A History of the March and its Greatest Works

The march is one of the most ancient of musical forms, its origins going back deep into antiquity. In the time of Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, music was used to accompany ceremonial and military movements, with drums, horns and pipes being used to coordinate the steps of soldiers and to inspire morale. Music was also important on the battlefield, with trumpet and horn-like instruments used to signal actions such as charge and retreat.

Whilst these uses didn’t form any kind of distinct musical repertoire that has survived, they set basic functions for the the march—for coordination, ceremony and motivation.

Medieval and Renaissance Period

In the Medieval and Renaissance periods royal, church and military processions and ceremonies were often accompanied by music. These included coronation processions from the time of England’s Henry V and VI, march-like dances in the court of Burgundy in France and the Germanic tradition of employing ‘Stadtpfeifer,’ musicians who would play for public ceremonies.

The first distinct march-like music begins to emerge towards the end of this period. Many of the dances of Tielman Susato, such as La Mourisque, Rondeand Pavane Bataille(literally ‘Battle Pavene’), have a distinctly military air, as does Clement Janequin’s La Guerre(1529). A similar tradition is apparent in England in the works of Anthony Holborne, whilst in 1590, one of the greatest English composers, William Byrd, penned perhaps the best known Elizabethan work in this genre: The Earl of Oxford’s March.

Baroque and Classical Era (1600–1820)

As an era of royal display, military spectacle and theatrical grandeur, the march became a ceremonial genre that bridged battlefield, ballroom and opera stage. Monarchs, princes and aristocrats employed musicians to bolster and project their power.

Amongst the best-known composers of this period was Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–1687), who worked at the court of Louis XIV, producing much ceremonial music, including his famous Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcsfrom the comédie-ballet Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (1670). Henry Purcell, likewise, (1659–1695) wrote his solemn Funeral March for Queen Mary(1695) for the English Court; a tradition that continued in the works of Handel (e.g. March from Judas Maccabaeus,1747; March from Occasional Oratorio,1746; March from Scipio,1726).

By the time of Mozart and Haydn, the march was not just music for battlefield or royal occasion—it was a fully established genre in and of itself. Haydn included march-like episodes in his symphonies (e.g. in his Symphony No. 100 in G major 'Military,'1794); both wrote independent marches for ceremonial use, often for wind band (e.g. Mozart’s March in D major, K. 189; March in F major, K. 248);and in many of their operas.

Of this last category the most famous include Mozart’s March in Act III of the opera Idomeneo(1781), one of three that feature in that work; his Wedding March from The Marriage of Figaro(1786); and the March of the Priestsfrom The Magic Flute(1791). These three pieces, more noble than warlike, illustrate just how far the march could travel from its martial roots.

19th to 20th Century: The Golden Age of the March

This period was one of continued military expansionism, with vast European empires and professionalized armies. The march became the perfect musical accompaniment to these jingoistic times.

In the form of the funeral march, composers such as Beethoven (Eroica Symphony, second movement) and Chopin (Funeral March from Sonata No. 2 ) gave the form artistic weight. Others wrote monumental marches within their operas, examples including Verdi’s Triumphal March from Aida, Wagner’s Entry of the Guests from Tannhäuser and Gounod’s Soldiers’ Chorus & March from Act IV of Faust(1859). In the UK Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance Marches, especially No.1 Land of Hope and Glory(1901) became symbols of national pride.

In the United States a parallel but distant tradition emerged, most obviously embodied in the works of John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), whose importance to the genre merits his title as the ‘March King.’ His many works, including Stars and Stripes Forever,Semper Fidelis, and the Washington Post Marchdefined the American march, solidifying its central place in parades, circuses, and school bands, not to mention as a symbol of American patriotism.