Fresh from the Vault: The Gerhard Trede Collection No.19: From Mambo to Puszta Fox

13 Feb 2023

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By Ted Reyes

Gerhard Trede was one of the most prolific composers in history. He was born in a middle-class family in Hamburg on January 17, 1917. His parents encouraged him to pursue a music career, so he took violin classes at a very young age. After high school, Gerhard entered a conservatory and quickly honed his skills as an instrumentalist and composer. Shortly after graduation, he became the resident composer for the UFA Wochenschau and Neue Deutsche Wochenschau (German newsreels. He wrote music for newsreels which cinemas showed before the main feature.

The three decades from 1952-1982 were Gerhard's most productive years. He wrote over 3,000 pieces, with some attributed to his pseudonym Victo Cavini. This staggering volume is the largest music archive by a single composer. His music has been used in various productions, from documentaries to TV shows to feature films, even to this day.

In 1996, Gerhard received the German Order of Merit for his contributions to arts and culture. Gerhard Trede died on September 30 of the same year. Three years after, based on the composer's last will, the Gerhard Trede Foundation was founded. Its mission is to promote arts in the field of music.

Gerhard Trede's massive catalog is under the management of another German library, Sonoton Music, which APM Music represents.

Fresh from the Vault: From Mambo to Puszta Fox

This 29-track masterpiece contains authentic archival recordings from Gerhard's most productive years. It covers Big Band renditions of Latin genres from Mambo to Samba to Rumba and Bossanova.

Library: Gerhard Trede (GT)

Recording Time Period: 1952-1982

Composer: Gerhard Trede

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