!!!Volkssänger

Volkssaenger, (also Wiener Volkssaenger, Wienerlied-Saenger), i.e. 
singers of "Wienerlied" popular songs, singers in towns who 
followed the tradition of medieval "joculatores" (jugglers), 
hurdy-gurdy players, harpists, and balladeers 
("Baenkelsaenger"). They reached particular popularity and 
their activity spread all over Austria during the reign of Emperor 
Franz Joseph I. J. B.  Moser, the "father" of the 
Volkssaenger made an important contribution by raising the quality of 
texts and bringing the singers, mostly vagrants, from the streets to 
the stages of variety theatres and taverns, where they were paid for 
their performance (and thus came to be regarded as artists), and so 
improved the reputation of this professional group. In 1829, Moser 
founded a group of Volkssaenger singers who performed in suburban 
taverns and in the Prater amusement park. In the 2%%sup nd/%  half of 
the 19%%sup th/%  century, taverns were increasingly replaced as the 
usual performance venue by revue-like variety theatres 
("Singspielhalle"). The first such place was opened by the 
author A. Varry in the "Ungers Kasino" in Vienna´s 
Hernals district in 1860. Another institution, the 
"Evangelimann" was a kind of variety theatre dedicated to 
more serious performances.

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Following Moser´s example, more groups formed, many of the 
Volkssaenger appearing with partners, such as I. Nagel and A. Amon, 
who were the first to wear tails at their performances instead of 
everyday clothes, "Edi and Biedermann" (E. Wehinger and J. 
Biedermann), "Mirzl and Dreher" (M. and F. Koblassa), W. 
Wiesberg and K. W. Sioly, L.  Montag A.  Mansfeld and E.  Guschelbauer 
and, last but not least, the legendary  Fiakermilli (Emilie Demel). 
Although radio and cinema put an end to the Volkssaenger tradition 
after the First World war, many of the characteristics of this form of 
art live on and are cultivated by "modern" Volkssaenger like 
K.  Hodina and T.  Mally or by the "Heurigen" singers, who 
traditionally perform in the Heurigen wine taverns. Well-known singers 
of "Wienerlied" songs are the opera singers H.  Zednik, W.  
Berry, and H. Holecek.

!Literature
J. Koller, Das Wiener Volkssaengertum, 1931; G. Gugitz, 
Lieder der Strasse, 1954; S. Lohr, Drum hab´ i Wean so gern, 
1980; K. Hodina (ed.), O du lieber Augustin, 1991.


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