This epic set of Prussian and Austrian military marches was issued in the mid-1970s, and it raised a few eyebrows. I suppose it represents Karajan and the Berliners letting their hair down and having some fun, in a manner of speaking, and while much of the music dates from the 19th century, that really doesn’t help. I mean, what does that suggest–two centuries of jolly German militarism? In any case, I was not the only person to stumble across this album and think, “Holy *&^!%!” The set quickly acquired the nickname “Nazis on Parade” among aficionados, and it has stuck ever since.
There are some classic numbers here: Beethoven’s Yorkshire March, Fucik’s Florentine March, and Josef Franz Wagner’s Under the Double Eagle, aRead more standard soundtrack item in war documentaries. The CD issue also includes the Radetzky March, but the original albums did not. Most of the other items will be unfamiliar to non-German listeners, though band music collectors may know a few of them.
The best reason for acquiring this set is to have Gottfried Sonntag’s unforgettable Nibelungen-March, after motives from Wagner’s Ring operas. Listening to it is kind of like watching one of those televangelists play rock music backwards to ferret out satanic lyrics: if you think you can hear Wagner’s latent fascist subtext by reducing The Ring to a series of eight-bar phrases in march rhythm, then this baby’s for you. It’s played with perfectly apt, deadpan seriousness by Karajan and the Berliners, as are all of these pieces.
The original album has been reissued in DG’s huge “Karajan ’70s” box, and I’ve seen this CD set going for hundreds of dollars on Amazon, but you should be able to get it used or on demand if you look carefully enough. Either way, this collection is a genuine cultural artifact and a splendid example of unwitting political incorrectness and dubious taste. Nazi Shmatzy!
Torgauer Marschby Frederick the Great Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Baroque Length: 3 Minutes 8 Secs.
2.
Unter dem Grillenbanner, march for bandby Wilhelm Lindemann Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Post-Romantic Written: by 1942; Germany Length: 2 Minutes 42 Secs.
3.
Pariser Einzugsmarschby Johann Heinrich Walch Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 6 Secs.
4.
Mir sein die Kaiserjäger Marschby Karl Mühlberger Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Post-Romantic Written: 1914; Austria Length: 2 Minutes 29 Secs.
5.
Königgrätzer Marschby Johann Gottfried Piefke Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 25 Secs.
6.
Wien bleibt Wienby Johann Schrammel Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 1887; Vienna, Austria Length: 3 Minutes 2 Secs.
7.
Kreuzritter-Fanfare, for military bandby Richard Henrion Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 21 Secs.
8.
Petersburg Marsch (Petersburg March)by Anonymous Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Renaissance Written: Russia Length: 2 Minutes 22 Secs.
9.
Fehrbelliner Reitermarsch, for bandby Richard Henrion Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 27 Secs.
10.
Hohenfriedberger Marschby Frederick the Great Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Baroque Length: 1 Minutes 26 Secs.
11.
Preussens Gloriaby Johann Gottfried Piefke Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 1871; Germany Length: 1 Minutes 41 Secs.
12.
Kärntner Liedermarsch, for bandby Anton Seifert Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 33 Secs.
13.
Die Bosniaken Kommen, for bandby Eduard Wagnes Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 23 Secs.
14.
Old Comradesby Carl Teike Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 1900; Germany Length: 4 Minutes 28 Secs.
15.
Der Zigeunerbaron: Einzugs-Marschby Johann Strauss Jr. Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 1885; Vienna, Austria Length: 2 Minutes 56 Secs.
16.
Nibelungen Marchby Gottfried Sonntag Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: 20th Century Length: 3 Minutes 34 Secs.
17.
Radetzky March, Op. 228by Johann Strauss Sr. Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 1848; Vienna, Austria Length: 2 Minutes 50 Secs.
Tiroler Holzhacker Buab'nby Josef F. Wagner Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Post-Romantic Length: 3 Minutes 4 Secs.
20.
Marsch der Finnländischen Reitereiby Anonymous Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 3 Minutes 2 Secs.
Fredericus Rex Grenadiermarschby Ferdinand Radeck Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 42 Secs.
23.
Unter dem Doppeladlerby Josef F. Wagner Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 3 Minutes 25 Secs.
24.
Fanfaure und Marsche der Pappenheimerby Michael Haydn Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Classical Length: 1 Minutes 22 Secs.
25.
Hoch- und Deutschmeisterby Sebastian Ertl Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Length: 2 Minutes 29 Secs.
26.
Vindobonaby Karel Komzak II Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 19th Century; Czech Republic Length: 2 Minutes 31 Secs.
27.
Erzherzog Albrecht-Marsch, Op. 136by Karel Komzak II Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 19th Century; Czech Republic Length: 2 Minutes 44 Secs.
O du mein Österreich, march for orchestra (or band)by Franz v. Suppé Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Romantic Written: 1872; Austria Length: 2 Minutes 9 Secs.
30.
Florentiner-Marsch, for orchestra, Op. 214by Julius Fucik Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Ensemble
Period: Post-Romantic Written: 1907; Czechoslovakia Length: 5 Minutes 24 Secs.
something from the pastDecember 28, 2011By elidon See All My Reviews"I`m very happy to find these old marches at ARKIVMUSIC.I was looking to buy these CD-s for a long time,as it says in the booklet that after a careful selection Maestro KARAJANI choose those marches that survived the war."Report Abuse