I Bersaglieri - Italian March

[Martin Jonas]

This is an Italian march, associated with the army corps of the Bersaglieri ("Marksmen" in English") -- instantly recognisable by their black feathered hats.

My arrangement for mandolin quartet is based on an edition for two mandolins and guitar published by Tesio (I think) in New York in the 1920s. I don't have the original edition, but found the attached PDF transcriptions (with a typo in the tune title) at Michel Van Der Meiren's site.

1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
1915 Luigi Embergher mandolin
Ozark tenor guitar
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello

Two things that are peculiar about this tune: it's not actually the official march of the Bersaglieri (that is "Flik Flok", another rather rousing tune), and in any case marching is something they simply don't do -- uniquely they move in a fast jog on their parades (video, which has to be seen to be believed). Somehow, the Italians have mastered the art of having distincly un-warlike military marches.



Martin