

Philipp Fahrbach I
Eisbären, Polka Schnell, Op. 312
Arr. CPE Strauss

My orchestration from the Schreiber piano score of this polka by Philipp Fahrbach I. It commemorates the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition of 1872-4 led by Karl Weyprecht and Julius von Peyer. Eduard Strauss wrote his Weyprecht Peyer Marsch, Op. 120 for the same purpose.
There are words to the trio, presumably sung by the orchestra. If you feel like singing along, they are –
Peyer, Weyprecht, das sind die Nordpolfahrer! die sind die Nordpolfahrer! Wilscek, Vivat hoch! Vivat hoch! Hoch! Hoch! Hoch!
Peyer, Weyprecht, das sind die Nordpolfahrer! die sind die Nordpolfahrer! Wilscek, Vivat hoch! Vivat hoch! Hoch! Hoch! Hoch!
Words are as printed in the score.
They didn’t reach the North Pole, but they did discover Franz Josef Land. This was written in 1874, The gunshots are in the score.