Wagner composed Trauersinfonie as a march for the torchlight procession, for the ceremony of the transference of Carl Maria von Weber's remains to his native land, eighteen years after his death in London. The march, whichWagner scored for a large wind band, was based on two themes from Weber's opera Euryanthe, and so represented a musical homage to the earlier composer.

Trauersinfonie is a deeply moving and expressive piece,filled with a spacious and majestic solemnity. Wagner composed this work for a large wind band, however it has been revised for symphonic band by Erik Leidzen.