NEW ULM - When local New Ulm man Dale Holtz recently got the chance to travel to Graz, Austria to play polka music - he took it.
Last year in June of 2010, Dr. Rudi Pietsch, who is a musicologist with the University of Vienna, visited New Ulm.
"Dr. Rudi Pietsch ... and Denny Warta of New Ulm got the ball rolling on our trip to Graz, Austria, and the band wants to thank them for choosing us to play (during) a 30-day festival of music ..." said Holtz.
Holtz said he organized some of his musical friends into a band called "Die Alpen Platt Kapelle" for the trip.
"Denny Warta and I made up a non-sensical name for the band," said Holtz, "We had to come up with a name."
Their band included the concertina/tuba-playing Adam Munsterman of St. James, trumpet/valve trombone-playing Bennie Gilbertson of Mankato, clarinet-playing Dr. Hilary Mohr of Springfield, concertina-playing George Palma of Brownton and tuba/slide trombone-playing Holtz. Band members spent July 21-26 traveling, playing music and enjoying Austria.
Holtz said the band flew in to (and back out of) Vienna, Austria.
"We landed in Vienna and were given a half-day tour of the historical part of Vienna," said Holtz, "With Dr. Pietsch's guidance, we saw a lot in a very short time before we departed by van for the two hour trip to Graz."
They also visited St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, the Schlossberg Graz clock tower and the University of Vienna.
They stayed at the Hotel Weitzer located in the center of Graz.
"Graz, on the swift, flowing Mur River, was a fortress city that played an important role in the 16th Century in halting the northward expansion of the Turkish Muslims," said Holtz, "Graz is just a beautiful city ... we hated to leave there."
The festival the band played at was called "Styriarte" - named after largest state, Styria, or in German "Steiermark." Styria is the Slovenian name for the area. The festival started on June 24 and ended on July 25 with a party.
"This is a really big festival," said Holtz, "Some of the instruments date back to the 16th and 17th Centuries."
Die Alpen Platt Kapelle played for a concert/dance on July 23, as well as an end-of-celebration Styriarte party that took place on July 25.
"They seemed to like our music, especially the 'Hoolerie' numbers," said Holtz.
Holtz said he noticed that some of the trumpets during the festival had no valves. He also saw recorders, flutes (played in a downward fashion like clarinets), oboes, string bass and cellos during the festival.
The weather during their trip was not the best. It rained a good deal with the temperatures staying in the 60s and 70s, Holtz said.
"The Austrian people were extremely accomodating and treated us very well - they paid for almost all our expenses," said Holtz, "Food ... everyone should experience one of their breakfasts ... unbelieveable! The food was very good."
Holtz also said, "Although we could find no Schell's (beer), we found the local beer quite acceptable."
If he ever gets the chance, Holtz said he would go back to Graz, Austria.
"The people treated us just so well," he said.
