The Washington Post
in E♭ major
John Philip Sousa 1854–1932
E♭ major
Key
Tempo di marcia
Tempo
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Difficulty
Our estimate Intermediate
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Themes & character
Written for a newspaper·Became a dance craze·Two-step association·Composed 1889
At a glance
- Key
- E♭ major
- Tempo / character
- Tempo di marcia
About the piece
Composed in 1889 at the request of the Washington Post newspaper, for an awards ceremony honoring winners of an essay contest for schoolchildren, held on the grounds of the Smithsonian.
The march became enormously popular almost immediately, and its rhythm proved so suited to the new two-step dance then sweeping ballrooms that the dance itself was widely called the Washington Post. It made Sousa's international reputation.
The composer
John Philip Sousa
1854–1932
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for US military marches. He is known as "The March King". Among Sousa's best-known marches are "The Stars and Stripes Forever", "Semper Fidelis", "The Liberty Bell", "The Thunderer", and "The Washington Post".
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