Nazi rules for Dance Orchestras in occupied Czechoslovakia
The information below comes from a book titled The Bass Saxophone written by Joseph Skvorecky, a Czech dissident and peer of Vaclav Havel.
Rules for dance orchestras were posted in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation, issued by a regional official for the Reich. Skvorecky assures readers he has recounted these faithfully, as they were deeply engrained in his mind.
Pieces in foxtrot rhythm (so-called swing) are not to exceed 20% of
the repertoires of light orchestras and dance bands;
in this so-called jazz type repertoire, preference is to be given to
compositions in a major key and to lyrics expressing joy in life
rather than Jewishly gloomy lyrics;
As to tempo, preference is also to be given to brisk compositions over
slow ones so-called blues); however, the pace must not exceed a
certain degree of allegro, commensurate with the Aryan sense of
discipline and moderation.
On no account will Negroid excesses in
tempo (so-called hot jazz) or in solo performances (so-called breaks)
be tolerated; so-called jazz compositions may contain at most 10% syncopation; the remainder must consist of a natural legato movement devoid of the
hysterical rhythmic reverses characteristic of the barbarian races and
conductive to dark instincts alien to the German people (so-called
riffs);
strictly prohibited is the use of instruments alien to the German
spirit (so-called cowbells, flexatone, brushes, etc.) as well as all
mutes which turn the noble sound of wind and brass instruments into a
Jewish-Freemasonic yowl (so-called wa-wa, hat, etc.);
also prohibited are so-called drum breaks longer than half a bar in
four-quarter beat (except in stylized military marches);
the double bass must be played solely with the bow in so-called jazz
compositions; plucking of the strings is prohibited, since it is damaging to the
instrument and detrimental to Aryan musicality; if a so-called
pizzicato effect is absolutely desirable for the character of the
composition, strict care must be taken lest the string be allowed to
patter on the sordine, which is henceforth forbidden;
musicians are likewise forbidden to make vocal improvisations (so-
called scat); all light orchestras and dance bands are advised to restrict the use
of saxophones of all keys and to substitute for them the violin-cello,
the viola or possibly a suitable folk instrument.
Being a Nazi, this public servant obviously didn't miss an opportunity
to couch as many of these regulations as he could in racist or anti-
Semitic terms. Such, after all, are the National Socialist equivalent
of soothing conventional wisdom. But that's just it: If you're a Nazi,
and you can pass something you don't like off as a "Negroid excess,"
or a manifestation of "Jewish Fremason-ry," it helps you with the kind
of Nazi cred you need insulate yourself from having to justify what's
wrong with the music as music. More than that, it helps you hide your
fear of the deeper resonance the music has with people as people. In
an interview given in Prague in 1968, relayed in Talkin' Moscow Blues,
Skvorecky noted that "jazz is, above all, a kind of fraternity."
That's not an entirely obvious thought if you come from the same part
of the world jazz itself does.
Is there a parallel today?
= new reply since forum marked as read
The Symphonic Dances, written in 1940.
The cliche about sax music bugs me: I'm talking about movies, where a sax solo indicates that a "loose woman" is about to go prowling.
I guess its different for me. I can dance to that music, still know at least one of the girls dancing in the opening sequence and Ryan who choreographed the dancing too.
I neglected to say that the music IS good..No disagreement at all on that!
So you know people in, or otherwise connected to the film?
How interesting! Are you in the arts/entertainment field yourself?
but I learned to use the 8 beat shuffle of swing music 18 years ago and then went dancing just about every night of the week for the next 8 years. The choreographer they chose for that film was out of depth. He knew Ryan, who's UK like, from when Malcolm X was filmed so he was rowed in to choreograph Swing Kids correctly.
These days I just take swing music for granted - I feel it. I also moved on to a liking for your old time traditional music - I've got about 80 banjos and 25 guitars etc which I really should learn to play sometime. 
- They needed more cowbell.
