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{{Short description|Boys' choir in Vienna, Austria}}
{{Infobox choir
{{Infobox choir
| name = Vienna Boys' Choir
| name = Vienna Boys' Choir<br />{{small|{{lang|de|Wiener Sängerknaben}}}}
| image = Wiener Saengerknaben.jpg
| image = Wiener Saengerknaben.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| image_size = 260px
| caption = The Vienna Boys' Choir during a 2003 concert at the [[Wiener Musikverein]]
| caption = Performing at the [[Musikverein]] in Vienna, 2003
| origin = [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]
| alias = Vienna Choir Boys
| founding = 1498 ({{years ago|1498}} years ago)
| origin = [[Vienna]], Austria
| genre =
| founding = {{start date and age|1924}}
| music director = Gerald Wirth
| music director = Gerald Wirth
| headquarters = [[Palais Augarten]]
| headquarters = [[Palais Augarten]]<br />Vienna, Austria
| website = [http://www.wienersaengerknaben.at/ wienersaengerknaben.at]
| website = {{URL|https://www.wsk.at/en|www.wsk.at}}
}}
}}


The '''Vienna Boys' Choir''' ({{lang-de|Wiener Sängerknaben }}) or '''Vienna Choir Boys''' is a [[choir]] of [[boy sopranos]] and [[alto]]s based in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]. It is one of the best known [[boys' choir]]s in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries.
The '''Vienna Boys' Choir''' ({{langx|de|'''Wiener Sängerknaben'''}}) is a choir of [[boy soprano]]s and [[alto]]s based in [[Vienna]], Austria. It is one of the best known [[boys' choir]]s in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries.


The choir is a private, [[Non-profit organization|not-for-profit organization]]. There are approximately 100 choristers between the ages of ten and fourteen. The boys are divided into four touring choirs, named after Austrian composers [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]], [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] and [[Franz Schubert|Schubert]], which combined perform about 300 concerts each year before almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks.<ref name="wsk" /> Some pieces include "Good Morning" and "Merry Christmas from Vienna Boys".
The choir is a private, [[non-profit organization]]. There are approximately 100 choristers between the ages of nine and fourteen. The boys are divided into four touring choirs, named after Austrian composers [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]], [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] and [[Franz Schubert|Schubert]], which combined perform about 300 concerts each year before almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks.<ref name="wsk" /> Some pieces include "Good Morning" and "Merry Christmas from Vienna Boys".


==Early history==
==Early history==
[[File:Arno Argos Raunig WSK.jpg|thumb|240px|The Vienna Boys' Choir in 1970]]
⚫
[[File:Musikverein Wien 2009 04 30.JPG|thumb|310px|Musikverein Wien 2009 04 30|[[Gustav Mahler|G. Mahler]] ''[[Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)|Symphony of a Thousand]]'' – Vienna Boys' Choir – [[Wiener Singverein]] – Slovenský filharmonický zbor – [[Staatskapelle Berlin]] – [[Pierre Boulez]] – [[Wiener Musikverein|Musikverein]]ssaal (April 2009)]]
⚫
[[File:Wien - Palais Augarten (2).JPG|thumb|240px|[[Palais Augarten]] has served since 1948 as a boarding school for the choir]]
The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs of the Viennese Court, dating back to the late [[Middle Ages]]. The choir was, for practical purposes, established by a letter from Emperor [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] of Habsburg on 30 June 1498, instructing court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. [[Jurij Slatkonja]] became the director of the ensemble. The role of the choir (numbering between 24 and 26) was to provide musical accompaniment for the church mass. Additionally, the [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]] [[Michael Haydn|brothers]] were members of the [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|St. Stephen's Cathedral]] choir, directed at the time by [[Georg Reutter II]], who used this choir in his duties for the imperial court, which at the time had no boy choristers of its own.
The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs of the Viennese Court, dating back to the late [[Middle Ages]]. The [[Wiener Hofmusikkapelle]] was established by a letter from Emperor [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] on 30 June 1498, instructing court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. [[George Slatkonia]] became the director of the ensemble. The role of the choir (numbering between 24 and 26) was to provide musical accompaniment for the church mass. Additionally, the [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]] [[Michael Haydn|brothers]] were members of the [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|St. Stephen's Cathedral]] choir, directed at the time by [[Georg Reutter II]], who used this choir in his duties for the imperial court, which at the time had no boy choristers of its own.


Over the centuries, the choir has worked with many composers, including [[Heinrich Isaac]], [[Paul Hofhaimer|Hofhaimer]], [[Heinrich Ignaz Biber|Biber]], [[Johann Fux|Fux]], [[Antonio Caldara|Caldara]], [[Christoph Willibald Gluck|Gluck]], [[Antonio Salieri|Salieri]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], [[Franz Schubert]] and [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]].<ref name="wsk">[http://www.wsk.at/jart/prj3/wsk_website/main.jart?rel=en&content-id=1184916523214&reserve-mode=active History from the Official web-site of the Choir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927143916/http://www.wsk.at/jart/prj3/wsk_website/main.jart?rel=en&content-id=1184916523214&reserve-mode=active |date=2011-09-27 }}</ref>
Over the centuries, the choir has worked with many composers, including [[Heinrich Isaac]], [[Paul Hofhaimer|Hofhaimer]], [[Heinrich Ignaz Biber|Biber]], [[Johann Fux|Fux]], [[Antonio Caldara|Caldara]], [[Christoph Willibald Gluck|Gluck]], [[Antonio Salieri|Salieri]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], [[Franz Schubert]] and [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]].<ref name="wsk">[http://www.wsk.at/jart/prj3/wsk_website/main.jart?rel=en&content-id=1184916523214&reserve-mode=active History from the Official web-site of the Choir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927143916/http://www.wsk.at/jart/prj3/wsk_website/main.jart?rel=en&content-id=1184916523214&reserve-mode=active |date=2011-09-27 }}</ref>


In 1920, following the fall of the Austrian Empire, the ''Hofkapelle'' (court orchestra) was disbanded. However, the [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] at the time, Josef Schnitt, sought a continuation of the tradition. In 1924, the Vienna Boys' Choir was officially founded, and it has evolved into a professional music group. The choir adopted the now-famous blue and white [[sailor suit]], replacing the imperial military cadet uniform that included a [[dagger]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Susanna |last=Loof |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=20021208&id=jnkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0usDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5160,2119072 |title=Busy, intense life in the choir is a whole lot of fun, students say |publisher=[[The Register-Guard]] |date=2002-12-08}}</ref> The composer [[HK Gruber]] is one of the graduates of the reformed choir.<ref>{{cite news |first=Geoffrey |last=Norris |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/geoffreynorris/4592446/HK-Gruber-a-composer-who-refuses-to-be-bound-by-rules.html |title=HK Gruber: a composer who refuses to be bound by rules |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2009-02-11}}</ref>
In 1920, following the fall of the [[Austrian Empire]], the ''Hofkapelle'' (court orchestra) was disbanded. However, the [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] at the time, Josef Schnitt, sought a continuation of the tradition. In 1924, the Vienna Boys' Choir was officially founded, and it has evolved into a professional music group. The choir adopted the now-famous blue-and-white [[sailor suit]], replacing the imperial military cadet uniform that included a [[dagger]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Susanna |last=Loof |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=20021208&id=jnkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0usDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5160,2119072 |title=Busy, intense life in the choir is a whole lot of fun, students say |publisher=[[The Register-Guard]] |date=2002-12-08}}</ref> The composer [[HK Gruber]] is one of the graduates of the reformed choir.<ref>{{cite news |first=Geoffrey |last=Norris |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/geoffreynorris/4592446/HK-Gruber-a-composer-who-refuses-to-be-bound-by-rules.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213212457/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/geoffreynorris/4592446/HK-Gruber-a-composer-who-refuses-to-be-bound-by-rules.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-02-13 |title=HK Gruber: a composer who refuses to be bound by rules |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2009-02-11}}</ref>

⚫
[[File:Wien - Palais Augarten (2).JPG|thumb|310px|Since 1948, the [[Palais Augarten]] has served as a boarding school for the Vienna Boys' Choir]]
Since 1948, the [[Palais Augarten]] has served as their rehearsal venue and boarding school, which goes from [[kindergarten]] level up to middle school level.
Since 1948, [[Palais Augarten]] has served as the rehearsal venue and boarding school, which goes from [[kindergarten]] level up to middle school level.


In 1961, Walt Disney filmed ''[[Almost Angels]]'', a fictional drama about (and starring) the Vienna Boys' Choir, set and filmed in the Palais Augarten. It was Disney who, for cinematographic reasons, persuaded the Austrian government to allow the boys to legally wear the Austrian national emblem on the breast of their uniform, a tradition that continues to this day.
In 1961, Walt Disney filmed ''[[Almost Angels]]'', a fictional drama about (and starring) the Vienna Boys' Choir, set and filmed in the Palais Augarten. It was Disney who, for cinematographic reasons, persuaded the Austrian government to allow the boys to legally wear the Austrian national emblem on the breast of their uniform, a tradition that continues to this day.


==Recent history==
==Recent history==
⚫
[[File:Musikverein Wien 2009 04 30.JPG|thumb|240px|[[Gustav Mahler|G. Mahler]], ''[[Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)|Symphony of a Thousand]]'' – Vienna Boys' Choir – [[Wiener Singverein]] – Slovenský filharmonický zbor – [[Staatskapelle Berlin]] – [[Pierre Boulez]] – [[Musikverein|Wiener Musikverein]] (April 2009)]]
Gerald Wirth became the choir's artistic director in 2001. However, since then, the choir has come under pressure to modernize and has faced criticism of their musical standards, leading to a split with the [[Vienna State Opera]]. The choir has for the first time had to advertise for recruits after a rival choir school was established by [[Ioan Holender]], director of the opera company. He complained of both falling standards and poor communication with the choir. He said that the State Opera sometimes trained boys for particular stage roles, only to find out on the day of performance that they were unavailable as they had gone on tour with the choir. Some boys were attracted to the rival choir school by the prospect of a more relaxed atmosphere and of performance fees being paid directly to them.<ref>{{cite news |first=Clare |last=Chapman |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/1423519/TheVienna-Boys-Choir-seeks-new-recruits-for-the-first-time.html |title=The Vienna Boys' Choir seeks new recruits for the first time |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2003-03-02}}</ref>
Gerald Wirth became the choir's artistic director in 2001. However, since then, the choir has come under pressure to modernize and has faced criticism of their musical standards, leading to a split with the [[Vienna State Opera]]. The choir has for the first time had to advertise for recruits after a rival choir school was established by [[Ioan Holender]], director of the opera company. He complained of both falling standards and poor communication with the choir. He said that the State Opera sometimes trained boys for particular stage roles, only to find out on the day of performance that they were unavailable as they had gone on tour with the choir. Some boys were attracted to the rival choir school by the prospect of a more relaxed atmosphere and of performance fees being paid directly to them.<ref>{{cite news |first=Clare |last=Chapman |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/1423519/TheVienna-Boys-Choir-seeks-new-recruits-for-the-first-time.html |title=The Vienna Boys' Choir seeks new recruits for the first time |publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2003-03-02}}</ref>


The Vienna Boys' Choir has sought to update its image, recording pop music selections and adopting an alternative uniform to the sailor suits used since the 1920s, allowing the boys to dance as they sing.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Leidig |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/1466155/Chorus-of-disapproval-as-Vienna-Boys-Choir-dons-Star-Trek-suits.html |title=Chorus of disapproval as Vienna Boys' Choir dons 'Star Trek' suits |publisher=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |date=2004-07-04}}</ref> After Eugen Jesser died in May 2008, Walter Nettig became the choir's president. Gerald Wirth has been the artistic director since 2001, and he also became the choir's president in 2013.<ref name="wsk" />
The Vienna Boys' Choir has sought to update its image, recording pop music selections and adopting an alternative uniform to the sailor suits used since the 1920s, allowing the boys to dance as they sing.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Leidig |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/1466155/Chorus-of-disapproval-as-Vienna-Boys-Choir-dons-Star-Trek-suits.html |title=Chorus of disapproval as Vienna Boys' Choir dons 'Star Trek' suits |publisher=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |date=2004-07-04}}</ref> After Eugen Jesser died in May 2008, Walter Nettig became the choir's president. Gerald Wirth has been the artistic director since 2001, and he also became the choir's president in 2013.<ref name="wsk" /> The current President is Erich Arthold, who started serving this position in Dec 2022.


The [https://www.vbcma.com Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy] (VBCMA) is the official music academy of the Vienna Boys Choir (VBC) with its headquarters located in Hong Kong. VBCMA carries on with the pedagogical traditions of the Vienna Boy Choir, offering year-round music programmes with songs from different cultures and in different languages. Classes are conducted from September every year to July next year in schools, community venues and online.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy |url=http://www.vbcma.com}}</ref>
⚫
In 2010, following [[sexual abuse]] allegations from two former choristers stemming from the late 1960s and early 1980s, the Vienna Boys' Choir opened a confidential phone and e-mail hotline to allow others to come forward. Eight possible victims came forward saying they were abused, either by staff or other choir members.<ref>{{cite news |first=Victor |last=Homola |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/world/europe/18briefs-CHOIRFACESA_BRF.html |title=Austria: Choir Faces Abuse Allegations |publisher=[[The New York Times]] |date=2010-03-17}}</ref>


The [https://www.facebook.com/vbcmaf/ Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy Foundation] (VBCMAF) is a registered charitable organization under the Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance in Hong Kong. The 'Hong Kong - Vienna Music Festival' was set up by the Foundation in 2016, promoting the exchange of musicians from both places and presenting joint performances by them, such as the 'Mahler Symphony No 8' and the 'Beethoven from Day to Night - Piano Sonatas Marathon". The Festival also presented the 'Summer Music Academy' every year (except the pandemic years in 2020-2022), where a team of international conductors leads a weekly music camp for students from 7–25 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy Foundation |website=[[Facebook]] |url=https://www.facebook.com/vbcmaf/}}</ref>
⚫
==Selected discography==


⚫
In 2010, following [[sexual abuse]] allegations from two former choristers stemming from the late 1960s and early 1980s, the Vienna Boys' Choir opened a confidential phone and e-mail hotline to allow others to come forward. Eight possible victims came forward saying they were abused, either by staff or other choir members.<ref>{{cite news |first=Victor |last=Homola |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/world/europe/18briefs-CHOIRFACESA_BRF.html |title=Austria: Choir Faces Abuse Allegations |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2010-03-17}}</ref>

⚫
==Selected discography==
===Christmas===
===Christmas===
*''Frohe Weihnachten'' (2015)
*''Frohe Weihnachten'' (2015)
Line 50: Line 56:
*''Frohe Weihnacht'' (1960)
*''Frohe Weihnacht'' (1960)
*''Christmas Angels'' (RCA Gold Seal)
*''Christmas Angels'' (RCA Gold Seal)
*''Silent Night
*''Silent Night''


===Pop music===
===Pop music===
Line 58: Line 64:
===Other recordings===
===Other recordings===
*[[Carl Orff|Orff]]: ''[[Carmina Burana (Orff)|Carmina Burana]]'' (with [[André Previn]] and the [[Vienna Philharmonic|Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra]]) (1994)
*[[Carl Orff|Orff]]: ''[[Carmina Burana (Orff)|Carmina Burana]]'' (with [[André Previn]] and the [[Vienna Philharmonic|Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra]]) (1994)
*Angelic Voices (1998)
* "Doraemon no Uta"<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/COCX-32885|title=Doraemon Movie Theme Song Collection Animation CD Album|work=CDJapan|access-date=2018-01-03|language=en}}</ref> for the animated motion picture ''[[Doraemon: Nobita and the Legend of the Sun King]]'' (2000)
* "Doraemon no Uta"<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/COCX-32885|title=Doraemon Movie Theme Song Collection Animation CD Album|work=CDJapan|access-date=2018-01-03|language=en}}</ref> for the animated motion picture ''[[Doraemon: Nobita and the Legend of the Sun King]]'' (2000)
* Silk Road: Songs Along the Road and Time (Music from the Motion Picture) (with [[Yulduz Usmanova]] and Nursultan Saroy) (2008)
* Silk Road: Songs Along the Road and Time (Music from the Motion Picture) (with [[Yulduz Usmanova]] and Nursultan Saroy) (2008)
* [[LG G2]] Theme song and ringtone (2013)
* Strauss For Ever (2018)


The Vienna Boys' Choir performed the song "[[The Little Drummer Boy]]" in the [[Rankin/Bass]] TV special [[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)|of the same name]].
The Vienna Boys' Choir performed the song "[[The Little Drummer Boy]]" in the [[Rankin/Bass]] TV special [[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)|of the same name]].

==Feature films==
* ''Kleine große Stimme'' (Little big voice) (2015)
* ''Songs for Mary'' (2014)
* ''Bridging the Gap'' (2013)
* ''Silk Road'' (2008)
* ''[[Almost Angels]]'' (1962)
* ''[[When the Bells Sound Clearly]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Der schönste Tag meines Lebens]]'' (The best day of my life) (1957)
* ''[[Voices of Spring (1952 film)|Voices of Spring]]'' (1952)
* ''Singende Engel'' (The singing angels) (1947)
* ''Boys of the Prater'' (1946)
* ''Concert in Tirol'' (1938)
* ''An Orphan Boy of Vienna'' (1936)


==Featured composers==
==Featured composers==
Line 78: Line 101:


===Smaller works based on anthologies===
===Smaller works based on anthologies===
{{div col begin}}
*[[Anton Bruckner]], [[Christus factus est, WAB 11|Christus factus est]]
*[[Anton Bruckner]], [[Christus factus est, WAB 11|Christus factus est]]
*Anton Bruckner, [[Locus iste (Bruckner)|Locus iste]]
*Anton Bruckner, [[Locus iste (Bruckner)|Locus iste]]
Line 106: Line 130:
*[[Tomás Luis de Victoria]], O regem coeli
*[[Tomás Luis de Victoria]], O regem coeli
*Tomás Luis de Victoria, Una hora
*Tomás Luis de Victoria, Una hora
{{div col end}}


==See also==
==See also==
{{portal|Austria||Classical music}}
*[[Vienna Girls' Choir]]
*[[Vienna Girls' Choir]]
*[[Drakensberg Boys' Choir School]]
*[[Drakensberg Boys' Choir School]]
*[https://www.vbcma.com Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy]
*[https://www.facebook.com/vbcmaf/ Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy Foundation]


==References==
==References==
Line 115: Line 143:


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Wiener Sängerknaben|Vienna Boys' Choir}}
{{commons category|Wiener Sängerknaben}}
* [http://www.wsk.at/ Official website] – in German and [http://www.wsk.at/en English]
* {{official website|https://www.wsk.at/en}}
* [http://www.wsk-schule.at/ School's official website] – in German
* [http://www.wsk-schule.at/ School's official website] {{in lang|de}}
* [https://www.vbcma.com Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy]
* [https://classicworld.at/vienna/concerts/vienna-boys-choir-sunday-mass/?p=33&l=2&c=1&d=12&id=11 Concerts in Vienna]
* [https://www.facebook.com/vbcmaf/ Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy Foundation]
⚫
* [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/vienna-boys-choir-mn0000173201/discography/ Discography]
* [http://freunde-wsk.com/?lang=en Friends of the Vienna Boys Choir]
* {{Discogs artist|Vienna Boys' Choir}}
⚫
* {{AllMusic |id=vienna-boys-choir-mn0000173201 |tab= discography |title=Discography of Vienna Boys' Choir}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1498 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:1498 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:15th-century establishments in Austria]]
[[Category:15th-century establishments in Austria]]
[[Category:Austrian choirs]]
[[Category:Choirs in Vienna]]
[[Category:Boys' and men's choirs]]
[[Category:Boys' and men's choirs]]
[[Category:Choirs of children]]
[[Category:Choirs of children]]
[[Category:Music in Vienna]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in the 15th century]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in the 15th century]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Vienna]]
[[Category:EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists]]
[[Category:EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists]]

Latest revision as of 10:48, 7 December 2024

Vienna Boys' Choir
Wiener Sängerknaben
Choir
Performing at the Musikverein in Vienna, 2003
Also known asVienna Choir Boys
OriginVienna, Austria
Founded1924; 101 years ago (1924)
Music directorGerald Wirth
HeadquartersPalais Augarten
Vienna, Austria
Websitewww.wsk.at

The Vienna Boys' Choir (German: Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries.

The choir is a private, non-profit organization. There are approximately 100 choristers between the ages of nine and fourteen. The boys are divided into four touring choirs, named after Austrian composers Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert, which combined perform about 300 concerts each year before almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks.[1] Some pieces include "Good Morning" and "Merry Christmas from Vienna Boys".

Early history

[edit]
The Vienna Boys' Choir in 1970
Palais Augarten has served since 1948 as a boarding school for the choir

The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs of the Viennese Court, dating back to the late Middle Ages. The Wiener Hofmusikkapelle was established by a letter from Emperor Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire on 30 June 1498, instructing court officials to employ a singing master, two basses and six boys. George Slatkonia became the director of the ensemble. The role of the choir (numbering between 24 and 26) was to provide musical accompaniment for the church mass. Additionally, the Haydn brothers were members of the St. Stephen's Cathedral choir, directed at the time by Georg Reutter II, who used this choir in his duties for the imperial court, which at the time had no boy choristers of its own.

Over the centuries, the choir has worked with many composers, including Heinrich Isaac, Hofhaimer, Biber, Fux, Caldara, Gluck, Salieri, Mozart, Franz Schubert and Bruckner.[1]

In 1920, following the fall of the Austrian Empire, the Hofkapelle (court orchestra) was disbanded. However, the rector at the time, Josef Schnitt, sought a continuation of the tradition. In 1924, the Vienna Boys' Choir was officially founded, and it has evolved into a professional music group. The choir adopted the now-famous blue-and-white sailor suit, replacing the imperial military cadet uniform that included a dagger.[2] The composer HK Gruber is one of the graduates of the reformed choir.[3]

Since 1948, Palais Augarten has served as the rehearsal venue and boarding school, which goes from kindergarten level up to middle school level.

In 1961, Walt Disney filmed Almost Angels, a fictional drama about (and starring) the Vienna Boys' Choir, set and filmed in the Palais Augarten. It was Disney who, for cinematographic reasons, persuaded the Austrian government to allow the boys to legally wear the Austrian national emblem on the breast of their uniform, a tradition that continues to this day.

Recent history

[edit]
G. Mahler, Symphony of a Thousand – Vienna Boys' Choir – Wiener Singverein – Slovenský filharmonický zbor – Staatskapelle Berlin – Pierre Boulez – Wiener Musikverein (April 2009)

Gerald Wirth became the choir's artistic director in 2001. However, since then, the choir has come under pressure to modernize and has faced criticism of their musical standards, leading to a split with the Vienna State Opera. The choir has for the first time had to advertise for recruits after a rival choir school was established by Ioan Holender, director of the opera company. He complained of both falling standards and poor communication with the choir. He said that the State Opera sometimes trained boys for particular stage roles, only to find out on the day of performance that they were unavailable as they had gone on tour with the choir. Some boys were attracted to the rival choir school by the prospect of a more relaxed atmosphere and of performance fees being paid directly to them.[4]

The Vienna Boys' Choir has sought to update its image, recording pop music selections and adopting an alternative uniform to the sailor suits used since the 1920s, allowing the boys to dance as they sing.[5] After Eugen Jesser died in May 2008, Walter Nettig became the choir's president. Gerald Wirth has been the artistic director since 2001, and he also became the choir's president in 2013.[1] The current President is Erich Arthold, who started serving this position in Dec 2022.

The Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy (VBCMA) is the official music academy of the Vienna Boys Choir (VBC) with its headquarters located in Hong Kong. VBCMA carries on with the pedagogical traditions of the Vienna Boy Choir, offering year-round music programmes with songs from different cultures and in different languages. Classes are conducted from September every year to July next year in schools, community venues and online.[6]

The Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy Foundation (VBCMAF) is a registered charitable organization under the Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance in Hong Kong. The 'Hong Kong - Vienna Music Festival' was set up by the Foundation in 2016, promoting the exchange of musicians from both places and presenting joint performances by them, such as the 'Mahler Symphony No 8' and the 'Beethoven from Day to Night - Piano Sonatas Marathon". The Festival also presented the 'Summer Music Academy' every year (except the pandemic years in 2020-2022), where a team of international conductors leads a weekly music camp for students from 7–25 years old.[7]

In 2010, following sexual abuse allegations from two former choristers stemming from the late 1960s and early 1980s, the Vienna Boys' Choir opened a confidential phone and e-mail hotline to allow others to come forward. Eight possible victims came forward saying they were abused, either by staff or other choir members.[8]

Selected discography

[edit]

Christmas

[edit]
  • Frohe Weihnachten (2015)
  • Wiener Sängerknaben Goes Christmas (2003)
  • Frohe Weihnacht (Merry Christmas) (1999)
  • Christmas in Vienna / Heiligste Nacht (1990)
  • Merry Christmas from the Vienna Choir Boys (1982)
  • Christmas with the Vienna Choir Boys (with Hermann Prey)
  • Christmas with the Vienna Boys' Choir, London Symphony Orchestra (1990)
  • Weihnacht mit den Wiener Sängerknaben (Hans Gillesberger 1980)
  • The Little Drummer Boy (TV 1968)
  • Die Wiener Sängerknaben und ihre Schönsten ... (1967)
  • Frohe Weihnacht (1960)
  • Christmas Angels (RCA Gold Seal)
  • Silent Night

Pop music

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  • I Am from Austria (2006)
  • Wiener Sängerknaben Goes Pop (2002)

Other recordings

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The Vienna Boys' Choir performed the song "The Little Drummer Boy" in the Rankin/Bass TV special of the same name.

Feature films

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Smaller works based on anthologies

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c History from the Official web-site of the Choir Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Loof, Susanna (2002-12-08). "Busy, intense life in the choir is a whole lot of fun, students say". The Register-Guard.
  3. ^ Norris, Geoffrey (2009-02-11). "HK Gruber: a composer who refuses to be bound by rules". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2009-02-13.
  4. ^ Chapman, Clare (2003-03-02). "The Vienna Boys' Choir seeks new recruits for the first time". The Daily Telegraph.
  5. ^ Leidig, Michael (2004-07-04). "Chorus of disapproval as Vienna Boys' Choir dons 'Star Trek' suits". The Sunday Telegraph.
  6. ^ "Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy".
  7. ^ "Vienna Boys Choir Music Academy Foundation". Facebook.
  8. ^ Homola, Victor (2010-03-17). "Austria: Choir Faces Abuse Allegations". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "Doraemon Movie Theme Song Collection Animation CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
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