Duration: 3 minutes

Description: German composer Hermann Ludwig Blankenburg (1876-1956) was predominantly a writer of military marches, and perhaps the most prolific march composer in history, writing 1,328 by his own accounting, though the number may not be quite so high. Most have since been lost, but around 300 survive as they were published all over Europe and the United Kingdom. His works are usually fairly demanding for the euphonium section due to the soaring countermelodies he usually assigned to that instrument, and he also focused a great deal on the piccolo, clarinets, and cornets. GLADIATOR’S FAREWELL MARCH, Op. 48 (ABSCHIED DER GLADIATOREN) was likely written between 1901 and 1903 in Duisburg, though an anecdote exists that he wrote it when he was 18 (1894-1895). He submitted the work to a Hawkes & Son march competition in 1904 under the original title DEUTSCHLANDS FÜRSTEN (translated to GERMANY’S PRINCESS) and he won, beating over 500 other submissions, with the requirement that he change the title. This began his relationship with Hawkes & Son that significantly increased the popularity of his works. Reprint edition.

• B139102 / 36-B139102 GLADIATOR’S FAREWELL MARCH, OP. 48 PTS $15.00Buy Now