Review of World Class Marches

Time to review real music again! I listened to these marches on Wikimedia Commons.

web.archive.org/web/20061210032717/http://www.navyband.navy.mil/disc_worldclassmarches.shtml
archive.org/details/WorldClassMarches/
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_Class_Marches_album_cover.jpg
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:"Canção_do_Exército",_performed_by_the_United_States_Navy_Band.oga

I'll review all the marches of this album as usual!

The Unter dem Doppeladler (Under the Double Eagle) march was composed by Josef Franz Wagner (not related to Richard Wagner) of Austria-Hungary in 1893 as a patriotic march because the two-headed eagle is a symbol of Austria-Hungary. A beautiful march!

Marcha de Zacatecas (March of Zacatecas) was composed by Genaro Codina Fernández of Mexico in 1892. This march is dedicated to the general Jesús Aréchiga, a governor of the State of Zacatecas. Even though I prefer German and Austrian marches, Marcha de Zacatecas is a pleasant march! So much better than modern "music".

According to the link below, Cançáo do Exército (Song of the Military), also called Canção do Soldado (Song of Solider) or the Amazonas march was actually composed by Ismael Euclides da Costa Maranhão of Brazil in 1909. Frank Salutari is not a composer, but an arranger. A part of this march is sad (not in a bad manner), but it's a beautiful and great march! I'm glad that it was included into this album!

https://bandamusicacbmce.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-historia-da-cancao-do-soldado.html

https://bandamusicacbmce-blogspot-com.translate.goog/2017/07/a-historia-da-cancao-do-soldado.html?_x_tr_sl=pt&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

The In Storm and Sunshine march was composed by John Clifford Heed of the USA in 1885 as a circus march. It's a bit fast for me. And I don't understand why circus marches are included in albums with music performed by military bands. I'm not interested in circus music, but I would rather listen to old circus marches than to electronic cacophony.

The Belford's Carnival march was composed by Russell Alexander of the USA in 1897 as a circus march. It's too fast for me. Not the band's fault. They performed flawlessly!

March Grandioso was composed by Roland Forrest Seitz of the USA in 1901 as a parade march. A fantastic march! No wonder that marches of Seitz were praised by the famous American composer John Philip Sousa.

The Florentiner march was composed by Julius Fučík (an ethnic Czech) of Austria-Hungary in 1907 to honor the Italian city of Florence. This is my favorite version of this march. And I like this march very much! I divided it into four parts: the first part is cheerful, the third part is nice, but the second and the fourth parts are sad (also not in a bad manner).

I would rather include military marches instead of circus marches into this album. And I would rather choose a slightly different cover because there are no Scandinavian, Finnish, Scottish, and Swiss marches on this album. Despite these minor flaws, World Class Marches is a very amazing album. And the band performed great! I hope that I'll find and review more albums with classical and marching music.

9/10