![Fucik_portait3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Fucik_portait3.jpg)
Julius Ernest Wilhelm Fučík (; 18 July 1872 – 25 September 1916) was a
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
*Czech, ...
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and conductor of military bands. He became a prolific composer, with over 400
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
es,
polka
Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas.
History
Etymology
The term ...
s, and
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
es to his name. As most of his works were for military bands, he is sometimes known as the "
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
n
Sousa".
Today his marches are still played as patriotic music in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. His worldwide reputation rests primarily on two works: "The Florentiner March", popular throughout much of Europe, and the "
Entrance of the Gladiators
"Entrance of the Gladiators" op. 68 or "Entry of the Gladiators" ( cz, Vjezd gladiátorů) is a military march composed in 1897 by the Czech composer Julius Fučík. He originally titled it "Grande Marche Chromatique", reflecting the use of chr ...
" (''Vjezd gladiátorů''), which is widely recognized, often under the title "Thunder and Blazes", as one of the most popular theme tunes for
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
clown
A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms.
History
The most ancient clowns have been found in ...
s.
Fučík was the brother of opera singer and bass player Karel Fučík and uncle of the journalist
Julius Fučík, who was executed by the
Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
.
Biography
Fučík was born in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
,
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
, on 18 July 1872 when Prague was part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. As a student, he learned to play the
bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
with
Ludwig Milde,
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
with
Antonín Bennewitz, and various
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
instruments, later studying composition under
Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravian traditional music, Moravia and his native Bohemia, following t ...
.
In 1891, he joined the 49th Austro-Hungarian Regiment as a military musician. He initially played in
Krems by the Danube under
Josef Wagner. In 1894, he left the army to take up a position as second bassoonist at the
German Theatre in Prague. A year later he became the conductor of the Danica Choir in the
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n city of
Sisak
Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...
. During this time, Fučík wrote a number of chamber music pieces, mostly for clarinet and bassoon.
In 1897, he rejoined the army as the bandmaster for the 86th Infantry Regiment based in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
. Shortly after, he wrote his most famous piece, the ''Einzug der Gladiatoren'' or "
Entrance of the Gladiators
"Entrance of the Gladiators" op. 68 or "Entry of the Gladiators" ( cz, Vjezd gladiátorů) is a military march composed in 1897 by the Czech composer Julius Fučík. He originally titled it "Grande Marche Chromatique", reflecting the use of chr ...
". Originally titled ''Grande Marche Chromatique'', his interest in
Roman history
The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced ma ...
led him to rename the march as he did. In 1910, Canadian composer
Louis-Phillipe Laurendeau arranged "Entrance of the Gladiators" for a small band, under the title "Thunder and Blazes." It is in this version that the piece is most familiar, universally associated with the appearance of the
clown
A clown is a person who performs comedy and arts in a state of open-mindedness using physical comedy, typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms.
History
The most ancient clowns have been found in ...
s in a
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
performance.
In 1900, Fučík's band was moved to
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
where he found there were eight regimental bands ready to play his compositions, but he also faced more competition to get noticed. Having more musicians at his disposal, Fučík began to experiment with transcriptions of orchestral works.
In 1910, Fučík moved again, returning to Bohemia where he became the bandmaster of the 92nd Infantry Regiment in
Theresienstadt
Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the Schutzstaffel, SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstad ...
. At the time, the band was one of the finest in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and he toured with them giving concerts in Prague and
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
to audiences of over 10,000 people.
In 1913, Fučík settled in Berlin where he started his own band, the Prager Tonkünstler-Orchester, and a music publishing company, Tempo Verlag, to market his compositions. His fortunes began to wane with the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Under the privations of the war, his business failed and his health suffered. On 25 September 1916, Julius Fučík died in Berlin at the age of 44, likely of a heart attack. He is buried in
Vinohrady Cemetery
Vinohrady Cemetery ( cs, Vinohradský hřbitov) is a large cemetery in Vinohrady in Prague 10 which contains Strašnice Crematorium. It is the second largest cemetery in Prague and is registered in the state list of cultural monuments. The remain ...
in Prague.
Selected works
Marches
*
''Vjezd gladiátorů'' op. 68 (Entrance of the Gladiators) (1897)
* ''Salve Imperator'' op. 224 (1898)
* ''Danubia'' op. 229 (1899)
* ''Triglav'' op. 72 (1900)
* ''Pod admirálskou vlajkou'' (1901)
* ''Mississippi River'' (1902)
* ''Fantastický pochod'' (Marche fantastique) (1902)
* ''Triglav'' (1903)
* ''Stále vpřed (Sempre avanti)'' (1904)
* ''Stráž Slovanstva'' (1907)
* ''Florentinský pochod'' op. 214 (Florentiner March) (1907)
* ''Veselí venkovští kováři'' (1908)
* ''Hercegovac'' op. 235 (1908)
* ''Boží bojovníci'' (1911)
* ''Vítězný meč'' (1913)
* ''Zvuky fanfár'' (1914)
* ''Schneidig vor'' op. 79
* ''Vojenský (Il soldato)'' op. 92
* ''Stále kupředu'' op. 149
* ''Die Regimentskinder'' op. 169
* ''Attila'' op. 211
* ''Die Lustigen Dorfschmiede'' op. 218
* ''Uncle Teddy'' op. 239
* ''Furchtlos und Treu'' op. 240
* ''Die Siegesschwert'' op. 260
* ''Leitmeritzer Schuetzenmarsch'' op. 261
* ''Einzug der Olympischen Meisterringer'' op. 274
* ''Fanfarenklaenge'' op. 278
* ''Erinnerung an Trient'' op. 287
* ''Siegestrophaen'' op. 297
* ''Gigantic'' op. 311
Waltzes and polkas
* ''Ideály snů'' – waltz (1900)
* ''Od břehu Dunaje'' (''Vom Donauufer'') op. 135 – waltz (1903)
* ''Escarpolette'' – waltz (1906)
* Virtuoso polka for fagot ''Starý bručoun'' (1907)
* ''Zimní bouře'' (''Winter Storm'') op. 184 – waltz (1907)
* ''Dunajské pověsti'' – waltz (1909)
* ''Baletky'' – waltz (1909)
* ''Liebesflammen'' op. 248 (valzer)
* ''Tanec milionů'' op. 121 (waltz)
Other works
* Concertant overtures ''Marinarella'' op. 215 (1907) and ''Miramare'' (1912)
* Symphonic suite ''Život'' (Life) (1907)
* ''St. Hubertus'' op. 250 (Overture)
* ''Requiem'' op. 281
* Chamber compositions for clarinet and bassoon
References
* ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', 2001
* Biography a
www.klassika.info(in German)
* Biography a
(in German)
* Oxford Music Online
External links
*
Midi fileof the introduction to ''Entry of the Gladiators'' also known as ''Thunder and Blazes''.
* Partia
catalogue of compositions* This version of his most famous march has words:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fucik, Julius
1872 births
1916 deaths
19th-century classical composers
19th-century Czech male musicians
19th-century Czech people
20th-century classical composers
20th-century Czech male musicians
20th-century Czech people
Czech bandleaders
Czech classical bassoonists
Czech classical musicians
Czech conductors (music)
Czech male classical composers
Czech military musicians
Czech Romantic composers
Male conductors (music)
March musicians
Musicians from Prague