The "Radetzky March", Op. 228, is a march composed by Johann Strauss (Senior) which was first performed on 31 August 1848 in Vienna to celebrate the victory of the Austrian Empire under Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz (the piece's namesake) over the Italian forces at the Battle of Custoza, during the First Italian War of Independence.
It has been noted that its tone is more celebratory than martial, but it nevertheless became popular among marching regimental soldiers.
Strauss had already used the theme in his Jubel-Quadrille, Op. 130; the upbeat bears a considerable resemblance to the second theme from the Allegro in Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 100 composed in 1794.
For the trio, Strauss used an older folk melody called Alter Tanz aus Wien or Tinerl-Lied which was originally in 3/4 time.
When Radetzky came back to Vienna after winning the Battle of Custoza (1848), his soldiers were singing the then-popular song.
Allegedly Strauss heard this singing and incorporated the melody, converted to 2/4 time, into the "Radetzky March".
Along with the "The Blue Danube" waltz by Johann Strauss Jr., the piece became an unofficial Austrian national anthem.
In 1932 Joseph Roth published his novel Radetzky March, chronicling the decline and fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Today, the theme is used in numerous promotional jingles and at major sporting events, in particular at football matches of the Austria national team.
Since 1896, the "Radetzky March" has been the official presentation march of the Chilean Army's Military School of the Liberator Bernardo O'Higgins and the Paraguayan Army's Marshall Francisco Solano López Military Academy.
The 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards of the United Kingdom adopted the "Radetzky March" as its regimental quick march.
When it was first played in front of Austrian officers, they spontaneously clapped and stamped their feet when they heard the chorus.
This tradition, with quiet rhythmic clapping on the first iteration of the melody, followed by thunderous clapping on the second, is often observed when the march is played in classical music venues in an orchestral version prepared by Leopold Weninger (1879-1940).
Since it was first introduced in 1946 by conductor Josef Krips during the New Year's Concert (Neujahrskonzert) of the Vienna Philharmonic it is always played as a jubilant encore.
It was announced in 2019 by the Vienna Philharmonic board of directors that a new version would be used that would replace the Weninger arrangement in an attempt to "de-Nazify" the march.
The new arrangement was first performed at the New Year's Concert in 2020.
Johann Strauss e Johannes Brahms, 1894
La "Marcia di Radetzky" (Radetzky-Marsch in tedesco) è una marcia militare, composta da Johann Strauss padre.
Fu composta in onore del maresciallo Josef Radetzky per celebrare la riconquista austriaca di Milano dopo i moti rivoluzionari in Italia del 1848.
La Marcia di Radetzky è, tradizionalmente, il brano che chiude il concerto di Capodanno che l'Orchestra Filarmonica di Vienna tiene ogni anno al Musikverein.
Da svariati anni il pubblico presente in sala partecipa attivamente all'esecuzione battendo il tempo con le mani.
Spesso lo stesso direttore d'orchestra si volta verso la platea e dirige tutti i presenti nella sala conducendoli come fossero un altro strumento.
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