Josef Suk was a Czech composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

ist.

Life

Suk was born in Křečovice

Krecovice

Křečovice is a village in the Czech Republic famous as the birthplace of Czech Composer Josef Suk.A comedy film about the village was filmed there in 1985.-External links:...

. He studied at Prague Conservatory

Prague Conservatory

Prague Conservatory, sometimes also Prague Conservatoire, in Czech Pražská konzervatoř, is a Czech secondary school in Prague dedicated to teaching the arts of music and theater acting.- Instruction :...

 from 1885 to 1892, where he was a pupil of Antonín Dvořák

Antonín Dvorák

Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...

 and Antonín Bennewitz

Antonín Bennewitz

Antonín Bennewitz was a Czech violinist, conductor and teacher. He was in a line of violinists that extended back to Giovanni Battista Viotti, and forward to Jan Kubelík and Wolfgang Schneiderhan....

. In 1898, he married Dvořák's eldest daughter, Otilie Dvořáková (1878–1905), affectionately known as Otilka. In 1901, she bore him their only son, Josef (1901 – 1951). Otilie died in 1905, and the composer never remarried.

He formed the Czech Quartet with three of his fellow students — Suk played second violin with them for most of his life. From 1922 he taught at the Prague Conservatory where his pupils included Bohuslav Martinů

Bohuslav Martinu

Bohuslav Martinů was a prolific Czech composer of modern classical music. He was of Czech and Rumanian ancestry. Martinů wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. Martinů became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic...

, Rudolf Firkušný

Rudolf Firkusny

- Life :Born in Moravian Napajedla, Firkušný started his musical studies with the composers Leoš Janáček and Josef Suk, and the pianist Vilém Kurz. Later he studied with Alfred Cortot and Artur Schnabel. He began performing on the continent of Europe in the 1920s, and made his debuts in London in...

 and Manoah Leide-Tedesco

Manoah Leide-Tedesco

Manoah Leide-Tedesco was an Italian-American composer, conductor and violinist.- Biography :Tranquillo Manoah Leide-Tedesco was born in Sinigaglia, Italy, but grew up in Naples...

. He died in Benešov

Benešov

Benešov is a town in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic, about southeast of Prague. The Konopiště castle and the Czech national mountain Blaník are near the town.-History:...

.

Work

Suk's early works show the influence of Dvořák and Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...

, while later pieces use more extended harmonies to create a personal and complex style. Unlike many of his countrymen, he made little use of Czech folk music

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

. His best known works are probably the youthful Serenade for Strings

Serenade for Strings (Suk)

Josef Suk's Serenade for Strings in E flat major, Op. 6, was composed in 1892.While Suk was studying under Antonín Dvořák at the Prague Conservatory, Dvořák noticed a melancholy strain in much of Suk's music, and recommended he write some lighter and more cheerful music...

(1892) and the Asrael Symphony in C minor, (1906), a work written in response both to the death in 1904 of his father-in-law, and the next year of his wife. (Norman Lebrecht

Norman Lebrecht

Norman Lebrecht is a British commentator on music and cultural affairs and a novelist. He was a columnist for The Daily Telegraph from 1994 until 2002 and assistant editor of the Evening Standard from 2002 until 2009...

 listed Václav Talich

Václav Talich

Václav Talich was a Czech conductor, violinist and pedagogue.- Life :Born in Kroměříž, Moravia, he started his musical career in a student orchestra in Klatovy. From 1897 to 1903 he studied at the conservatory in Prague with Otakar Ševčík...

's 1952 recording of the Asrael Symphony with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

The Česká filharmonie is a symphony orchestra based in Prague and is the best-known and most respected orchestra in the Czech Republic.- History :...

 as one of the 100 best recordings of the century.) Other pieces include the Fairy Tale suite "Raduz and Mahulena"

Fairy Tale (Suk)

Josef Suk wrote the music for Julius Zeyer's mythological drama Radúz and Mahulena in 1897-8. In 1899-1900, Suk extracted a four-movement Suite to this Pohadka . Zeyer greatly impressed Suk. The style and orchestration is much affected by Richard Strauss , although Suk's writing is somewhat simpler...

(1898), the cycle of piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

 works Things Lived and Dreamed (1909), and the trilogy of symphonic poem

Symphonic poem

A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...

s A Summer's Tale (1909), The Ripening (1917) and Epilogue (1929, for soprano, baritone and bass soli, chorus and orchestra).

Suk won a silver medal at the Art Competitions

Art competitions at the Olympic Games

Art competitions formed part of the modern Olympic Games during its early years, from 1912 to 1952. The competitions were part of the original intention of the Olympic Movement's founder, Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin...

 during the Olympic Games of 1932

1932 Summer Olympics

The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...

 at Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 with his work Toward a New Life. He was the grandfather of acclaimed violinist Josef Suk

Josef Suk (violinist)

Josef Suk was a Czech violinist, violist, chamber musician and conductor, the grandson of Josef Suk, the composer and violinist, and great-grandson of Antonín Dvořák. In his home country he carried the title of National Artist....

.

Chronological list of compositions

See also: List of compositions by Josef Suk.

• 1888 String Quartet (0) in D minor (Barcarolle in B flat & Andante con moto survive)
• 1889 Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 2 (rev. 1890-91)
• 1890 Ballade in D minor, for string quartet or violin & piano
• 1890 Ballade in D minor, Op. 3, No. 1, cello & piano (rev. 1898)
• 1890 Serenade in A, cello & piano, Op. 3, No. 2 (rev. 1898)
• 1891 Three Songs without Words, piano
• 1891 Piano Quartet in A minor, Op. 1
• 1891-92 Dramatic Overture, Op. 4, orchestra
• 1891-93 Six Pieces for piano, Op. 7
• 1892 Fantasy-Polonaise, piano, Op. 5
• 1892 Serenade for Strings in E flat
  Serenade for Strings (Suk)
  Josef Suk's Serenade for Strings in E flat major, Op. 6, was composed in 1892.While Suk was studying under Antonín Dvořák at the Prague Conservatory, Dvořák noticed a melancholy strain in much of Suk's music, and recommended he write some lighter and more cheerful music...
  
  , Op. 6
• 1893 Melody for young violinists, for 2 violins
• 1893 Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 8 (rev. 1915)
• 1894 A Winter's Tale, Shakespeare Overture for orchestra, Op. 9 (rev. 1926)
• 1894 Humoresque in C, piano (or 1897)
• 1895 Album Leaf, piano
• 1895 Five Moods, Op. 10, piano
• 1895-96 Eight Pieces, Op. 12, piano
• 1896 String Quartet No. 1 in B flat, Op. 11 : Finale Allegro Giocoso (second version; rev. 1915)
• 1896 String Quartet No. 1 in B flat, Op. 11
• 1897 Piano Sonatina in G minor, Op. 13 : Andante, included in Four Episodes for piano
• 1897 Suite for piano, Op. 13 (rev. 1900 as Op. 21)
• 1897 Piano Sonatina in G minor, Op. 13 (rev 1900; Minuet arr string quartet, Op. 21a)
• 1897 Village Serenade for piano
• 1897-98 Raduz & Mahulena: A Fairy Tale Suite for orchestra
  Fairy Tale (Suk)
  Josef Suk wrote the music for Julius Zeyer's mythological drama Radúz and Mahulena in 1897-8. In 1899-1900, Suk extracted a four-movement Suite to this Pohadka . Zeyer greatly impressed Suk. The style and orchestration is much affected by Richard Strauss , although Suk's writing is somewhat simpler...
  
  , Op. 16 (rev. 1912)
• 1897-99 Symphony No. 1 in E, Op. 14
• 1898 Bagatelle, Op. 14, piano (originally the third movement of Symphony No. 1 in E)
• 1900 Four Pieces for violin & piano, Op. 17
• 1901 Under the Apple Tree, Op. 20, cantata after Zeyer for mezzo-soprano & orchestra, arr. 1911-12
• 1902 Spring, Op. 22a, five pieces for piano
• 1902 Summer Impressions, Op. 22b, three pieces for piano
• 1902 Elegy for violin, cello, string quartet, harmonium & harp, Op. 23; also arranged for Piano Trio
• 1903 Fantasy in G minor, violin & orchestra, Op. 24
• 1903 Fantastic Scherzo, Op. 25, orchestra
• 1904 Prague, Op. 26, symphonic poem for orchestra
• 1905-6 Symphony No. 2 in C minor, "Asrael", Op. 27
• 1907 About Mother, five pieces for piano, Op. 28
• 1907-8 A Summer's Tale, Op. 29, orchestra
• 1909 Ella-Polka, included in Four Episodes for piano
• 1909 Things Lived and Dreamed, Op. 30, ten pieces for piano
• 1909 Spanish Joke, piano
• 1910-12 Six Lullabies, Op. 33, piano
• 1911 String Quartet No. 2, Op. 31
• 1912-17 Ripening, Op. 34, symphonic poem for orchestra
• 1914 Meditation on the Saint Wenceslas Chorale, Op. 35a, strings or string-quartet
• 1917 Bagatelle with Nosegay in Hand, flute violin & piano
• 1919 Album Leaf, included in Four Episodes for piano
• 1919 Minuet, violin & piano
• 1919-20 Legend of Dead Victors, Commemoration for orchestra, Op. 35b
• 1919-20 Toward a New Life, Sokol March, Op. 35c, orchestra
• 1920 About Friendship, Op. 36, piano
• 1920-29 Epilogue, Op. 37, text from Zeyer & Psalms, for soprano, baritone, bass, mixed chous & orchestra, rev 1930-33
• 1924 About Christmas Day, included in Four Episodes for piano
• 1932 Beneath Blanik, march arr Kalas for orchestra
• 1935 Sousedska, for five violins, double-bass, cymbals, triangle, side-drum & bass-drum

External links

• Video: 1st movement of the Serenade op. 6 played by the Slovak Chamber Orchestra at the 'Indian Summer in Levoca
  Levoca
  Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
  
  ' Festival, 2008.
• Photo of Josef and Otilie Suk in a Dvořák Family Photo Gallery
• Josef Suk:Piano Works
• Josef Suk Piano Quartet Op.1, Piano Trio in c, Op.2 and String Quartet No.1, Op.11 Soundbites and discussion of works