A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Battle of Prague, The

BATTLE OF PRAGUE, THE. A piece of military programme-music describing the engagement between the Prussians and Austrians before Prague, in 1757. It was composed by Kotzwara—a native of Prague—for Piano, with Violin and Cello ad libitum, and was published at Hamburg and Berlin (according to Fétis) about 1792, and in London in 1793 [App. p.532 "Line 8 of article errs in giving 1793 as the date of the London publication, as the piece appears in Thompson's catalogue for 1789"]. The piece had an immense success at the time and for a quarter of a century after, and was the precursor of the 'Siege of Valenciennes,' and many others of the same kind—culminating in Beethoven's 'Battle of Vittoria.' The English editions contain 'God save the King,' as the Hymn of triumph after the victory, and a drum-call 'Go to bed Tom.' Now as 'Heil dir in Siegerkranz,' which has become a kind of Prussian national hymn, to the tune of 'God save the King,' was not produced till 1799, it seems probable that the tune and the name have been put into the English editions for the English market, and that if the German edition could be seen (which the writer has not been able to do) it would be found that some Prussian air and call were there instead of those named.

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