Monday, July 29, 2019

Have you ever been to Vienna?

Have you ever been to Vienna?

Alfred Uhl - composer (1909 - 1992)
We were camping in Salzburg with our two children when my husband Geoffrey said 'We're not far from Budapest. Let's go and see the Oromszegis.' That's another story, but Vienna was on the way.
We hit the Vienna ring road in the rush hour. It was raining. We eventually found the exit for a campsite near a composer we knew about, Alfred Uhl. After much wandering we rang the Uhls to say we were completely lost. Alfred sent his grandson Michael to find us, and Michael, on his bicycle led us back to the Uhl's house. We were invited to camp in the garden.
There followed a riotous evening, with much red wine, good food and conversation. (It was around this time that some Austrian wine was found to contain anti-freeze, but I'm not sure that we mentioned it...)
Alfred's wife Frieda told us how their neighbour had recently been sunbathing in the garden with the radio on loudly while Alfred was trying to compose. The neighbour couldn't be persuaded to turn it down, so Frieda fired the garden hose over the hedge and sorted it. She was a loyal and loving wife.
The upshot of this visit was that we published Festfanfare by Alfred Uhl for 9 trumpets, 6 trombones, tuba and percussion. He also allowed Geoffrey to arrange it for 4 trumpets, horn, 4 trombones and tuba so that it would be easier to programme.
Over the following years Geoffrey kept asking him to write a wind quintet for us. Alfred liked the idea, but unfortunately died before he got round to writing it. 
Whenever anyone says 'Have you been to Vienna?' the whole evening comes back - the ring-road, the wine, the laughter and the rain pattering on the tent in the darkness.
June Emerson

PS sorry the photo is so blurred, but it is the most sympathetic picture I could find. He was such a dear man.

E46 Alfred Uhl - Festfanfare
9 tpt. 6tbn. tba. perc.

E235 Alfred Uhl - Festfanfare arr. G. Emerson
4tpt. hn. 4tbn. tba. (perc)