Oliver Kolb

The Bremen Town Musicians

The well known fairy story by the Brothers Grimm of the Bremen Town Musicians tells the cheery tale of four aging animals who have all fallen on hard times and who, thanks to the courage and persuasive powers of their long-eared leader, a donkey, come together to form a bizarre and comical band. Their desire to become musicians in far-off Bremen and the persuasive argument that anything is better than death binds this unusual group of friends together. Thanks to their combined wisdom, courage and luck, not forgetting of course the power of their individual and inimitable voices, the four companions succeed in finding themselves a new home. In my music I have attempted to capture the contrasting characters and moods of the fairy tale, thereby creating a dense motivic arch over the entire work. The narrator's role should ideally be performed in as lively a musical manner as the music itself.