!!!Militärmusik

Military Music: In Austria, the separation of military music bands 
from kettledrummers, trumpeters, drummers and pipers occurred after 
the end of the Thirty Years' War, i.e. in the second half of the 17th 
century. Kettledrums and trumpets had become insignia of imperial 
power while drummers and pipers (the "spiel") were used by the 
infantry for signalling and indicating the marching tempo. Around the 
middle of the 17th century shawms were added to the spiel, and by the 
early 19th century the military band had grown to a size of 25-30 
players, the forerunners of the renowned Austrian military bands.

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Military music was also influenced by the various inroads made by the 
Turks from the 16th century onwards and the two sieges of Vienna: 
Janissary music with its typical instruments (cymbals, bells, 
triangles, shawms, trumpets, drums and kettledrums) became the model 
for "Turkish music" bands kept by Austrian noblemen. Freiherr von der 
Trenck's famous music band, which he had performed before Maria 
Theresia in 1741, was one such "Turkish music" band. In wartime the 
musicians also served as stretcher-bearers and thus enjoyed special 
status. From the 18th century military band concerts played an 
important part in garrisons.

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Military reforms in the early 19th century improved the economic 
standing of band musicians and paved the way for the great success of 
military music after the Napoleonic Wars. The last major reform of 
military bands in the time of the Monarchy, which took place in 1851, 
initiated the flowering of k. k. military music between 1866 and 
1918. Many well-known 19th century composers were members of military 
bands or at least started their careers there: F. and J.  Fahrbach, A. 
 Czibulka, W.  Jurek, K.  Komzák, C. M.  Ziehrer, G. 
Schebek, F.  Lehár, J. Fučik and others. Military 
kapellmeister had the status of officers, but were employed by the 
respective regiment in which they served and wore special uniforms. 
The musical tradition of the k. u. k. Army was continued in 
the Federal Army of the First Republic. After the re-establishment of 
the Austrian Federal Army in 1955 the old tradition was revived after 
the break which had been caused by National Socialist rule. Military 
bands are maintained by the 9 military commands and by the Vienna 
Gardebatallion ("Gardemusik"). The tradition of the old 
Austrian military bands also served as a model for police and 
gendarmerie bands, the Schuetzen of Tirol, municipal bands and the 
bands of the Postal Service and the Vienna Municipal Utility 
Companies.

!Literature
E. Rameis, Die oesterreichische Militaermusik, 1976; E. 
Brixel, G. Martin and G. Pils, Das ist Oesterreichische Militaermusik, 
1982.


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