First performed in Vienna on the 31st August 1848, the Radetzky March is one of Strauss’ most enduring pieces. It was commissioned to celebrate the Austrian Empire’s victory over Sardinia at the Battle of Custoza earlier that year, and was named for and dedicated to the Austrian commander, Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz.

 

When it was first played in front of Austrian officers, they spontaneously clapped and stamped their feet when they heard the trio; a tradition that continues to this day with audiences. It is traditionally played as the last piece at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s New Year's Concerts.