Music of Swiss composer Marcel Wahlich, performed by the Berumünster Radio Symphony on this broadcast for Swiss Radio on March 10, 1964
Marcel Wahlich was born in Zurich’s old town, the son of a well-known wind instrument repairer. There he grew up in a musically passionate family (his father was president of the City Music from 1924 to 1946). He received his first music lessons from Gian Battista Mantegazzi in the City of Zurich Boys’ Band. After finishing school, Marcel Wahlich began a dedicated music course at the Zurich Conservatory – today’s Music Academy – majoring in clarinet with Emil Fanghänel. After receiving his diploma, he expanded his knowledge with counterpoint studies under Paul Müller and trained as a conductor under Volkmar Andreae. The then director of the City Music, Gian Battista Mantegazzi, contributed the specific skills he needed to conduct wind music. After his state examination, his career as an accomplished clarinetist led him to various symphony orchestras and the Swiss Festival Orchestra Lucerne for thirty years. He also taught at various music schools and high schools, and in 1963, he was appointed clarinet teacher at the vocational school of the Zurich Conservatory.
Niklaus Aeschbacher (30 April 1917 – 30 November 1995) was a Swiss composer and conductor.
Born in Trogen in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden as the son of Carl Aeschbacher, he studied music in Zürich and Berlin. After a post as conductor in Bern he became the chief conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo in 1954, but returned to Bern two years later. In 1964, he accepted a post in Detmold, where he taught at the music academy from 1972 to 1982.
Between 1930 and 1950, he wrote one opera, Die roten Schuhe, for the Swiss radio station DRS and a few pieces for orchestra, but also some chamber music.
The orchestra performs Theme and Variations For Orchestra, written in 1957 and performed in this broadcast recording by the Beromünster Radio Symphony conducted by Niklaus Aescenbach.
On to the music.
