The Pfister Siblings (German: Die Geschwister Pfister, lit.'The Siblings Pfister') is a Swiss-German comedy band founded in Berlin in the early 1990s.[1] Their music incorporates elements of folk, pop, bossa nova, vaudeville, swing, and yodeling.[2] In 2022, Mannschraft Magazin described them as a "queer music cabaret trio."[3]

Geschwister Pfister
OriginBerlin, Germany
Genres
Years active1990s–present
Members
  • Tobias Bonn as Tony Pfister
  • Christopher Marti as Ursli Pfister
  • Andreja Schneider as Miss Schneider
Past members
  • Max Gertsch as Will Pfister
  • Lilian Naef as Lilo Pfister
Websitegeschwister-pfister.de

Formation

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In the 1990s, actors Christopher Marti, Tobias Bonn, Max Gertsch, and Lilian Naef formed the group at the Schiller Theater. They created fictional personas as 4 orphan siblings from Zermatt, Switzerland.[4]

Music

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In 2009, they released In The Clinic, which includes a cover of Esther & Abi Ofarim's 1968 novelty single, "Cinderella Rockefella," performed by two men.[5] The album also includes an a cappella version of "Spider Pig,"[5] a brief song sung by Homer Simpson in 2007 film The Simpsons Movie, which in turn is a parody of the Spider-Man theme song.[6]

Awards and legacy

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The group was awarded Berliner Kritikerpreis (transl. Berlin Critic's Prize) in 1992.[4] In 1993, they won the Salzburger Stier Award,[4] an annual award for "the best cabaret artists and satirists from German-speaking countries."[7]

In 1995, they won the Prix Walo,[4] a Swiss show business award sometimes referred to as a "Swiss Oscar."[8]

They were portrayed in the 1995 documentary Magic Matterhorn.[9]

In 2014, the group won the B.Z.-Kulturpreis.[4]

The 2021 Historical Dictionary of Berlin names The Pfister Siblings as one of the city's most important performers.[10]

In Spring 2022, the original four members reunited to perform again, for the first time in 30 years.[11] The Berliner Morgenpost claimed it was "almost like ABBA."[12]

In 2022, they were awarded the Swiss Culture Prize.[3][13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Showbühne zu, auf, wieder zu: Ins Nichts gespielt". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  2. ^ Plantenga, Bart (2013-02-08). Yodel in Hi-Fi: From Kitsch Folk to Contemporary Electronica. University of Wisconsin Pres. ISBN 978-0-299-29053-5.
  3. ^ a b "Schweizer Kulturpreis für die Geschwister Pfister". Mannschaft (in German). 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Die Geschwister Pfister: Programme - Erfolge| Berlin1". 2015-09-23. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  5. ^ a b In the Clinic by Die Geschwister Pfister, 2009-05-29, retrieved 2022-09-20
  6. ^ Turner, Chris (2010-05-28). Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation. Random House of Canada. ISBN 978-0-307-36609-2.
  7. ^ "The "Salzburger Stier" - Communication Design - FORMBAR - Grafic & Exhibition Design". www.formbar.it. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  8. ^ Prix Walo website
  9. ^ Anka Schmid Archived 2015-01-09 at the Wayback Machine on hierig-heutig.ch
  10. ^ Zitzlsperger, Ulrike (2021-01-21). Historical Dictionary of Berlin. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-2422-2.
  11. ^ "Geschwister Pfister Reloaded: 30 Jahre "Melodien fürs Gemüt"". Mannschaft (in German). 2022-02-05. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  12. ^ Zander, Peter (2022-04-11). "Geschwister Pfister: Nach 30 Jahren wieder in Ur-Besetzung". www.morgenpost.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  13. ^ "Barbara Frey erhält den Schweizer Grand Prix Darstellende Künste / Hans-Reinhart-Ring 2022". www.admin.ch. Retrieved 2022-09-20.