Florentiner March (Julius Fucik)

[PivotMakeranimations]

I love Fucik

[baiereuph]

@ KarlBonner - Of course, one does need to keep in mind that the tune for "The Star Spangled Banner" is the old English beer-drinking song "To Anachreon In Heaven."

[junkbot66]

THis is beautifully played. I agree that around 3:30 it feels like its juuuuuuuuust about to die. But other than that, beautiful.

[Aerohog1]

It keeps feeling like it's about to lose momentum and stop. Give my the Gebruder Rungling B&B band. Too slow, and still doesn't catch the beautiful lyricism at about 3:30, just sounds like it's abo u t t o d i e ooooooooooooout.

Then come back to hit you on the head. Where the hell is the conductor going?

[cchat5]

why are they all chinese?

[zorakj]

@cchat5 The group playing appears to be the National Taiwan University Wind Orchestra, therefore it makes sense that they are Taiwanese. And why do you care?

[LeNinjaBob]

Tempo is not far off. If you play this twice as fast, YOU are the one butchering this one. It is perhaps a bit slow, but not much.

[kotetsu131]

@LeNinjaBob Amen. I don't get these people it's really not that far off. Much better to have proper musicality and blend and intonation than deal with tempo pyrotechnics. The only part that that is a bit....lethargic maybe is the trumpet fanfare at the beginning, would like to have seen it a little bit more vibrant being a trumpet player. The trio also lags significantly and started to put me to sleep, should be the same tempo as the rest....maybe that's what they were talking about.

[junkbot66]

My god, why is it so slow? My high school is playing this twice as fast, and it sounds almost as good.



[junecog]

WHY SO FREAKING SLOW

[KarlBonner1982]

In three days I'll be performing this; namely, the 3rd horn part. Lots of "pahs" or "peck horn" parts.

[dukefishers]

I agree with someone else... theyt are playing too slow. The band I play in rips right into it !

[baiereuph]

This is a European march. They intend things to be more stately and play them accordingly. American bands tend to play European marches much faster than they're supposed to go, especially British ones. In the Trio, though, I'd tend to agree that it started out a little too slow, but then the tempo picked up. People shouldn't be so impatient!

[KarlBonner1982]

@baiereuph I tend to have the same attitude toward our national anthem. Most bands play it at a moderate and mostly steady tempo, but my preference would be a much slower and darker sound with plenty of rubato. I think it has to do with my sense of patriotism being founded more on things like human rights, as opposed to an orderly and structured military ethos. Musically that translates into a noble, ponderous and harmonious playing style - perfect for a French horn ensemble BTW.

[baiereuph]

This is a European march. They intend things to be more stately and play them accordingly. American bands tend to play European marches much faster than they're supposed to go, especially British ones.

[SpeedyNeutrino43]

One more thing while I'm at it. On the off chance that any of you DID play in a band at some point, I'm sure you weren't a virtuoso from the moment you picked up an instrument. I sure wasn't and you shouldn't expect miracles from young bandsmen. Young musicians should be ENCOURAGED, not picked apart.

[SpeedyNeutrino43]

You punctilious people must be crazy. This is a bunch of KIDS playing. What did you expect? Black Dyke? The Sousa Band? The Berlin Philharmonic? They did a damn fine job, all things considered. BRAVO for them. The rest of you drag out your dudelsacks (the Germans have the best name for them) and skirl away, sounding like someone strangling a cat.

[KullervoPilz]

It is a march, not a polka, so I think it isn't too slow!!

[Geitebok]

actually the tempo is very good..... most of the bands play it way too fast....

[WoWKoest]

@Geitebok Are you kidding? It's written at MARCH tempo, and I'm PRETTY SURE that march tempo isn't 100 BPM. Besides, the the opening grace notes are extremely closed and indistinguishable anyways, so they pretty much butchered a key part of the march anyways.

[thegoldenfishie]

While it's true that most bands play this piece much faster, this piece is a march so it does make sense to play it at a marchable tempo, such as in this video. That said, I also think this piece is more fun at a faster tempo.

[emptyangel]

I like how all the kids are coming in here and going, "My school band did it faster and we were better!"

Of course there's only ONE way to play a piece of music and one way only, all others suck blah blah blah.

[Blacckmore1983]

viel zu langsam!!!

[jetfan111289]

my high school played it faster and sounded much better

[cozer13]

Way to slow 

[bjbeaton1]

baritone solo is too slow

[WolfTail92]

Are band is playing it, and we are not as good.

I am playing piccolo. I am not playing for the whole time.  `Maybe I should. This piccolo player is better than I am.

WOW!

[ChadA23]

My high school is playing this this concert season! A little tough but not too bad. I'm the only tuba we have that can play it all lol

[RoiTMakeR9]

our high school band just did this song, and we did better, AND played it faster

[z0ne93]

yea a bit slow, and some mistakes but else its pretty good.

@zambeezy29: its definitely an austrian march everybody in austria who is a bit interressted in such like of music knows that march.

[kastlunger88]

to slow ... i think ;)

[EsterBaudisova1997]

Thats soooo cool ^^

[Sauerland39]

a litle to slow ....... but good played !!!

[saksophoneMAN]

too slow? perfect !

[Ripperjack86]

Oh mein gott viel zu langsam..( to slow!!)

[Taxi58]

..to slow.

And with a lack of feeling. Very far from the way a German March is supposed to be played.

The "Brassed off" is the closest, and best version on here.

[5561drum]

I disagree with you about the tempo.. German marches are not played correctly at 120 or higher tempos.

Played Florintiner Marsch many times under conductor with German/Austrian experience.

[Taxi58]

Thats correct, many marches played nort of the alps is played in a 112 tpo.

And if the musicians put more "air" between espeially the short notes, and less d attacks and more t (you know the thoung behind your teath, then then this march really takes off in a positive way.

I can give you a number of advices to make this very recording mor fu nto listen at.

Still loves the brassed off version!

[RoyalSwNavyCadetBand]

Czech march, dude CZECH!

And its supposed to be played swiftly until the trio. Litsen to Mnozil Brass, their tempo is great! This sounds like a deathmarch, and definately not like a beautiful light march by a great composer!

[rotweissrot100]

Czech Composer. Austrian March

[rotweissrot100]

The Florentiner is not a "German march", it is Austrian.

[Radicalek]

Do anyone from you here know something about Julius Fucik? :) For exam one from his nevvys (Julius Fucik too) was killed by gestapo and was one from head czech comunists writers in interwar age? Read something about Reportáž psaná na Oprtátce...

[puccini56]

I think that you are confusing the composer Julius Fucik with the Czech journalist Julius Fucik...same name but very different people.

[2861914]

really, the Czech composer Julius Fučík was uncle of writer Julius Fučík killed by Nazis...

[nerf15]

not bad...but there's not enough dynamic contrast...its too mechanical, even just watching the conductor.

[mirko637]

hmm in the theme before trio trumpets have solo, but here you cant hear them...

[wootx3]

i like it at this tempo personally. not every group has to play it the samee. =]] youu guys have pretty good balance, i likee it.

[kidmasaki]

this was a slower version than what we're taking hahaha.

It felt a bit awkward to me.

[dondonoboe1]

it is just the right tempo... the metronome marking in the conductor's score is just quarter note = 108....

[kidmasaki]

I'm more used to the faster tempo then.

And I watched this other video first and it was a lot faster.

[tennisprep624]

Its not supposed to rush, just have a nice little lilt to it.

Very good job!

[mjohli]

die große trommel geht mit dem klöppel immer voll nah ran... is es nich so, dass man mit viel schwung und weit ausholt? (ich spiel kein schlagzeug aber ich bin ziemlich sicher, dass das so sein muss)

[wbjc2007]

also, spieltechnisch eher note 3, dirigat 4-5; mit dem orchester könnt' ma doch wesentlich mehr anstellen.

aber ich geh jetzt mal davon aus, daß die asiaten mit der europäischen marschmusik nicht so zurecht kommen.

große trommel und wuuuuuusch-becken zu leise, zu langsam, zu steif gespielt, zu wenig interpretation von den musikern selbst, wie wenn die notation auswendig gelernt wäre und "spielen" verboten wäre.

[emu1949]

Schönster Marsch - doch warum kleben die so an den Noten?? Fehlt leider italienische Leichtigkeit und italienischer Schmiss

üben - üben - üben

[Eugeniuis1901]

Sie meinen die italienische Leichtigkeit und der !österreichische bzw. böhmische! Schmiss? Die Italienier sind nicht sehr schmissig!

Dynamik felht auf jeden Fall in dem Stück!

[pandora2go]

Einer der schönsten Märsche, die ich kenne.... Ich spiele den auch seber mit meinem Spielmannszug!

Allerdings muss ich sagen, mir gefallen hier ein paar Sachen nicht:

1. Der ganze Marsch ist viel zu langsam gespielt

2. Im Zwischenteil fehlt die 3. Stimme vollständig :( eigentlich die Leitmelodie in dem Teil

3. Und Leute, das ist ein Marsch, war die große Trommel grad auf Klo ? ^^

[oafclegendary]

too slow! its not a funeral march! bloody hell

[DADRENO]

@oafclegendary You're rightv- far too slow - sounds like an amateur band.

It should be twice the speed.

[drummerlead]

@DADRENO I agree.. It should be a bit faster. The community college band I was in years ago did this one and we cranked it up. Not too fast but as fast as I think it should be played.

[FHBabii]

@oafclegendary It's because it's not an American March.

[WJMBclarinet]

I only thought the tempo for the repeat section was a little slow...every thing was a nice walking tempo. marching is different from sprinting. Also if you think all marches are fast than listen to March of the Belgium Paratroopers (Marche des parachutistes belges). That's not a quick march at all but its still very good. fast doesn't equal good.

[caliorze8]

I love the march of the belgium paratroopers!!! the picc. solo at the beginning is so cute! (w/ optional oboe of course!

[mtotheaxi]

Naja... mit etwas mehr dynamik vllt?!

[utoysupladito]

this piece is one of my favorite march so unique

[dondonoboe1]

you are an asshole

[mierzhang]

you're worse than a gay

[dondonoboe1]

you are blind

[bandgeek89]

I played this in band and loved it right away. I played baritone so I had like 2 measures of rest and melody a lot. This is probably my favorite march ever!!

[fabrianici]

Das zieht sich ja wie ein Kaugummi! Katastrophe!!!

[JasyBoi]

u r all spaggetti munchin arseholes

[dondonoboe1]

you are racist....asshole

[ferretygoodness]

I love this piece. We just played it at our county band concert. Being a trumpet player i absolutey adore this piece. ^.^

[RumpoleoftheBeach]

"Czech?" Sudetenland Czech? Consider how far reaching and in how many countries German culture reached over the centures. You often cannot say that a person is just Czech, Polish etc. or even French without saying they are also German. Likewise, many Germans have Polish, Czech and even French names. So. Fucik has a Czechered past. So what? It's still a German March.

[rotweissrot100]

No, it is not. It is definitely an Austrian march (musically, as well as historically), composed by a Czech (or, if you prefer, Bohemian) composer serving in the Austrian army. Also, he was not born in the Sudetenland, but in Prague.

[zambeezy29]

im excited, we get to play this march in concert band and i get the piccolo solo. but my band director said it was an italian march.

[rotweissrot100]

The misattribution is easily explained: Fucik himself subtitled his march "Grande Marcia Italiana" (Great Italian March) and "Florentiner" (Florentine) refers to the Italian City of Firenze (Florenz, Florence), then part of the Austrian empire, in whose army Fucik served as a bandmaster.

[Dubravko49]

Since there is so much comment on the speed of it, let me say that I played it many times in my City Marching Band in Dubrovnik, Croatia as we marched through the streets of my old home town in the 50s and 60s. The speed is perfect!

[RumpoleoftheBeach]

"Italian"!?! Eat my spaghetti!

[BytomGirl]

derekohsmileliu, you don't happen to have Fucic's Old Grumpy Bear? Do you? It's such a delightful piece.

[RumpoleoftheBeach]

Have it your way, sport.  I like marches, and routinely slow them down to a realistic cadence. Maybe you should trade in your old 78 RPM Victrola for. RCA Victrola had to speed things up to cram a long march on a fast spinning slab of wax. Now, things are more relaxed.... Easier to listen to.... Better fidelity.... Ahhhh, just the way old Hindenburg liked it!

[RumpoleoftheBeach]

This is a very old German March. Play it slow or play it fast, as you please. But, in the end, a march is written to be used by the troops in a parade. More importantly this is not a Gestapo march. The Nazi period in Germany only lasted 12 years. The culture is hundreds of years old. This particular march sounds like a 19th century composition. Why shove everything old and German into that tiny Nazi time slot?

[theforce119]

Play it slow or fast, as you please? You really SHOULD play the way the composer means. Watch the Florentiner march posted by johncage70: that's how it's intended to be. And troops can march on that, just two beats per footstep...

This march isn't intended as a march for troops in parade -cont-.

[BytomGirl]

RumpoleoftheBeach, this is not German march. Fucik was Czech!

[BassclarinetistJ]

its not a german march, its italian

"Grande Marcia Italiana"

[fabrianici]

It's an Austrian-Hungarian March because Fucik served under the crown of the emperor of Austria-Hungary. And right: it should played a little faster.

[eragon812]

you are absolutely right

[eragon812]

i mean fabrianici

[spacecake10]

yep totally right faster. I have played myself once so i can know.

[rotweissrot100]

The Florentiner march (referring to Firenze - in German "Florenz") is neither a German march nor is it Italian, it is Austrian. Fucik subtitled it "Grande Marcia Italiana".

[rotweissrot100]

This is not a German march, it is an Austrian march composed by an Imperial Austrian army bandmaster (of Czech descent). Its title refers to the Italian city of Florence (Firenze, german "Florenz"), which was part of the Austrian Empire.

[eifelschmiddi]

very bad speed!!! it must be faster!!!

[otwillywonka]

uh. wow. is this a march or a funeral song.

[Arcalyth]

This is about how fast our band is playing it.

[eragon812]

exactly jazzman!

we play it in our orchestra

but it has to be FASTER!!!

that´s not orignal and doesn´t sound very good at this speed

[jazzman09876]

sorry rumpoleofthebeach, I don't care if you are a marine, I've played this piece hundreds of times now and it is meant to be twice as fast as this, you marines just march the same pace, on every second beat instead of every one.

[Aktuvor]

I'm playing this song to with my music group, but our (foreman?? srry bad english) would love it if we even reaced this speed :P so dun go bad about the speed, it's good.

[gilgamesz222]

Definitely too slow and too flat.

[RumpoleoftheBeach]

Just the right speed. As a Marine, I can tell you this: The point of a march is to let the troops march.  Doubtless, this is played just as it was meant to be. A march is, after all, only part of the martial display of well trained troops. If you want to make a march into something it isn't, go to a Jr. High football game. Bring cotton for your bleeding ears.

[theforce119]

My orchestra played it today on a concert and we did it much faster.. To reply to your comment: the piece itself advices a much higher speed! A orchestra should play how the composer wrote it down. This piece is intended to play faster. Even then it's perfect to walk on, just do something like two beats for one step or so...

[rotweissrot100]

RumpleoftheBeach: In principle you are right: "The point of a march" is indeed "to let the troops march". But there are exceptions; for example the so-called concert marches, not composed for marching, but meant to be performed in a concert hall. Fucik intended the "Florentiner" to be such a "Konzertmarsch".

[hugehelmet]

At this speed,it sounds like something the gestapo would march to.

[abgbddsg]

Nice performance, but the repeat of the trio melody is too slow. Also the video is too fuzzy!

[afigurl632]

haha, everytime i hear this song all i can think of is DMA '07. If you don't know what DMA is you should find out. haha this is amazing... yet so annoying

[sauzachn]

Too slow... especially in the solo part it hardly even moves...