Stern Combo Meissen 2015

Much like the Moody Blues (and others), Stern-Combo Meissen (Stern means star, and Meissen is their home town) started out as a rock band in the early '60s. The usual lineup and style changes occurred, until they settled into symphonic prog. This didn't happen until 1977, when they released their self-titled debut. Stern-Combo Meissen became one of the bigger East German bands of the seventies. They relied heavily on keyboards (ala Emerson and Wakeman), and classical influences.
By the release of 1980's "Reise Zum Mittelpunkt Des Menschen." They had dropped the 'Combo' from the band's name. The next two albums saw them following a familiar pattern, and pursuing more pop oriented music. In fact, 1985's "Taufrisch" was completely out of the realm of prog.

DDR rock band from Meißen/Saxony. They started as beat in the mid 1960's, absorbing western influences alongside developing their own style. As Stern Combo Meissen they reinvented themselves as the foremost progressive rock outfit from the German Democtratic Republic in the mid 1970's onto the early 1980's. Throughout their career the "Stars of Meissen" have been constantly changing, and almost changed completely in between recording some albums. Yet they returned (almost) to their best-known line-up when reforming much later.

In rock music, rare are the occasions when a band offers thoughtful lyrics or a message to go along with their music. In the case of United Progressive Fraternity (UPF), they have created music to go along with their message…

Isaac Stern was among the most distinguished of the world's violinists. He achieved a strong rapport with his audience through his own personality and his visible love for the music, with an unerring command of the proper style for each work in his exceptionally wide repertoire. His technique was impeccable, his tone strong and warm, though not rich. He performed and recorded virtually the entire standard violin repertoire, including most of the many great violin concertos of the 1930s: those of Hindemith, Berg, Prokofiev (No. 2), Walton, Bartok (No. 2) and other works, some quite contemporary.