"The Veterans". On 13th November 1856 an advertisement appeared in the Theater-Zeitung trade paper, inviting the public to a festive concert as part of the celebrations hailing the ninetieth birthday of His Excellency Field Marshal Count Radetzky, at Sperl’s establishment. It promised a varied musical programme, which, except for a dedication waltz by the conductor Josef Strauss, did not contain any military compositions. Instead, it featured the Grossfürstin Alexandra-Walzers, Op. 181, composed by Johann Strauss in Russia. Radetzky, the popular commander who was born on 2nd November 1766 in Trzebinitz, stayed in Italy owing to his advanced age, so that there were no official celebrations in Vienna. The organizers of the festivities at Sperl’s hoped to attract veterans who had spent their military service under Radetzky’s command or who had served in regiments led by him and probably participated in campaigns of the Austrian army. This hope was indeed fulfilled, as the Radetzky Festival was well attended. The waltz Die Veteranen which Josef Strauss first performed at this event on 18th November 1856, and which first appeared in print in February 1857, was not only dedicated to Josef Wenzel Count Radetzky von Radetz, but also to those attending this concert, the veterans.
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Portrait of Graf Johann Joseph Wenzel Anton Franz Karl Radetzky von Radetz
Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, Kosice
Karl Albert Geyer
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