The Oktoberfest brass concert
The Munich Oktoberfest march: a world premiere
The traditional brass concert of the Wiesn chapels - a very special event this year. At "Unter der Bavaria" around 300 musicians played under the direction of Alois Altmann and prominent guest conductors, including Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter and Oktoberfest boss Clemens Baumgärtner. In honour of the late Wiesn city councillor Hermann Memmel there was a very special world premiere.
The Oktoberfest landlords are happy about the perfect weather
Bright (white) blue sky at the stand concert of the Wiesn-Kapellen 2019 "Unter der Bavaria", a good-humoured crowd - no wonder that host speaker Peter Inselkammer (Armbrustschützenzelt), also called "Petrus" by his wife and good friends, raved about Petrus, the weather god himself and about the "Emperor's Weather" on this second Wiesn-Sunday, in short about a "very special splendid atmosphere", according to Inselkammer: "Bavaria will rejoice with all of us about the great music".
Otto Schwarzfischer conducts freehand
For example by Otto Schwarzfischer, whom the second host speaker Christian Schottenhamel welcomed as the "music legend of the Wiesn". The Otto Schwarzfischer Kapelle is the longest-serving chapel on the Wiesn, active at the Oktoberfest since 1956, and the first chapel from outside Munich to be allowed to play on the Wiesen. Schottenhamel, announced as an honorary conductor at the Deutschmeister Regimentsmarsch, then handed over the baton to Schwarzfischer and laughed, saying: "Better to sway along than to conduct yourself! That's for the professionals to do." Schwarzfischer, a true professional, conducted freehand, by the way: He had previously put the baton into the flower bed.
Clemens Baumgärtner: The Oktoberfest, a complete artwork
This was followed by the premiere of Clemens Baumgärtner as conductor. "I could never have imagined it a year ago," said the new head of Wiesn and economic consultant in the BR interview. And: "I like tradition. The Wiesn is a total work of art. Everyone should feel good." He felt visibly good then, not a trace of nervousness when Baumgärtner conducted the "Kaiserjäger Marsch".
Günter Steinberg: good beer against ageing
Günter Steinberg is not a newcomer, but a veteran at the stand concert. This year, when he turned 80, the tanned landlord of the Hofbräufestzelt did not show his age when he took over the baton from Clemens Baumgärtner, waved into the crowd and talked about how not to age: "The beer is particularly good here. Perhaps it has also contributed to me being so well off."
Wiesnwirte prize for the Munich garbage collectors
The garbage men of the Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München (AWM), who were awarded the "Preis der Wiesnwirte" by Peter Inselkammer in the form of a Bavaria statue, make sure that the Oktoberfest looks good again in the morning, no matter what was going on the night before on the Theresienwiese. "It is absolutely impressive how these 20 men clean the Wiesn every night", said Inselkammer. "I saw for myself last night what it looked like here and I'm impressed how they'll be able to do it again by morning."
Munich's mayor Reiter: "Perfect weather! Perfect audience! Perfect Wiesn!"
So perfectly cleaned, the Oktoberfest looks new everyday. Especially on this second Wiesn Sunday. Mayor Reiter was thrilled: "Perfect weather! Perfect audience! Perfect Wiesn!" Then he surprised the audience at "Unter der Bavaria": The Lord Mayor conducted the world premiere of the "Münchner Oktoberfestmarsch" in honour of the recently deceased long-time Wiesn city councillor Hermann Memmel, which the composer Wolfgang Grünblauer wrote especially for Memmel, who was a SPD district chairman for over 30 years and for a long time also chairman of the Münchner Schausteller Foundation.
"Hermann Memmel was a big Wiesn lover"
"Hermann Memmel was a friend and supporter of the Oktoberfest", said Dieter Reiter, "he loved the Wiesn like very few others except him. He was popular with everyone and a personal friend to me. And because Memmel, who died in April, "unfortunately cannot be there for the first time now, I think it is appropriate to conduct a march in his honour today".
What a moving performance - before the concert ended with further goosebumps to the traditional sounds of the Bavarian anthem, sung by Gigi Pfundmeier.
Gallery: Impressions from the brass concert
