Der Grazer Musikverlag Stanberg
Von der Ersten zur Zweiten Republik: Grazer Verlagsaktivitäten im Dienste der (steirischen) Popularmusik
Among the publishers in the Styrian capital, the Musikverlag Stanberg has been holding an outstanding position since 1923. The aim of this enterprise, which was founded by Siegfried and Alois Stanberg and has been run solely by the latter since 1941, is the spreading of popular music of chiefly Styrian origin. The Musikverlag Stanberg has mainly become famous for its popular editions of the 30's and 40's of well-known folk songs with guitar accompaniment. It was often the owner of the publishing firm Alois Stanberg himself who saw to the guitar voice arrangements in these editions, which provided for the singing of one or two voices with occasional use of violine, mandoline or horn. Beside this, a series of folk songs titled "Zupf-Peter" ("guitar Peter") and a concertina collection under the title "edition Wandervogel" ("wandering bird") has been published, which also exclusively deals with native folk music revised by Alois Stanberg.
From the very beginning, the Musikverlag Stanberg has tried hard to connect Styrian folk music with educational aims, and this is documented in the "Steirisches Klavierbüchlein" (edited by Walter Kolneder), which was followed by the "Alpenländisches Klavierbüchlein" by the same editor. Among the many piano editions of the Verlag Stanberg, Viktor Zack's collection of folk songs, "Heiderich and Peterstamm", whose copyright was transferred from the Graz publisher Karl Tendler to the Verlag Stanberg in 1930, enjoyed widespread popularity. Walter Kolneder was also in charge of the editing of the unperiodically printed "Chorblätter" ("chorus sheets") and the series "Volkstümliche Blasmusik" as well as "Der Fanfarenzug" (the latter being published between 1938 and 1945). Since the existence of the Verlag Stanberg, the publisher has always felt it necessary to sponsor little known composers of the Styrian musical life, but also to print a number of unpublished works of well-known Styrian composers of the 19th and 20th century. While composers like Josef Zechner ("Puppentraum", "Dolls' Dream") or Leopold Schulz ("Im Bremer Keller", "In the Bremen Inn") did not sell very well, the editions of the works of Carl Seydler, Anton Absenger, Vinzenz Pertl or Oskar Walzel (whose song "Student sein in Graz, wenn der Flieder blüht", "Being a student in Graz when the lilacs are in blossom" became quickly popular in student circles) showed steadily rising sales figures. In the late 30's and early 40's, the production of the publishing house Stanberg concentrated more and more on popular music and the pop songs of that period. Alois Stanberg was also able to integrate famous artists like Heinrich Strecker, Bernhard Grün, A. Pestalozza or Victor Fleming - to name just a few of the entertainment composers of that time - within his publishing program. Thus the variety the editor was able to offer widened - reaching from folk song via traditional entertainment music to current short-lived musical confection. In doing so the Musikverlag Stanberg has also shaped the musical entertainment market of Styria quite remarkably and contributed to the revival of the local pop music scenario of this federal district too.
In the last days of the Second World War, the publishing house Stanberg was severely damaged and essential documents in the archives were totally destroyed. In the course of general rebuilding after the war, Alois Stanberg attempted to carry on with his former activities. As commercial conditions and musical qualifications had changed completely, all his efforts to reach the production figures of the 30's again proved insufficient. Although A. Stanberg employed renowned artists like Walter Kainz and the Viennese song composer Karl Föderl, the new activities of the company met only with little response in the musical life of Styria. In 1950, after the death of A. Stanberg, the enterprise was handed over to his wife Johanna; all publishing activities came to a standstill and were limited to trade with musical instruments. After 20 years acting in the service of Styrian pop music the sad end of a once flourishing company has come.