Comedian Harmonists

Internationally successful German vocal group, founded in December 1927, split up in March 1935.

Originally created in imitation of the American The Revelers and called "The Melody Makers," the "Comedian Harmonists," a vocal quintet accompanied by a pianist, developed their own close harmony style. The five singers blended their voices so closely together that there was usually no more than an interval of a twelfth between top and bottom voices; individual singers would emerge from this close vocal texture for solos, and tenor buffo Frommermann, in particular, would contribute comical voice imitations of instruments. The ensemble's repertoire ranged from German Schlager ("Veronika, Der Lenz Ist Da," 1930) and German versions of jazz-tinged American pop songs ("Wochenend Und Sonnenschein" = "Happy Days Are Here Again," 1930) and a vocalized version of Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call" (1933) to German folk songs ("In Einem Kühlen Grunde," 1932). The Comedian Harmonists recorded first for Odeon (1928-1929), from October 1929 to March 1935 for Electrola.

The group started to be subject to antisemitic harassment from 1932. Once the Nazis had taken over the German government in January 1933, official pressure increased as well. In March 1935, the Nazi-created Reichskulturkammer permanently banned the three "non-Aryan" members, Collin, Frommermann, and Cycowski, from professionally performing or recording in Germany.

The group split into two parts. Both formed new ensembles that tried to attach themselves to the former group's success. The exile group continued to use the name "Comedian Harmonists" (on His Master's Voice export releases), which it had trademarked in Paris in March 1937, or its English equivalent "Comedy Harmonists." The three "Aryan" members, Biberti, Bootz, and the Bulgarian Leschnikoff, remained in Germany and adopted the Nazi-approved name "Meistersextett." In November 1935, they won official permission to call themselves "Das Meister-Sextett Früher Comedian Harmonists" (The Meister-Sextett, Formerly Comedian Harmonists).

Personnel of the "Comedian Harmonists" during their prime:

Erwin Bootz (Piano)
b. 30/06/1907 in Stettin, Poland
d. 27/12/1982 in Hamburg, Germany

Ari Leschnikoff (1. Tenor Vocals)
b. 16/06/1897 in Chaskowo, Bulgaria
d. 31/07/1978 in Sofia, Bulgaria

Erich A. Collin (2. Tenor Vocals)
b. 26/08/1899 in Berlin, Germany
d. 28/04/1961 in Los Angeles, USA

Harry Frommermann (3. Tenor Vocals)
b. 12/10/1906 in Berlin, Germany
d. 29/10/1975 in Bremen, Germany

Roman Cycowski (Baritone Vocals)
b. 25/01/1901 in Łódź, Poland
d. 09/11/1998 in Palm Springs, USA

Robert Biberti (Bass Vocals)
b. 05/06/1902 in Berlin, Germany
d. 02/11/1985 in Berlin, Germany

Occasional members replacing one or the other of the "Comedian Harmonists" on recordings were:
Theodor Steiner (b. 1905 Berlin - d. 1970 Wien; Baritone, Dec. 1927 - May 1928);
Walter Nussbaum (b. 1903 Wiesbaden - d. after 1961, Lima, Perú; Second Tenor, February 1928 - March 1929);
Walter Joseph (b. 1890 Berlin - d. 1954 Lake Placid, NY, USA; Piano, January-August 1931).