Marching to the Canon
Title Details

338 Pages

0 x 0 cm

8 b/w, 13 line illus.

Series: Eastman Studies in Music

Series Vol. Number: 113

Imprint: University of Rochester Press

Marching to the Canon

The Life of Schubert's "Marche militaire"

by Scott Messing

  • Description
  • Contents
Marching to the Canon examines the history of Schubert's Marche militaire no.1 from its beginnings, through its many arrangements, to its impact on dance, literature, film, and music.

Marche militaire is Franz Schubert's most recognizable and beloved instrumental work. Originally published for piano four hands in 1826, this tuneful march -- Schubert's first of three military marches -- was arranged, adapted, and incorporated into new incarnations over the next two centuries. Its success was due to its chameleonlike ability to cross the still-porous borders between canonic and popular repertories, creating a performance life thatmade deep inroads into dance, literature, and film, and inspired quotations or allusions in other music
Marching to the Canon examines the history of Schubert's storied Marche militaire from its modest beginnings as aduet published for domestic consumption to its now-ubiquitous presence. After detailing the composition, publication, and reception of the original march, the book analyzes the impact of transcriptions and arrangements for solo piano, orchestra, band, and other settings. In addition, it considers the ways the march was used symbolically, even manipulated, during the Franco-Prussian War and the two world wars, as well as the diverse creative uses of the piece by significant figures as varied as Willa Cather, Isadora Duncan, Walt Disney, and Igor Stravinsky. This study of the reception and impact of the Marche militaire offers a unique narrative illuminating the world that enshrined this remarkable score as one of the most memorable musical works of the nineteenth century.

Scott Messing is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Music at Alma College, and the author of two works available from theUniversity of Rochester Press: Neoclassicism in Music and the two-volume Schubert in the European Imagination.
Preface
Acknowledgments
The Original Duet: Composition, Publication, Performance, and Reception
Arranged for Solo Piano: Carl Tausig and His Progeny
Transcriptions: Edification and Entertainment
The Marche militaire at War and Peace
Dance: Isadora Duncan and Loie Fuller
Literature: From Novel to Ephemera
Film: Animated Scores and Biedermeier Dreams
Allusion and Quotation: Poulenc and Stravinsky
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

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Title Details

338 Pages

0 x 0 cm

8 b/w, 13 line illus.

Series: Eastman Studies in Music

Series Vol. Number: 113

Imprint: University of Rochester Press