Bavarian Polka??

[tbn.al]

That 6/8 feel is that restricted style I am talking about. It's not 6/8, but it almost feels like it. The bass drum solo or "punctuation" is not uncommon.

Is this what you are alluding to, Doc?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG9OudmF82w" target="_blank

[Three Valves]

I play annually in a 20 piece Oktoberfest band: The Chico Bavarian Band. I've been in that band for four decades and I've never once heard an audience member voice any concern if a polka (or waltz) was Bavarian, Austrian, Czech or anything else. I wouldn't sweat it. Just know that things like "She's Too Fat for Me", "Pennsylvania Polk", "Who Stole the Kietschka"? (sp?) - those things are more Frankie Yankovic than anything authentic. Hope this helps.

Are you saying Polish isn't "authentic??"

Watch it, fella!!

[aqualung]

Yankovic is Slovenian polkas. Cleveland style.

[Polkahero]

Yankovic is Slovenian polkas. Cleveland style.

+1 Different instrumentation, tempo, style, etc.

[tubeast]

That strange 6/8-beat has been labeled "Alpine swing" by some who earn their living performing / promoting / developing that music. (I´ve heard an "Egerländer"-tubist use that Expression). It´s supposed to imitate a horse´s slow walk rhythm.

The pro bands and those participating in contests have fun highlighting certain passages by well syncronised, extreme tempo variations. Some put their drummer in the front row, especially if they perform without conductor.

More sources of repertoire can be found at Musikverlag Rundel http://www.rundel.de/ . Also search for "Böhmischer Traum" by composer Norbert Gälle. Originally performed by "Scherzachtaler Musikanten". See if You can find a live video on Youtube. Good stuff.
Here´s another of his titles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EakyXKeh2uY Fun-to-watch conductor.

Interesting to the connoisseur: Gottlieb Weissbacher, leader of "Die Fidelen Inntaler" from Tyrolia. Composed classics like "Fuchsgraben Polka", "Martscheiner Marsch" and lots of others.

Peter Schad and his "Oberschwäbische Dorfmusikanten" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk77R56w3W4

[timothy42b]

I don't think anyone has posted this clip yet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUv76QcT_5c" target="_blank

[Uncle Markie]

I did five years at WDW EPCOT in the Germany Pavilion; our most requested "German" pieces were "The Beer Barrel Polka" - "Rosamunde" for Germans - and "Edelweiss" by those Bavarian songwriters Rodgers and Hammerstein. I had one guest ask me if I could play the "Carnival of Venice" on my sousaphone - which I did... the tourists were generally nice people who were enabling me to receive a weekly paycheck, but sometimes it was a little weird.

That said, the musicians made an effort to keep the tunes as authentic as possible - it's quite a repertoire and there's always something "new" coming the current Oktoberfest offerings.

People's perception of "Bavarian" music is highly subjective - there are several repertoires to know in trad German work - the Oktoberfest stuff (previous posters are correct - many northern Germans regard Bavarians as hillbillies); Fasching tunes - roughly akin to our Mardi Gras; a pre-Lent party repertoire with tuxes and not lederhosen; the there's a pile of 19509s-60s German pop tunes like "Musiden" - which became Elvis' "Wooden Heart", Bert Kaempfert, Acker Bilk, Heino, etc. The big stuff during the Munich Oktoberfest you hear are James Last records - endless paste-together medleys of pop tunes that are sort of related to one another. Last - if he's still around - used to spend most of his time in Miami, returning Germany to make more money and turn out more records. He was featured on PBS a couple of years ago.

Aside from Ernst Mosch we played a lot of Slavko Avesnik - Austrian "Oberkrainer" style stuff. Trompeten Echo is probably the most famous of these and still popular. Schutzenliesl, Fischerin vom Bodensee are others that come to mind, along with Schneewaltzer and Ein mal Am Rhein waltzes. Pardon my lousy German spelling please. Our EPCOT groups were mostly Austrian style trios and a six piece band that did the dinner shows. Disney's version was confused too - a lot of Austrian stuff co-mingled with Swiss alphorns and yodeling numbers. I hated the alphorn, but it was part of the gig.

To cut your search down to size you might request a tune list.

I've been gone from WDW since 1990 and pretty much "polka-free" since then so the title list is a little rusty. I still know bass lines though.

Don't forget the Chicken Dance...

Mark Heter

[Three Valves]

Or "Thank God I'm a Country Boy!!"

[tbn.al]

Somehow this just doesn't elicit polka thoughts for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i115sGh0dk" target="_blank

[rehlo]

Do you know this? (Look at the tuba part)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_lOwKxZgLM

This track in Germany called "Böhmischer Traum", in English " Bohemian Dream".
It's a modern polka style.

In my region of North Germany this song is very popular. But it is also true, polka is not very popular here.
But the people like more traditional marches as "Old Comrades" or "Anchor Aweigh".

[aqualung]

and the same guys feature the tuba player:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__FiM4e8vL4" target="_blank

[Donn]

... more same guys on Südböhmische Polka - this sounds like it's about all the way to 6/8 to me (and played for a dance floor.) Czech style?

[Three Valves]

Thanks.

I can listen to these guys all day too!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDZLkYyjeg4" target="_blank