Over the centuries, the choir has worked with many composers including Mozart, Caldara, Salieri, Heinrich Isaac, Hofhaimer, Biber, Fux, Gluck, and Bruckner.
History
The choir is the modern-day descendant of the boys' choirs from the Viennese Court, dating back to the late Middle Ages. The choir was, for practical purposes, established by a letter written by Maximilian I of Habsburg on 7 July 1498. In the letter the Emperor instructed 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 fourteen and twenty) was to provide musical accompaniment to the church mass. The boys received a solid musical education, which in most cases had a significant impact on the rest of their lives, as many went on to become professional musicians. The composers Jacobus Gallus, Franz Schubert, and the conductors Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and Clemens Krauss were members of the choir. 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.
In 1920 the Hofkapelle (court musicians) 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 has evolved into a professional music group. Since 1948 the Palais Augarten has served as their rehearsal venue and boarding school which goes from kindergarten level up to middle school level. The choir adopted its now-famous blue and white sailor suits, replacing the imperial military cadet uniforms that included a dagger. The composer HK Gruber is one of the graduates of the reformed choir.
The choir is a private, 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 for Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert, which perform about 300 concerts each year in front of almost 500,000 people. Each group tours for about nine to eleven weeks.
After Dr. Eugen Jesser died in May 2008, Walter Nettig became the choir's president and Franz Schlosser its director. Gerald Wirth became the choir's artistic director in 2001.
Since the turn of the 21st century, the choir has come under pressure to modernise 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 of 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.
Selected discography
Christmas
* Wiener Sängerknaben Goes Christmas (2003)
* Frohe Weihnacht (Merry Christmas) (1999)
* Christmas in Vienna / Heiligste Nacht (1990)
* The Little Drummer Boy (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 (Gillesberger 1980)
* Die Wiener Sängerknaben und ihre Schönsten ... (1967)
* Frohe Weihnacht (1960)
* Christmas Angels (RCA Gold Seal)
Pop music
* I Am from Austria (2006)
* Wiener Sängerknaben Goes Pop (2002)
Other recordings
* Orff: Carmina Burana (with Andre Previn and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) (1994)
O Tannenbaum
Vienna Boys' Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
TEXT: Ernst Anschütz, 1824
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur
zur Sommerzeit,
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich
was lehren:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Trost und Kraft
zu jeder Zeit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Das soll dein Kleid
mich lehren.
ENGLISH
Literal English translation
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How loyal are your leaves/needles!
You're green not only
in the summertime,
No, also in winter when it snows.
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How loyal are your leaves/needles!
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
You can please me very much!
How often has not at Christmastime
A tree like you given me such joy!
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree,
You can please me very much!
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
Your dress wants to
teach me something:
Your hope and durability
Provide comfort and strength
at any time.
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree,
That's what your dress should
teach me.
The Vienna Boys Choir's rendition of the classic Christmas carol "O Tannenbaum" is a beautiful and heartfelt homage to the beloved evergreen tree that is so closely associated with the holiday season. Throughout the song, the singer professes his love and admiration for the tree, highlighting its greenery and steadfastness during even the harsh winter months. But beyond simply admiring the tree's physical beauty, the singer also sees a deeper lesson in the tree's steadfastness and resilience, which he believes can provide comfort and strength to people at any time.
Overall, "O Tannenbaum" is a simple but poignant ode to the enduring spirit of the Christmas season, and the traditions and symbols that make it so special. Through its lyrics, the song reminds listeners of the many qualities that we associate with the holiday season - hope, joy, resilience, and the sense of community that comes with gathering around a beautifully decorated tree with loved ones. In this way, the song embodies the spirit of Christmas, and serves as a powerful reminder of what makes this time of year so magical and meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
How steadfast are your branches/needles!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
You don't just grow in summertime,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
But also in winter, when it snows.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
How steadfast are your branches/needles!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
You can delight me very much!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
How often at Christmastime
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
A tree like you has given me much joy!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
You can delight me very much!
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren:
Your garb wants to teach me something:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
The hope and durability
Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit.
Provide comfort and strength at any time.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!
Das soll dein Kleid mich lehren.
That's what your garb should teach me.
Lyrics © Hansa Musik Verlag, RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Motor Songs GmbH
Written by: Ernst Anschuetz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind