Hans Felix Husadel (18 May 1897 – 25 July 1964) was a German composer and conductor, particularly noted for modernizing the military band and for his march compositions.
Göring supposedly enjoyed having the saxophone included in his bands since his puritanical arch-rival Heinrich Himmler despised it as a “degenerate” instrument.
According to an article by Gerhart Winter in the January 1940 Zeitschrift für Musik, saxophones caught on with German infantry band clarinetists who began procuring the instruments at their own expense.
Husadel engaged composers to write music for the new air force bands including Erwin Dressel "Scherzo", Harald Genzmer "Fliegermusik in 3 Sätzen", Hermann Grabner "I bin Soldat, valera" Var.
Husadel was appointed to the highest position in the Musikkorps as Luftwaffenmusikinspizient (Chief of Music for the Air Force) on 13 August 1936 and his continuing reorganization of bands along with lectures and demonstrations and radio broadcasts led to his being honored with the title Oberinspizienten der Luftwaffe in 1941.
The "Peronne-Marsch" was another war-time march which may have been a reminiscence of Husadel's own career in World War I, Péronne, Somme being the scene of major battles.
Husadel's marches were un-Germanic sounding – unconventional, jaunty, and vibrant and more reminiscent of the compositions of Louis Ganne and John Philip Sousa.
For the marching songs important to German military units, Husadel and Carl Clewing cooperated on a "Liederbuch der Luftwaffe".
On 13 August 1936 Husadel and his counterpart Heeresmusikinspizient Hermann Schmidt led a Großer Zapfenstreich (great tattoo) of 4,000 musicians at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
He conducted the local orchestra society Städtische Orchester Weingarten, and involved himself in pops concerts, broadcasts, and major music festivals.
He commissioned works of modern composers including Arnold Ebel, Boris Blacher, Herbert Brust, Eberhard Ludwig Wittmer, Werner Egk and Rudolf Wagner-Régeny.
His final composition was likely “Der deutschen Luftwaffe gewidmet”, located after his sudden death in the papers of his estate as score and parts and likely from 1963.
Husadel died from a heart attack while conducting musicians in a high level band competition at the District Music Festival in Aulendorf on 25 July 1964.
The CD from the Großkonzert given as part of the symposium included members of Luftwaffenmusikorps 1 and 2 as well as the Musikkorps der Bundeswehr all conducted by Michael Schramm.