Old soldiers never die

Music has accompanied the army in peace and at war. However, one should make a distinction between songs and war pieces of patriotic and ceremonial character and the most faithful companion of a soldier, being also the most magnificent representative of functional music – the march. It is closely connected with human physiology and psyche, being a literal record of the rhythm of steps, breath and heartbeat. It also put soldiers into a sort of trance, like a narcotic drug; it shouted down fear, aroused hope and faith in victory and survival and built a sense of pride, community and solidarity. It added strength during gruelling marches and evoked good associations. During a war, the beat of kettledrums determined the rhythm of soldiers’ steps, the sound of pipes and whistles signalled regrouping and dictated the tempo of loading weapon. From the time of the crusades, the sound of kettledrums has accompanied European knighthood. Kettledrums drumheads were made almost exclusively from thin calf hide. The instruments were then replaced with drums and hi-hats taken over from janissary bands. The march as a musical form appeared in the 17th century but it stemmed from an older form of a short Renaissance instrumental musical piece played at beginning of court celebrations. When combined, pieces with functional “signal” music used by the army in infantry units gave rise to short, one-piece marches. They were played on simple trumpets, shawms, pipes or recorders to the accompaniment of kettledrums or drums. Turkish wars expanded the range of march instruments, speeded up the rhythm and sharpened the sounds of marches, making them noisier than before due to a large amount of metallic sounds of little bells, noisy pipes, fast beat of kettledrums and little drums. The American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution enriched marches with sublime tones, expressing love of freedom. The march increased its “propaganda striking power”. However, it was the 19th century that was the golden age of the march. Popularization of valve wind instruments and excellent achievements in Romanticism music uplifted the march. It happened when Zamość fortress was undergoing its last modernization works. The march had become a three-part piece; the middle part called “trio” had a melodious and lyrical character and contrasted with monumental fortissimo sounds played by percussion and the largest trumpets – tubas and bombardons. Ludwig van Beethoven himself composed military marches. Composers would often purposefully adapt folk tunes to motivate soldiers, who heard the music of their childhood and tunes played at village parties and wedding receptions. Austro-Hungarian army composers were very good at it; every regiment march referred to the music popular in the conscription district the soldiers came from. No wonder the marches of the non-existent monarchy are still considered the most beautiful. Compositions of Rudolf Achleitner, Johann Strauss, Julius Fučik and Franz Lehar are played by orchestras all over the world. American “King of Marches” was the famous John Phillip Sousa. Germans can boast of such composers as Carl Albert Teike and Rudolf Herzer, the author of an immortal march entitled “Vivat Hindecksburg!”. The greatest Polish composer of marches in the Second Republic of Poland was Edward Maj from Cracow.

(We dedicate this fragment to unforgettable Expert and Enthusiast of military music Leszek Maruta. The text is based on His popular and informative stories told in Cracow in the 1980s).