My father Bruno Pischetsrieder wished that these four songs be played at his funeral. The funeral took place on November 20, 2020, in Dietmannsried in the presence of his immediate family. Bruno Pischetsrieder wrote the following about the recording of the first two pieces "Bauernmenuett" and "Andantino":

TEGERNSEER MUSIKANTEN
Reiter-Pischetsrieder-Kiem
Christmas Mass on December 24, 1948, in the Church of St. Laurentius, Egern

There was snow, the lake was steaming, it was grimly cold in the unheated church. Reiter was already present in the church that afternoon for rehearsal. Kiem came six miles away in the night to the church from Bad Kreuth. At 10:00 pm, I skied 5.5 miles with my zither in my backpack, from Gmund via Tegernsee to Reiter in Egern. From Reiter’s house on the Schorn, we both trudged half a mile, through the snow, to the church and arrived there when the mass should already have begun.

As we unpacked the instruments, the children began with a nativity play, under the direction of Rector Gustl Moschner. We – the Tegernseer Musikanten Reiter-Pischetsrieder-Kiem – followed with a "Peasant Minuet“ (Bauernmenuett). Again came the children with nativity songs, then we with an "Andantino" by Padre Martini.

The rest of the mass was musically framed by the radio orchestra. Reiter wore a thick loden jacket with extremely large stag horn buttons. During the "Andantino", he got his violin bow hair caught on a button in the fourth last measure but was able to pull the bow through quickly, so this mistake appears in the sound recording only as a small scratch.

After Christmas mass, I accompanied Reiter home to his house on the Schorn. Then I skied via Tegernsee to Gmund, with heart palpitations past the house of the former Reich press leader Amann in St. Quirin, where in the meantime the American General Patton resided. The Americans let me pass without any problems although the customs there were very strict. For example, one was not allowed to look out of the train passing by the house. But one always risked an eye anyway.

In the Tegernsee newspaper "Seegeist" of December 24-25-26, 1952, the following was reported about the above Christmas mass:

Three years ago, when the Bavarian Radio broadcast the Christmas Mass from the church of Egern, many hearts in the world participated in a celebration that is actually the celebration of a small community in our valley. The sound of the bells, the words, and the children's choir reached as far as Paris.

A German married in Paris (he came here the next year, sought out Pastor Kronast and told of the shock he and with him, many others had experienced) had become part of that congregation far away that visibly fills the little church in Egern year after year, and that at that time drew in people across borders beyond the valley.

A French lady, who hardly knew a word of German and who certainly did not understand the songs of our people in their literal sense, later remembered "les enfants - les enfants", just the children and how they sang. Letters from far away arrived at the parsonage - some also from the East Zone - world-wide had once been the Christmas mass in the church of Egern.

This page and accompanying card are in memory of my dear Dad who passed away on November 7, 2020, after 100 years 6 months, and 15 days.

First and foremost, I would like to commemorate his life. 100 years in which the world has changed. 100 years in which he was always accompanied by different life circumstances and various people on parts of the way.

48 wonderful years I was allowed to be with him, to learn from him, to laugh and cry with him, to eat chocolates with him, to go to the mountains, to listen to and make music, to celebrate Christmas, to solve crossword puzzles, to eat Apfelküchle on Saturdays in the Residenz-Cafe Kempten, and finally – the last 9 months – to be there for him.

The typewriter font used in the card and on this page is the one in which my father wrote his letters and wrote down countless memories. The letters of the handwriting and one of his calligraphy exercises from 1945 on the inside right page, the flower drawing on this website and many other small details are from his pen. Blue was his favorite color.

Andreas Pischetsrieder | Blumenstrasse 3 | 87463 Dietmannsried | Germany | T +491728417247 | pischetsrieder@me.com