Wohlauf, Kameraden! German Cavalry Marches and Songs, 1928-1941

Product Description

This album features twenty-two tradition steeped cavalry marches and songs from the last three hundred years of German history, presented in performances recorded between 1928 and 1941 by the actual bands of the Reichswehr’s and Wehrmacht’s elite cavalry regiments, as well as other German military, mounted and horse-drawn formations of the interwar- and early-World War II period.

Assembled in this compilation is a representative assortment of all the types of marches once performed by German cavalry- and field artillery units on parade. These include slow marches, marches at a trot and marches at a gallop, as well as several presentation marches played by ancient regiments whose names have long been celebrated in the annals of German military history. Further, in keeping with the cavalry ‘feel’ that this album strikingly conveys, several of the featured selections are introduced by cavalry bugle calls and/or kettle drum rolls, while the rarely-heard ‘Paradepost’ of the Prussian cavalry a fixture at German military parades that featured mounted units is also presented. Finally, and certainly most uniquely among all the German ‘cavalry’ compilations on CD that have appeared to date, ‘Wohlauf, Kameraden’ features magnificent vocal renditions of the most famous battle songs sung ‘in the saddle’ by German cavalrymen in wars throughout the last two centuries.

‘Wohlauf Kameraden’ has been highly acclaimed by the specialist press for its audio fidelity and technical quality, as well as for its scholarship. The electrical recordings assembled in this compilation date from an era which itself saw significant advances in recording technology, and they have been skillfully reengineered to ‘unleash’ their already considerable fidelity without compromising their historical authenticity or their period atmosphere. As an added bonus, the album also includes a twenty-four-page insert booklet (richly illustrated with previously unpublished photographs) that presents a survey of the history of cavalry in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht, its traditions, the structure of German army mounted bands and the background of the featured musical selections.

Review

‘The editor of the ‘Record Review’ must admit that he is favorably predisposed toward new CDs from Brandenburg Historica, for he knows of no other US productions that offer anything comparable in the area of historic recordings. And one should not limit oneself to the USA alone, for even in Europe and Japan one has to search far and wide to find such productions. The carefully selected music on this CD has been reconstructed in exemplary, even incredible fashion, without encroaching on the integrity of the original material. This merits the highest praise! … [Regarding the accompanying English-language booklet], the richly illustrated presentation on the history of the German cavalry and mounted troops, as well as the commentary on the individual selections, plainly deserves our applause and recognition. [This is a] CD that will not only interest collectors and enthusiasts, but which should also be included in every serious archive.’ –Mit klingendem Spiel: Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft fuer Militaermusik e. V.

‘The marches on this CD have been painstakingly selected to provide a representative presentation on the work of German mounted bands… the performances are on a highly professional level and the technical quality [of the CD] is truly excellent. In addition to a number of well-known parade marches, there is a selection of fine but lesser-known marches, all of which are special because they are presented in original cavalry arrangements… The insert booklet is unusually informative… From a musical and historical standpoint, I strongly recommend this CD.’ –Defile: Official Publication of the International Military Music Society, Netherlands Branch

‘After ‘Gott, Kaiser, Vaterland,’ ‘Grossdeutschland’ and ‘Hoch Deutschlands Flotte,’ Brandenburg Historica continues its elite CD series with only pure military music, offering nothing but the very best – from historical background on tracks and their authors, to perfect selection of tracks. This time their challenge was the German cavalry, which was a pleasant surprise to me, since I’ve always been a big fan of cavalry music … [The] album is opened with the ‘Marsch der Pappenheimer Reiterschwadron’ (excellent choice!), starting with fanfares playing the cover tune, ‘Wohlauf, Kameraden’… already after this (fantastic) march, the listener gets in the cavalry mood and stays there until the last track ends … with best greetings and wishes for Brandenburg Historica to keep up the good work.’ –Schellack Collectors Forum