Erzherzog-Albrecht-Defiliermarsch

Without any doubt the “unmistakable light-footed elegance” of Hermann Josef Schneider’s (1862-1921) marches exercised a forming influence on the Austrian military march. Even in Sweden one of his marches became an official regimental march. Schneider was active in Žatec for more than thirty years, but he never had been a military bandmaster. Consequently he is one of the few civilian conductors of his time who secured for themselves one of the coveted positions in the Austro-Hungarian “band heaven”. It is the special merit of the publisher, composer and arranger Siegfried Rundel to have reintroduced to his true home area the “Erzherzog-Albrecht-Defiliermarsch” (“Archduke Albrecht Defile March”) which is the regimental parade march of the Swedish Rifle Regiment Jämtland (Infantry Regiment No. 5). It goes without saying that this piece should be accepted into the core repertory of Central European marches. The composition reminds us of Archduke Albrecht of Austria, Duke of Décín, who always had been a mainstay for Emperor Franz Josef I on account of his military position and his manifold activities.