Berlin in Color with Swing Bands under Nazi Germany Deutsches Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester 1942

"Wir Machen Musik" - composed by Peter Igelhoff and Adolf Stemel from the Terra Film revue by the same name - released by Tonfilm in 1942.

The footage was shot in 1936 - the music was recorded in 1942.

Known as the German Dance and Entertainment Orchestra, this radio orchestra was Hitler's
propaganda minister Joseph Goebbel's answer to American and British swing bands. Germans craved swing music, however the Party wanted jazz banned. Strings were to carry the melody and the saxophones would be used sparingly. Trumpets were not to be muted, and the solos would be minimal.

Still, the DTUO would come up with clever arrangements that would be a mix of symphonic jazz/film music that would keep a foxtrot tempo moving along.

The orchestra was said to have over 38 musicians in the organization - and to my American ears, it reminds me of Ray Heindorf with the Warner Brothers Symphony Orchestra of that time (that same orchestra used by Carl Stalling for the Warner Brothers Cartoons).

Although this recording is more than likely sourced from a transcription disc, the original recording was made on a German AEG Magnetophon (Magnetic Tape Recorder) using tape manufactured by what would be BASF - in 1942!

Many recordings for radio broadcast at a later time were made in Prague using state-of-the-art studios and tape recorders - to avoid bombing raids during the war. Tape recorders that Americans would not find out about until after the war - when Magnetophons were disassembled - and re-assembled back in the USA - to be later refabricated by Ampex Corporation.

The end credits offer a glimpse of popular German film and recording star Ilsa Werner performing the title song, "Wir Machen Musik" ("We're Making Music") - which is the song performed by the German Dance and Entertainment Orchestra in this video.

Interesting note was composer Peter Igelhoff's music was considered too "American" (listen to his Electrola recording of this song on YouTube) and, although a hero for this film for creating a memorable tune known to Germans even today, was sent by Hitler to the front lines. He did survive and had a continued career after the war (as did most everyone else - who wasn't killed!).

The visuals are color-corrected public domain color footage of Berlin filmed in 1936 (not 1942 as I've decided to put in the video).

Finally, check out those early clear acrylic instruments - and the circular microphone piece hanging behind Ilsa. The clockwork birds are bizarre (as are the beards).