Johann Strauss I wrote the “Radetzky March,” traditionally performed at Vienna’s New Year’s Concert.
Strauss composed the march in 1848 and named it for Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, an Austrian military commander. Its bright rhythm and instantly recognizable refrain made it one of Strauss’s most popular works.
The piece became a customary finale of the Vienna New Year’s Concert, where the audience often claps along with the beat. The concert is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic and broadcast internationally, although the march was not part of the very first concert in the series.
Johann Strauss I is frequently confused with his son, Johann Strauss II, the composer of “The Blue Danube.” Both belonged to Vienna’s famous Strauss musical family, but the “Radetzky March” belongs to the father.