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MNOZIL is simply the name of a Moravian family who settled in Vienna in the 19th century. In 1932 a descendant opened a bar there, which in the 1960s became the Mnozil Inn. Standing on a privileged site just opposite the former Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst (University for Music and the Arts) the building was sold in 1996. Sadly, the soul went out of it after its conversion to a large restaurant.

 

From 1987 tables in the Mnozil reserved for regular customers included ones for musicians, singers and all manner of music lovers who spent many cheerful, boisterous hours there. Every second Thursday in the month anyone who wished to could play and sing until totally exhausted. In fact it was not uncommon to find oneself buying milk and fresh croissants for breakfast on the way home... We had come to Vienna from all parts of the country around the year 1993 to be introduced to advanced brass studies, and were scattered throughout this magnificent city.

 

We would meet between lessons in the corridors of the Musikhochschule, where they only taught classical music and which wasn’t really a very sociable place for musical discussion. So it took place instead at the Mnozil Inn.

 

For a musician, the three magic words which can lead to almost certain success if followed conscientiously are:

1) Practise

2) Practise

3) Practise

 

Obviously we did all take this to heart, but as you know the constant flow of hot air involved in playing a wind instrument can lead to a seriously dry mucous membrane of the mouth. So we were forced for the good of our health to meet up every evening at the Mnozil and follow a course of rehydration.

 

Towards midnight the inhibition threshold was generally so low that those who had their instruments with them quickly put together a programme based on the old familiar tunes, and pressed them on a thirsty public, whose spontaneous and excited reaction was accompanied by the ordering of more and more rounds....Such was the climate in which Mnozil Brass was born.

 

Such scenes occurred increasingly often and our repertoire broadened. Soon we were being invited to play at venues other than the Mnozil Inn. Following the festival "aufhohrchen" ("sit up and listen") in April 1993 we actually managed to arrange a rehearsal, because the event was to be broadcast on radio. Our development has had a number of common factors: in Austria certain polkas, marches and concert pieces are played by practically all the brass groups and wind bands in the country, and since we all started out in one or other of these countless traditional music societies we have a good knowledge of the repertoire. Furthermore, there are always a few players at the end of official concerts who spend the rest of the evening improvising on these old favourites, and usually without music. So we learnt at an early age to trust our ears and to play by heart. When we began to play in the Mnozil Inn we already had a common repertoire to draw on, and quite a few other players would join in for what in jazz is called a "jam session". What a laugh we used to have in those days! Since it had never been our plan to give concerts, and as we played together purely for our own pleasure, we had plenty of time to develop the special style we have today.We played for years unselfconsciously and with complete freedom, and because of this our style went on developing quietly, with no external pressure. Our whole aim is to retain, and pass on to others, our pleasure in making music.

 

From 1996 on we started to give regular concerts, in the first year about ten of them. First in Austria, then Switzerland and Germany. Now we are performing all over the world, about 120 concerts a year. We performed at the Musikverein Wien, the KKL Luzern, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the RuhrTriennale etc.

 

In 2006 we are going to play in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, the Nederlands, Sweden, Finland, Spain, England, America, Taiwan, Japan and some more tba.

 

 

CD:

Wenn der Kaiser grooved

das selbe in grün

Zimt

smoke live

ragazzi

 

DVD:

seven

 

We do also sell our own sheet music.