.
Yodeling
Yodelling is one of the most common forms of music, originating from the Alps. It is a fast form of music with recurring changes in modulations. In Austria, yodelling is famously known as Juchzn.
Schrammelmusik
Yet another common type of the contemporary folk music of Austria is the Viennese Schrammelmusik. This form of music is actually a blend of the actual Austrian folk music with those played by immigrants from Hungary, Slovenia, Moravia and Bavaria. This form of music uses a double-necked guitar and an accordion. Some of the famous artists performing this kind of music are Karl Hodina, Roland Neuwirth and Edi Reiser.
Schrammelmusik derived its two famous Schrammelmusik performing brothers, Josef Schrammel and Johann Schrammel. They formed a trio with Anton Strohmayer as their bass guitarist. Their contributions for developing the music and bringing it to the middle-class and upper-class people of Vienna are commendable. The Schrammel-Quartett was formed with the addition of George Dänzer as the clarinettist.
The foreign influences, especially those from the blues, were incorporated into the traditional Schrammelmusik by a young performer known as Neuwirth.
Alpine Punk Rock
The Alpine Punk, or Alpunk, as it is known is a form of punk rock. This punk rock hails from the Germany-based Alpine regions, Austria and Switzerland. It is a beautiful blend of energetic rhythms from the punk rock with chaotic rhythms. The blend also has the traditional Austrian folk music, which uses the accordion.
Rock Music & Pop Music In Austria
Austria also forms the base for pop and rock music famous across the world. One of the very well known solo performers from Austria was Falco. His songs like 'Der Kommisar' and 'Rock Me Amadeus' had been two of the largest hits during the 1980s. 'Rock Me Amadeus' had even made its space in the top Billboard Hot 100 during 1986. His music gained popularity after he passed away in the Dominican Republic in 1998.
Even though Austria is not a very prominent contributor in the field of rock music, there are few bands that have made it big in the world of rock music.
One of them is Opus, which topped music charts across the globe. Several music bands, based in Austria, have conducted tours across the world, along with achieving commercial victory with chartbusters. One of the renowned music bands in this category is the Christina Stürmer, having made their presence felt in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
A music band called SheSays has rendered support to Bryan Adams, while he performed at the European tour. Cornerstone as well as AOR has also made noteworthy contributions to the rock music.
Contemporary Austrian Music
The Vienna Philharmonic, an Austria-based world-famous classical music company, conducts tours right through the year across the nations. The New Year Day gig is held by this particular band in Vienna annually in the Musikverein. This is a very significant classical performance in the entire Europe.
People of Austria, like any other part of the world, are brought together under a single magic called music. Relax and unwind yourself while listening to the beautiful Austrian music. The music will definitely leave a non-erasable touch to fill you with joy and happiness.
