Overview

“Albrecht Dümling’s rich documentation of this groundbreaking Berlin jazz band with its sensational show power is both a moving testament to the impudent creativity of youth and a warning against timeless strains of bigotry and terror.” — Alan Lareau, Professor Emeritus of German, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, USA Founded in Berlin in 1924 by the pianist and drummer Stefan Weintraub, the Weintraubs Syncopators were Germany’s most popular jazz band until 1933. They enjoyed success on concert and variety stages, in theatre and film, and in recordings, and were painted by Max Oppenheimer. Forced into exile by the Nazis’ seizure of power, the group, consisting mainly of Jewish musicians, was initially able to continue to perform under difficult conditions in Europe, the Soviet Union and Japan, before temporarily finding a new home in Australia in 1937. The Second World War and internment ended their career. This comprehensive book on the subject, published for the first time in English, traces the fascinating artistic development and moving lives of the Weintraubs Syncopators. The accompanying website brings the versatile art of this jazz band to life in annotated audio and video files.

Full Product Details

Author:   Albrecht Dümling
Publisher:   Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
Imprint:   Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
Edition:   New edition
Volume:   25
Weight:   0.525kg
ISBN:  

9781805840329

ISBN 10:   1805840320
Pages:   340
Publication Date:   26 February 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

List of Figures - Acknowledgements - Introduction - Writer’s Approach to the Topic – The Present Book - Part I (Until 1933) - Chapter 1. From Hobby to Profession - Syncopation Invades – The Launch of the Weintraubs Syncopators – Discovered by Friedrich Hollaender – Around the Memorial Church – Abroad for the First Time – With Josephine Baker - Chapter 2. Records, the Latest Hit - Friedrich Hollaender with his Weintraubs Syncopators – From Odeon to Electrola – With Vocals - Chapter 3. The Step onto Big Stages - Theatre Metropolis Berlin – Manager Heinz Barger – Publicity for a Unique Collective – One Month in the Berlin Wintergarten - Chapter 4. Action on the Screen - Beginnings of the Sound Film – ‘And Nelson Plays …’ – ‘The Blue Angel’ (1929/1930) – From First Draft to Evergreen – Mockery of the Philistine – Other Films (1930–1931) - Chapter 5. Guest Performances and Tours - ‘The Weintraubs – Prototype of the New Musician’ – Girl Hype in Vienna – From Magdeburg to New York - Chapter 6. Rich Repertoire in the Media - Recordings in the Beethoven Hall (1930) – Radio Programmes (1930–1932) - Chapter 7. Finale in Berlin - Attacks From the Right – One Last Time in the Wintergarten – Last Media Productions 1933 in Germany – Escape Abroad – Self-disclosure in The Hague - Part II (1933–1937) - Chapter 8. Beginning of the Exile - Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland (1933–1934) – In Fascist Italy (1934–1935) – Austria and Czechoslovakia - Chapter 9. Invitation to the Soviet Union - From Prague to Moscow – Jazz under Stalin – Welcomed with Open Arms – Across a Giant Empire – A Side Trip – Unexpected Problems - Chapter 10. In the Japanese Empire - Heinz Barger Negotiates – Successful Also in Japan – Departure of Two Musicians – Preparations for Down Under. Part III (1937–1945) - Chapter 11. Start in Australia - Landing on a Faraway Continent (1937) – Guest Performance or Immigration? – Triumph in New Zealand (1938) - Chapter 12. Admired and Feared as Competition - ‘My Melancholy Baby’: Prince’s Restaurant – Struggle for Publicity – Waiting for the Permanent Residence Permit - Chapter 13. The Hour of the Informers - Dangerous spies? – The Trade Union Secretary Continues to Fight - Chapter 14. Behind Barbed Wire - Support for the Allies – Arrested and Interned (1940–1941) – Special Case John Kurt Kaiser – In the Nazi Camp – Before the Alien Tribunal Court (1941) - Chapter 15. The Dissolution of the Band - End of the Professional Music Career – Military Service and Citizenship – A Late Victory Over the Musicians’ Union - Part IV (1945 Until Today) - Chapter 16. Destinies of the Musicians After 1945 - Fragments of a Collective – Pressing On: Sydney John Kay – Music Only a Hobby - Chapter 17. Stages of Rediscovery - Stefan Weintraub Remembers – Discoveries and Encounters – Postscript - Discography - Bibliography - Appendix (including information about the website) - Index

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Author Information

Albrecht Dümling is a musicologist and music critic. His exhibition on Nazi music policies, Degenerate Music, travelled all over the world. He is the author of the first comprehensive book on Bertolt Brecht’s collaboration with composers and of Vanished Musicians: Jewish Refugees in Australia (Oxford: Peter Lang, 2016).

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