Strauss, J :: Radetzky March op. 288

Musicians Publications presents Johan Strauss, Sr. s Radetzky March op. 228 arranged for woodwind quintet by Bill Holcombe.

Johann Strauss Sr. wanted to be a cafe musician since childhood, and had managed to learn violin and harmony on his own. At age fifteen, he was playing in Viennese cafes with Joseph Lanner, another fine waltz composer. In a few years, Strauss formed his own orchestra, and by the time he had reached his mid-twenties was the toast of Vienna. Before long he was touring the capitals of Europe, and his orchestra performed at Queen Victoria s coronation ball. He composed hundreds of dance numbers, including 150 waltzes. Strauss composed this march in honor of Austrian field marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, a war hero. Festive and jubilant rather than sternly martial, the Radetzky March was first performed before an audience of Austrian officers, who began clapping rhythmically at once, and began stomping their feet along with their clapping shortly thereafter a tradition that continues in Vienna today. - Mark Rohr

Short in duration, this woodwind quintet is intermediate-advanced in difficulty depending on the tempo chosen by the ensemble. At half note = 100 bpm, and at less than 100 measures long, this short yet lively march has stood the testament of time and is a charming staple in the Romantic era s repertoire.