A version of this also appeared on UK Jazz News
Hans Falb, founder and director for 45 years of Nickelsdorf Konfrontationen festival in Austria, died at the age of 71 on 26 December.
Nickelsdorf, itself just a small village on the border with Hungary, over the years has arguably become the most important festival on the European free improv circuit. It all started with the initial determination of a 26 year old with an obsessive belief in the music. It took place in the family’s cafe which had been successful financially because it was the last – or first – restaurant in Austria during the time of the Iron Curtain, in a village with just a main street, less than a couple of miles from the border with Hungary.
It shows how so much of the European jazz scene is linked to the determination of individuals. Such as Falb, who was described by another Austrian promoter as the Keith Richards of European free improv.
It’s a real sign of his determination that he built the festival in a small village, certainly ticking none of the boxes if a consultant had been called in to do a business plan.
But he always created a programme with care and developed close relationships with so many of the top improvisers, as demonstrated by the fact that Nickelsdorf even became the home for musicians such as saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, drummer Paul Lovens and pianist Georg Graewe. Meanwhile there were myriad recordings made there, such as by Evan Parker with Trance Map, Hamid Drake with Irene Schweizer to name just a couple, These at least will keep the name alive.
It had a passionate audience willing to travel to hotels dotted around the area or even bring their own sleeping bags to stay in the gymnasium in the local school.There were 4 sets each evening, and the bar remained open all night. I returned to Vienna after two of my visits, on the first train in the morning at just before 6 am. And there were still a fair few punters nursing their beers.
So Nickelsdorf and Hans Falb were symbiotic. The risk is that, with Falb’s sad death, the festival will not continue. His brother was running the operational side. It’s unlikely that Falb himself had even thought about succession, always a risk with any venue or festival. It needs commitment to make a move to a new generation, as we achieved in moving the Vortex from Stoke Newington to Dalston. It would be good if some people like that came forward for Nickelsdorf. It’s too important to die as a festival and is needed as a memorial to the irrepressible Herr Falb – Hauna to his friends.