RHEINPFALZ has served Walter Falk for over 35 years. To the Lauterer editorial team he is a trusted employee in all respects, and to readers he is a reviewer who is as competent as he is open to opinions. His texts attest not only to a deep professionalism, but also to an infectious fervor, which he brings to paper in his elegantly fast but never capricious language.
He writes the way he appears in conversation: mild and quiet, reserved and polite, quick to blink and sure judgment. Whether he praises or blames, whether he formulates a confession or constructive criticism – his vote has a well-founded, justified and understandable basis. He manages the trick of associating obvious words with richly illustrated metaphors. Wherever he feels a special affection, he lets his readers know.
Work as a teacher until retirement
Walter Falk, who played the harmonica in his youth and took violin lessons, was born the son of a merchant in Bosenbach (Kusel region). After studying at the Kaiserslautern University of Education, he became a teacher. He taught at Offenbach-Hondheim, Vokelberg, Altlinglan and Segelbach before becoming Vice-Chancellor of the Weilerbach Regional School in 1984.
When he retired in 2006, he said when he said goodbye: “Every work has its value and everyone has its dignity.” This sentence could also be the dominant theme in his journalistic work. Although not all of them are positive, his reviews are never destructive or condescending.
Collected more than 1000 CDs
Falk’s specialty is jazz. However, according to his own statement, he values ”every type of music, from classical to modern, not so many hits.” His CD collection includes more than 1,000 recordings, but he occasionally writes about theater and literature.
The relationship between artists and critics is usually a purely professional one. On the other hand, Walter Falk, who lives in Ersenhausen, has developed a lasting friendship with a number of famous musicians, such as Lauren Chansoner Marcel Adam, guitarist Sigi Schwab of Ludwigshafen and the multi-talented Vanecek brothers: “I met them as fair musicians, of all things. At first I thought: Oh my God, Kerui’s music! But of course they aren’t. A true friendship developed.”
The well-read white-haired beauty is a gentle gentleman. A father of three adults celebrates his historic birthday with his immediate family — once he’s finished reviewing Pollina.
“Explorer. Communicator. Music geek. Web buff. Social media nerd. Food fanatic.”
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