Reşadiye Marşı - 20th Century Turkish Military Music
"Reşadiye Marşı" (March of Reşad) was the imperial anthem of the Ottoman Empire from 1909 to 1918. Upon the commencement of the sultan Mehmed V Reşad's reign in 1909, a competition was declared to compose a personal march for the new sultan. The contest was won by Italo Selvelli, who was of Italian descent, as were nearly all the other composers of personal marches for previous sultans.
Italo Giovanni Selvelli (10 November 1863 – 11 May 1918) was an Italian composer, pianist, and orchestra director, known for his influential contributions during the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Born in Constantinople in 1863 to Michele Selvelli and Maria Sigalla, Italo attended the Royal College of Music of Palermo from 1876 to 1881. His career in music flourished, and from 1887 onwards, he conducted operas, operettas, and ballets at Constantinople's Nouveau Theatre and Concordia Theatre. Additionally, he served as a music teacher for various members of the Ottoman aristocracy.
In 1891, Italo Selvelli became the director of the orchestra and the music school of Tophane, marking a significant role in the first non-military band of the Ottoman Empire, founded by Zeki Pasha. Notably, in 1909, during the reign of Sultan Mehmed V Reşad, Selvelli won a competition to compose the new official march for the Sultan, titled the "Reşadiye Marşı" ("March of Mehmed V Resad"). This composition became the last official personal march of a Sultan in Ottoman history.
Italo Selvelli married Anna Maria Pussich in 1889, and together they had two sons and two daughters. Unfortunately, Selvelli's life was cut short when he passed away on 11 May 1918, likely due to an anthrax infection. His final resting place is at the Osmanbey Christian Cemetery in Istanbul. Selvelli's legacy lives on through his significant contributions to Ottoman music and his enduring composition, the "Reşadiye Marşı."