Monday, 4 June 2018

Der Hohenfriedberger

FROM THE WIKI
Hohenfriedberger Marsch", is one of the most classic and well known German military marches. It takes its name from the victory of the Prussians over the allied Austrians and Saxons on June 4, 1745 during the Second Silesian War at the Battle of Hohenfriedberg, near Striegau.
There are many legends surrounding the origins of the march. Supposedly, the Bayreuther dragoon regiment, which was crucial in securing a Prussian victory, reported to its quarters the day after the battle while the march was played. Whether the march was actually played then is just as questionable as the claim that Frederick II of Prussia was the composer of the piece. (The melody appears to be largely derived from The Pappenheimer March, which dates from the early-17th century.) It is understood that the king issued to the Bayreuther dragoon regiment a "Gnadenbrief", or letter of grace, that authorized it to play both grenadier marches of the foot soldiers (with flutes and drums) and the cuirassier marches of the cavalry (with kettledrums and trumpet fanfare).

1 comment:

  1. The first known partition of the "Hohenfriedberger" is dated to 1795 (for the fortepiano). There is no evidence that it dates back to the WAS.

    There is no evidence at all that the "Pappenheimer" dates back to the TYW. The music as such has nothing to do with the early 17th century. Sometimes, the march is attributed to Michael Haydn. Nonsense again. No serious catalogue of Michael Haydn's works mentions this march. Would you claim that ABBA's song "Waterloo" has to be dated to 1815 because its title is "Waterloo"?

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