Barnabas von Geczy

Barnabas von Geczy (1897-1971) was a violinist, composer, and bandleader. Born in Budapest to an Austrian family, he moved to Germany after World War I, where he would live for the rest of his life. In his lifetime, von Geczy was popular throughout Central Europe and even played with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the United States.

Barnabas von Geczy in The War That Came Early
Toward the end of the winter of 1940, a number of German infantrymen were listening to the radio in an occupied, abandoned rural village in northeastern France. An argument broke out among several of them--Arno Baatz, Willi Dernen, and Anton--when Anton made an indiscrete comment disagreeing with the official news reader's editorial. Dernen attempted to warn Anton that it was unsafe to do so publicly, and Baatz impugned Anton's patriotism. A vicious argument broke out until another soldier told the parties to the dispute to take it outside so he could enjoy the music program. Baatz and Anton left the farmhouse; Dernen remained behind because he enjoyed the music of Barnabas von Geczy (said to be the Fuhrer's favorite bandleader) whose piece Komm mit nach Madeira was playing.

After von Geczy's piece had finished playing, Rolf commented that the music was good but he preferred jazz--making the feeling of totalitarian oppression even worse, as jazz was officially being suppressed by the Nazis' cultural agenda.