Josef Wagner (composer)

Josef Franz Wagner (20 March 1856 – 5 June 1908) was an Austrian military bandmaster and composer.[1] He is sometimes referred to as "The Austrian March King".[2]

He is best known for his 1893 march "Unter dem Doppeladler" (Op. 159) or "Under the Double Eagle", referring to the double eagle in the coat of arms of Austria-Hungary.[1] The march became a favourite part of the repertoire of American composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa, whose band recorded it three times.[3][4] The piece was the official regimental march of Austrian Artillery Regiment Number 2 until its dissolution in 2007.[1][5]

The tune was parodied in the Benny Goodman recording "Benjie's Bubble" and was also used for the well-known Monty Python's Flying Circus animation segment "Conrad Poohs And His Dancing Teeth".

"Under the Double Eagle" is well known in country music, having been recorded by a number of guitar and banjo players, several of them identified with the bluegrass style.

Wagner is also known for the march "Tiroler Holzhackerbuab'n" (Op. 356), or "Tyrolean Lumberjacks".[6] In 1895, his only opera, Der Herzbub, premiered in Vienna.[7]

Tiroler Holzhackerbuab'n

References
  1. "PastMasters public domain web listing for Josef Wagner". Archived from the original on 2004-10-14.
  2. Rehrig, William H. The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music, Volume 2. Integrity Press, 1991.
  3. University of California Santa Barbara: Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings Matrix BVE-355. Matrix BVE-355. Under the Double Eagle march / Sousa's Band Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  4. University of California Santa Barbara: Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings Matrix B-355. Under the Double Eagle (march) / Sousa's Band Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  5. "Artillerieregiment 2 wird aufgelöst - oesterreich.ORF.at". Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  6. Anzenberger, Friedrich. "Wagner, Josef Franz". Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon online. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  7. "Opera Composers: W".


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