March of the Litomerice Rifles

The concert staged in the city park of Subotica on Apr. 24, 1910 terminated Fucík’s engagement as regimental bandmaster of IR 86. When he transferred to IR 92 Edler von Hortstein which was stationed in the fortress Terezín, he did not have in mind the fashionable spas of northern Bohemia with their elegant social life, he rather hoped to give concerts in his beloved Prague. Although this city was the home of five fine regimental bands, those of the citizens’ guards and of the Sokols, he figured out that he could be successful there on account of his especial style and the fine programming of his concerts. His hopes, however, did not really come true as his colleagues of the other regiments succeeded in keeping him away from Prague by applying special rules of military subordination. In other words Fuèík would have performed in another corps area with his band – and this was prohibited as regimental bands were not allowed to perform concerts in another “areas of territorial responsibility”.

In February 1912 Fucík and his band were delegated to Berlin to play music for the “Ball of the Austrians”. The musical triumphs achieved there probably brought about Fucík’s decision to leave the military and to prove to be successful as a free lance composer and musician in the German capital. His farewell concert staged in favor of the retirement funds of military bandmasters in Teplice on July 26, 1913 was an overwhelming success. It was during that concert that his rousing march “Österreichische Soldatenklänge” was premiered. It is of historic interest to consider the various titles of the march. The autograph originally said “Das Regimentsleben” (“Regimental Life”). Then it was renamed “Österreichische Soldatenklänge” (“Sounds of the Austrian Soldiers”). After 1918 the title finally was frowned upon. It is therefore well justified to assume that the title “Leitmeritzer Schützenmarsch” (“March of the Litomerice Rifles”) became generally accepted when the march was adopted by the Citizens’ Rifle Corps of Litomerice.

The artfully use of a number of military bugle calls in the march recalls peculiarity in the Austro-Hungarian army, as the regimental bandmaster was responsible for the training of the company buglers, the practical training, however, was generally carried out by the regimental drum major.