ELVIS – The King

There is no need to try and describe the phenomenon “Elvis”. Probably everyone has his own favourite picture among the countless iconic images of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” in mind when hearing the name Elvis Presley: is it the young rocker in front of semi-unconscious female fans, swinging his pelvis; is it Elvis in military uniform as an American soldier in Germany in 1958; is it a certain scene from one of his 31 feature films; or is it the already drug-addicted, stout aged star, dressed in a glittering fantasy uniform, singing about better times in Las Vegas; or is it …?

The facts remain: Elvis Presley sold more records than any other solo artist. He has received by far the most gold and platinum awards, 159 in number. Some lists even see him more successful than the Beatles with his almost 1.4 billion sold records. By the way: Without Elvis, the Beatles (like many other great rock bands) would certainly not have existed in this form. John Lennon named Elvis as his main source of inspiration and motivation to follow the path he later took with the Beatles. Comparable statements have since been heard from countless rock musicians - from the Rolling Stones to Freddie Mercury and Bono.

Seen in this light, a wind orchestra that (also) plays pop and rock music cannot avoid the topic of “Elvis”. Stefan Schwalgin meets this need with a new, fresh medley. Using four stylistically very different Elvis titles he draws a differentiated musical portrait of the “King”.