Wolfgang Ambros & the No. 1 from the Wienerwald

"WOLFGANG AMBROS & die No. 1 vom Wienerwald" Best Of "The definition of 'Best Of' speaks for itself, as Wolfgang Ambros' current live program naturally includes classics from his stage career that has now lasted for over 50 years. The titles to be played are not revealed by the artist, who states (quote): "They remain a surprise. It will be an atmospheric program. Just recently, we made a significant restructuring of the program. Of course, we cannot play all the hits, but it will definitely be worth attending the concert."

The remarkable career of Wolfgang Ambros—if we consider its beginning with the release of "Da Hofa" in 1971, we are talking about 55 years!—is perfect for lists and number games, but they alone do not truly capture the essence of it: the admittedly impressive sales figures, the remarkable discography in both quality and quantity, the countless live performances and tours, and the nearly endless kilometers traveled "on the road" in Germany, Austria, Switzerland...

What we are talking about is the music itself. The (many) songs and the desire to play them, to share them with an audience, these songs and this music. In a often cynical media world like ours, one might not necessarily grant this to an "old hand," a household name like Wolfgang Ambros, but why else would he and his band, die No. 1 vom Wienerwald, put themselves through the stress and work that inevitably come with such a tour?

And then there’s die No. 1 vom Wienerwald! A phenomenon in itself, this band that has accompanied Wolfgang Ambros for so many years. Günther Dzikowski on keyboards, Dietmar Baumgartner on guitar, Erich Buchebner on bass, and Harry Stampfer on drums (not to forget the backing vocalists Ursula Gerstbach and Gitti Recher) not only (almost) always find the right notes but also the tone, the sound for Wolfgang Ambros' voice, for his songs and the stories he tells with them. A musical symbiosis so rich and enduring that many automatically associate these two terms—Ambros and die No. 1 vom Wienerwald.

Now let’s consider the material, the program itself. Let’s briefly recall that Wolfgang Ambros could actually play hundreds of songs thanks to the aforementioned discography. Hidden treasures, album tracks that may have faded into the background of the big hits, secret older live favorites that have slipped out of the program for one reason or another... Let’s also allow the playful spirit to come into its own, because the idea of playing this one particular song in such an arrangement, with a sound that presents the familiar lyrics in a new light and makes them resonate differently, has always been very tempting. There are also a few brand new songs...

If we connect all of this, one can truly look forward to great evenings. Not least because Wolfgang Ambros knows his audience so well that amidst all the new material, the moments that have long since entered the pop musical subconscious of this country are not overlooked—those vital hits with which the singer still speaks to us from the soul time and time again.