Stadt der goldenen Mitte

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK:
This composition is intended – based on an idea by conductor Johann Hirzberger – to commemorate the special connection between the Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni and Frohnleiten.
Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) was introduced as a child prodigy in Trieste at the age of seven, gave piano recitals in Vienna at the age of nine, was already conducting at the age of 12, and at the age of 15 he became a member of the academy in Bologna.
Busoni was a cosmopolitan. His home was the entire musical West. He changed his residences restlessly throughout his life. Frohnleiten was also one of the many stations in his life.
In 1878, the Busoni family of three came to Graz and Ferruccio, then twelve years old, gave piano concerts in Graz and Vienna. A Viennese doctor recommended a cold water cure to him to improve his health. Ferruccio probably chose the Frohnleiten cold water institute rather than Bad Aussee to be closer to his piano teacher Wilhelm Mayer-Remy, with whom he studied during his stay in Graz. In 1884 he arrived in Frohnleiten with his father. In 1886 the Mayer-Remy family, whom Busoni admired, also moved to Frohnleiten and from then on Ferruccio found a constant companion for his walks in the romantic surroundings in Melanie Mayer, his teacher's daughter. During his two-year stay in Frohnleiten he also gave three concerts there, including a benefit evening with Peter Rosegger. Correspondence from this time also shows that Busoni was in contact with the Vienna Philharmonic. He applied with some of his compositions and also as a piano soloist. In 1886, after falling out with his difficult father, Ferrucio left Frohnleiten and traveled to Germany.
About the march:
The first part is deliberately based on a composition by F. Busoni. A part from the third Bagatelle for violin and piano was chosen for this, which was written in 1888, i.e. soon after his time in Frohnleiten, especially since the more well-known film music for Disney's "UP" is quite similar to this very work by Busoni. We will probably never know whether Busoni remembered one of the many walks with Fraulein Mayer when composing it. However, Busoni's melody, which originally sounds in ¾ time, does not lose any of its charm when adapted to the 6/8 rhythm of the march and, over the course of the composition, merges with the additional melodic parts to form a larger whole.
The final version of the march was created in close collaboration between Johann Hirzberger (conductor of the MV Frohnleiten) and Siegmund Andraschek.

About the march:
The first part is deliberately based on a composition by F. Busoni. A part from the third Bagatelle for violin and piano was chosen for this, which was written in 1888, soon after his time in Frohnleiten, especially since the more well-known film music for Disney’sUP is quite similar to this very work by Busoni. We will probably never know whether Busoni remembered one of the many walks with Fräulein Mayer when he was composing. However, Busoni’s melody, which in the original sounds in ¾ time - adapted to the 6/8 rhythm of the march - does not lose any of its charm and merges with the additional melody parts to form a larger whole over the course of the composition.
The final version of the march was created in close collaboration with Johann Hirzberger (bandmaster of the MV Frohnleiten).