Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956

Eurovision Song Contest 1956
Participating broadcasterARD[a] – Nord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband (NWRV)
Country Germany
National selection
Selection processSong: National final
Artist: Unknown
Selection date(s)1 May 1956
Selected artist(s)Walter Andreas Schwarz
and Freddy Quinn
Selected song"Das Lied vom großen Glück"
and "So geht das jede Nacht"
Selected songwriter(s)"Das Lied vom großen Glück":
Walter Andreas Schwarz

"So geht das jede Nacht":
Finals performance
Final resultN/A
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest
1956 • 1957►

Germany was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 with two songs: "Das Lied vom großen Glück",[b] written and performed by Walter Andreas Schwarz; and "So geht das jede Nacht", composed by Lotar Olias, with lyrics by Peter Moesser [de], and performed by Freddy Quinn. The German participating broadcaster on behalf of ARD, Nord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband [de] (NWRV), organised a national final to determine their two entries for the contest.[1][2] "Das Lied vom großen Glück" was the first-ever entry from Germany performed in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Background

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The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was formed in 1950 among 23 organisations with the aim of the exchange of television programmes.[3] Following the formation of the EBU, a number of notable events were transmitted through its networks in various European countries, such as Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom. Following this series of transmissions, a "Programme Committee" was set up within the EBU to investigate new initiatives for cooperation between broadcasters. The new European contest was subsequently approved at the EBU's General Assembly in October 1955.[4][5][6] A planning sub-group, was subsequently formed to build out the rules of the competition.[7][8][9] The rules of the contest were finalised and distributed to EBU members in early 1956. Per the rules of the contest, each participating broadcaster submitted two songs into the contest.[10] During a meeting held on 27 and 28 October 1955, the television program directors of the German broadcasting corporation ARD decided to participate in the contest and to organise a national final.[11] Germany was subsequently included on the EBU's list of seven countries whose broadcasters had signed up to partake in the contest.[10] For the 1956 contest, NWRV held a national final to choose two German entries.[12][13]

Before Eurovision

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Freddy Quinn (pictured in 1977) was selected along with Walter Andreas Schwarz to represent Germany in 1956

Grand Prix 1956 Eurovision

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"Grand Prix 1956 Eurovision" – Schlager und Chansons was the national final held to determine the two songs that should represent Germany.[14] It took place on 1 May 1956 at 20:00 CET (19:00 UTC) at the Großer Sendesaal of Kölner Funkhaus [de] in Cologne and was broadcast on Deutsches Fernsehen.[14] Initially, the final was planned to be held in Hamburg.[15] It was produced by Nord- und Westdeutscher Rundfunkverband [de] (NWRV), a cooperation of NDR and WDR, and directed by John Olden [de].[14][13] The presenter was Heinz Piper [de].[1] 13 songs took part in the national final.[16] The participants were chosen upon invitation from NWRV and other ARD broadcasters.[17][11]

Initial plans foresaw that each broadcaster submitted two songs and two artists for the national final until 1 February 1956.[11]

In April 1956, several listings magazines finally announced a list of 11 performers who should sing the competing compositions:[14][12] Lys Assia (nominated by SDR), Eva Busch (SWF), Angèle Durand, Margot Eskens (SFB), Friedel Hensch und die Cyprys [de] (NWRV), Margot Hielscher (BR), Bibi Johns (SDR), Rolf Baro (Radio Bremen), Walter Andreas Schwarz (HR), Hans Arno Simon [de], and Gerhard Wendland [de] (NWRV).[14][12][11] Freddy Quinn was not part of the announced list.[12][14] Also not part of the list, Melitta Berg [de] (nominated by SWF) was named as a participating singer by a press report.[18][11]

By the time the national final took place, Lys Assia had already been selected to represent Switzerland at Eurovision.[1]

The artists were accompanied by the WDR Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester under the direction of Adalbert Luczkowski [de].[1][14] "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" was presented under the title "Das Lied vom großen Glück" in the national final.[18][19][20] The running order as well as the titles of the participating songs are not known for a few exceptions: A song titled "Ich bin so unmusikalisch" reportedly took part.[16] Lys Assia performed her song 13th (and last) in the running order.[16] There was a rumour that she sang the song "Ein kleiner gold'ner Ring" in the national final.[20][21] However, this turned out to be incorrect, as she competed with this song in the German Schlager Festival of 1961 [de].[22]

Three French-speaking acts, among them Les Compagnons du zodiaque and Annie Cordy, singing in both German and French, were the interval acts.[23]

A jury, which was watching the songs in a separate room on TV screens, decided the winning songs.[24] It seems that the selection took place in two rounds, with a superfinal confronting a few songs chosen from the 13 entries in a first round.[25]

The first two places were selected to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in Lugano: "Das Lied vom großen Glück", written by Walter Andreas Schwarz (first place), and "So geht das jede Nacht", written by Peter Moesser [de] and Lotar Olias (second).[1][16][24][25] The songwriters of the winning entries were only revealed after the results.[23] A trophy, which consisted of a transparent box filled with orchids, was given to the first place.[18] The full results of the national final are not known. The song sung by Melitta Berg was reported to have finished in third place.[18]

National final – 1 May 1956[16][18][25][26]
Place Artist Song Songwriter(s)
1 Walter Andreas Schwarz "Das Lied vom großen Glück" Walter Andreas Schwarz
2 Freddy Quinn "So geht das jede Nacht"
3 Melitta Berg [de]

There have been speculations about whether the national final actually took place: Despite the fact that the show appeared in listings magazines, none of the named participants could recall having taken part in the national final.[1][2] Margot Hielscher stated that, according to her documents, she was not in Cologne on 1 May 1956 but in Berlin for filming.[1] However, reviews and articles about the national final were published in several German print media after the final, including Süddeutsche Zeitung, Quick and Bild+Funk [de], giving details about the jury and the winning songs.[24][18][26]

At Eurovision

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Eurovision Song Contest 1956 took place at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland, on 24 May 1956. The order in which the countries and songs were performed was determined artistically by the Swiss broadcasters, with input and support by the musical directors from each participating country;[7][10] "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" was, like in the national final, presented under the title "Das Lied vom großen Glück".[27] It was performed fourth and "So geht das jede Nacht" was performed eleventh in the running order, both following Belgium and preceding France's two songs. Both of the German entries were conducted at the contest by Fernando Paggi.

Neither of the German songs won the contest, and the full results were not revealed and have not been retained by the EBU. In the German national final of 1982, co-presenter Rudolf Rohlinger [de] claimed that "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" had come second.[28] Though the full results have never been made public, the claim has been repeated several times since.[29][30][31]

Eurovision Song Contest 1956 was televised in Germany on Deutsches Fernsehen and also broadcast live on Radio Bremen 2.[32][33] Excerpts from the final in Lugano were broadcast on radio SWF2 on 18 June 1956 at 23:00 CET, and on Radio München on 30 June 1956 at 20:15 CET.[34][35]

Notes

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  1. ^ Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
  2. ^ Later known as "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück"

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Feddersen, Jan (2002). Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein. Die deutsche und internationale Geschichte des Grand Prix Eurovision (in German). Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe. pp. 12–13. ISBN 3-455-09350-7. OCLC 48966334.
  2. ^ a b "1956: Deutscher Vorentscheid im Kölner Funkhaus". eurovision.de (in German). Norddeutscher Rundfunk. 15 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  3. ^ Staff (17 May 2005). "Singing out loud and proud". Bristol Evening Post. Daily Mail and General Trust.
  4. ^ Jaquin, Patrick (1 December 2004). "Eurovision's Golden Jubilee". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 11 August 2004. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  5. ^ O'Connor, John Kennedy (2010). The Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History (2nd ed.). London: Carlton Books. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-1-84732-521-1.
  6. ^ Roxburgh, Gordon (19 October 2015). "A diamond day for the Eurovision Song Contest". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  7. ^ a b Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 93–96. ISBN 978-1-84583-065-6.
  8. ^ Zwart, Josianne (4 November 2017). "A decade of song: Eurovision winners through the years (1956–1959)". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  9. ^ "'Made in Italy': How Eurovision almost ended up in Venice annually!". European Broadcasting Union. 13 May 2022. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "Reglement du Grand Prix Eurovision 1956 de la Chanson Européenne (version définitive)" [Rules of the Grand Prix of the Eurovision Song Competition 1956 (final version)] (PDF) (in French). European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d e Grassl, Andreas (October 2024). "Neues von gestern: Vorentscheidungen 1956". Euro-Voice (in German) (67): 93. OCLC 1190215751.
  12. ^ a b c d "Hör und sieh zu!". Hör zu!, Norddeutsche Ausgabe Hamburg (in German). 29 April 1956. p. 35. OCLC 724053084.
  13. ^ a b "Die Woche im Bildschirm". Gong (in German). No. 18/1956. 29 April 1956. p. 24. OCLC 1183386385.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "Deutsches Fernsehen". Bild+Funk [de] (in German). No. 18/1956. 29 April 1956. p. 32. OCLC 643528928.
  15. ^ "Internationaler Chanson-Wettbewerb". Deutsches Fernsehen : ARD-Pressedienst (in German). No. 10/56. 27 February 1956. p. 9. OCLC 183304021.
  16. ^ a b c d e Bold, Hilde (5 May 1956). "Schlagerpreis und 'Bonnerwetter'". Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (in German). p. 46. OCLC 724431472.
  17. ^ "Wir sahen und hörten". Fernseh-Informationen (in German). No. 13/1956. 1956. p. 289. ISSN 0015-0134. OCLC 643533986.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück". Quick (in German). No. 20/1956. 19 May 1956. p. 10. OCLC 224468312.
  19. ^ "Wir sahen und hörten". Fernseh-Informationen (in German). No. 14/1956. 1956. p. 311. ISSN 0015-0134. OCLC 643533986.
  20. ^ a b Burandt, Holger (1999). Der Weg zum Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson. Die deutschen Vorentscheidungen von 1956 - heute (in German). p. 6. ISBN 3-9804141-5-9.
  21. ^ Weissbarth, Roland (2019). Ein Lied für Europa : vom Grand Prix zum Song Contest : die Geschichte des europäischen Liederwettbewerbs von 1956 bis 2019 (in German). Berlin: Weissbarth Infotainment. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-5470-1897-0. OCLC 1237352643.
  22. ^ Näther, Stephan; Regauer, Ernst (1996). Näther, Leonore; Kassanteires, Sisitantos (eds.). Grand Prix d'Eurovision und deutsche Schlagerwettbewerbe seit 1956 (in German). Vol. 2: Supplement. Berlin: Näther & Regauer. p. [DSW 1961]. OCLC 644076293.
  23. ^ a b "Tele-Kommentar". Die Tat (in German). 5 May 1956. p. 21. OCLC 183307479. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  24. ^ a b c Panofsky, Walter (8 May 1956). "Deutsches Fernsehen: Frühjahrs-Müdigkeit ging um". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). p. 9. ISSN 0174-4917. OCLC 183207780.
  25. ^ a b c Grassl, Andreas (May 2024). "Neues von gestern: Die deutsche Vorentscheidung 1956. Eine Spurensuche". Euro-Voice (66): 106–108. OCLC 1190215751.
  26. ^ a b "Zum Wochenprogramm". Bild+Funk [de] (in German). No. 22/1956. 27 May 1956. p. 31. OCLC 643528928.
  27. ^ Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne 1956 (Television programme) (in French and Italian). Lugano, Switzerland: Radiotelevisione svizzera. 24 May 1956.
  28. ^ Ein Lied für Harrogate (Television production) (in German). Bayerischer Rundfunk. 20 March 1982. Event occurs at 01:20:00.
  29. ^ Hessen Drei – dabei. Unterhaltungen zur Unterhaltung (Television production) (in German). Hessischer Rundfunk. 8 April 1983. Event occurs at 18:20. [Hans-Otto Grünefeldt:] Und damit wurde er [Walter Andreas Schwarz], für mich völlig sensationell, Zweiter. [And with this song, he placed – totally sensationally, in my opinion – second]
  30. ^ Haelssjon, Kaye Frann (1993). Grand Prix d'Eurovision und deutsche Schlagerwettbewerbe seit 1956 (in German). Vol. 1 (4th, revised ed.). Berlin: F. Regauer. p. XV. OCLC 722109735.
  31. ^ Walraven, Hans; Willems, Geert (2000). Dinge-dong : het Eurovisie Songfestival in de twintigste eeuw (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Forum. p. 169. ISBN 90-225-2683-6. OCLC 906952690.
  32. ^ "Wegwijs in de Aether". Limburgsch Dagblad (in Dutch). 23 May 1956. p. 9. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Bremen". Hör zu!, Norddeutsche Ausgabe (in German). No. 21/1956. 20 May 1956. p. 47. OCLC 724053084.
  34. ^ "Rund ums Programm". Funk und Familie (in German). No. 25/1956. 17 June 1956. pp. 4, 20 (supplement "Sendewoche vom 17. bis 23. Juni 1956"). OCLC 648143500.
  35. ^ "München". Bild+Funk (in German). No. 26/1956. 24 June 1956. p. 46. OCLC 643528928.
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