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It was in 1933 when Adolf Hitler had established himself at the helm of leadership in Germany that the winds of change began to blow through the country’s art and culture. Hitler dreamt of carving a nation which would be indestructible and to this effect he laid down strict rules specifically pertaining to music. As a result, since musicians were required to meet certain standards as defined by the authorities, the new genre of music which evolved came to be known as Nazi military music. From the available clout of loyal and faithful musicians, selection of the talented few led to the formation of the band which specialized in German band music. Bayreuth festivals have been a part of German culture since 1876 and the honor of having started this tradition belongs to Richard Wagner, a renowned and extremely talented musician of the 19th century. There are numerous historical records which indicate that Wagner and Hitler enjoyed a good rapport so it was but natural for his daughter-in-law Winifred Wagner to be a staunch supporter of Hitler. Hence at the peak of the Nazi regime, this festival was used as a propaganda tool wherein the regime’s ideologies were disseminated through Nazi military music and German band music. During the war, it was mandatory for all wounded soldiers who were on their way home from the battlefield to attend the Bayreuth festival wherein they were exposed to Nazi military music interspersed by long lectures. Because no-one wanted to challenge the might of the Fuhrer these were silently attended and respectfully applauded. The festival continued to be an instrument in the hands of the Nazi regime till the end of the war and as such was a showcase of its philosophies. German band music also formed an important part of the festival and comprised mostly of inspirational marching tunes. Before Richard Wagner tumbled upon it, the town of Bayreuth had no artistic history to boast of and although there was an opera house within its premises it hardly ever staged any kind of Nazi military music or political views. Wagner had to transform the interior of the opera completely and build new sets which were in accordance with his views and his acumen. Although funds were a problem, gradually the dream did become a reality and became a stage on which all genres of music like German band music, jazz and cabarets were played and encouraged. Courtesy of Hitler’s obsession with racism, even musicians were spared from the discriminatory policies and those who were either Jews or Jewish sympathizers were termed as ‘degenerate’. This was endorsed by Winifred Wagner who was then in charge of Bayreuth Festival and hence anything other than Nazi military music and German band music was subjected to strict scrutiny and eventually suppressed. Another deviation from the festival’s rich heritage was the remodeling of sets which took place amidst a lot of opposition but was approved by Hitler. While a major portion of the town of Bayreuth was destroyed during the last phase of the Second World War, the opera house constructed by Wagner survived the bombings and continues to serve as a symbol of that era. Its association with Nazi military music has enabled it to feature prominently in historical records. The present day Bayreuth Festival has come a long way since its phase of political involvement and although German band music is still a part of its legacy, today there are few cultural events which uphold artistic talents as beautifully as this one. Bayreuth Festival has been a part of German culture since the nineteenth century but few are aware that it served as a showcase for Nazi military music during the Second World War. It was during that time that German band music also came into being and hence formed a part of this festival.
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Nazi military music, German band music,
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