n.
Musical form having an even metre with strongly accented beats, originally intended to facilitate military marching.
Development of the European march may have been stimulated by the Ottoman invasions of the 14th16th centuries. Marches were not notated until the late 16th century; until then, time was generally kept by percussion alone, often with improvised fife embellishment. With the extensive development of brass instrument s, especially in the 19th century, marches became widely popular and were often elaborately orchestrated. Composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Ludwig van Beethoven , and Gustav Mahler wrote marches, often incorporating them into their operas, sonatas, or symphonies. The later popularity of John Philip Sousa 's band marches was unmatched.