Carl M. Ziehrer - Giskra March, Op. 114 (1868)

Carl Michael Ziehrer (more rarely spelled Karl Michael Ziehrer) (2 May 1843 – 14 November 1922) was an Austrian composer. In his lifetime, he was one of the fiercest rivals of the Strauss family; most notably Johann Strauss II and Eduard Strauss.

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Giskra-Marsch, Op. 114 (1868)

Original C.M. Zieher Orchester conducted by Hans Schadenbauer

Carl Michael Ziehrer composed his Giskra Marsch, Op. 114 originally for string orchestra in E major. This was almost certainly a dedication (Widmungskomposition) to Karl Giskra (22 February 1864, Brünn – 24 October 1919, Gersau, Canton Schwyz), son of the Austrian politician and mayor of Brünn, Carl Giskra (29 January 1820 – 1 June 1879, Baden bei Wien).

Karl Giskra was a member of the Austrian diplomatic service, serving as Legationsrat in Washington (1905), Sofia (1910), and as an extraordinary ambassador and acting minister in The Hague (1914). In the 19th-century Viennese tradition, it was common for composers to write works for both string and wind ensembles, so Ziehrer later adapted the piece for wind orchestra as well.