Leon Jessel is primarily remembered as a composer of lighter orchestral pieces, salon music, and marches. He also achieved considerable success during his lifetime with a series of operettas, which brought him considerable acclaim, though none of these have survived into the modern repertory. In fact, the only piece of music through which Jessel's name is still perpetuated is a delightful march for orchestra (originally for military band) entitled De Parade der Zinnsoldaten, or Parade of the Tin Soldiers. The piece begins with a fanfare-like idea before the first main theme, a jaunty march; every measure begins with a triplet figure, and the first trumpet takes the lead. The middle section of the Parade is ushered in by the lower brass introducing a new melody, this time played by two muted trumpets with supporting woodwind decorations and a lyrical countermelody for high register cellos. Then comes a return of the first idea and a block reprise of the entire first section of the work, with a brief coda. Jessel's Parade of the Tin Soldiers became especially well known in the U.K. in the late '40s and was used for almost two decades as the theme tune to the Toytown series broadcast on what was then the BBC Home Service's Children's Hour. The Parade became a favorite for children—and adults—through this medium, but was seldom heard after the BBC axed this popular show. Leon Jessel (1871-1942) was born in the eastern German city of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) and mainly worked as a bandmaster and theater conductor.

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