Josef Suk

Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk (January 4, 1874 - May 29, 1935) was born in Křečovice, Czechia. He studied at Prague Conservatory from 1885 to 1892, where he was a pupil of Antonín Dvořák (he married Dvořák's daughter in 1898). 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 and Rudolf Firkušný. He died in Benešov. Suk's early works show the influence of Dvořák and Johannes Brahms, while later pieces use more extended harmonies to create a more personal and complex style. Unlike many of his countrymen, he made little use of Czech folk music. His best known works are probably the youthful Serenade for Strings (1892) and the symphony, Asrael (1906), a work written in response to the deaths of his wife and Dvořák. Other pieces include the Fairy Tale Suite (1900), the cycle of piano works Things Lived and Dreamed (1909), and the trilogy of symphonic poems A Summer's Tale (1909), The Ripening (1917) and Epilog (1929, for chorus and orchestra). He won a silver medal at the Art Competititions during the Olympic Games of 1932 at Los Angeles with his work Into a New Life. Suk was the grandfather of the violinist Josef Suk. Chronological list of compositions: 1888 String Quartet (0) d: Barcarolle Bb & Andante con moto survive 1889 op2 rev1890-91 Piano Trio c 1890 Ballade d, for string quartet or violin & piano 1890 op3/1 rev1898 Ballade d, cello & piano 1890 op3/2 rev1898 Serenade A, cello & piano 1891 Three Songs without Words, piano 1891 op1 Piano Quartet a 1891-92 op4 Dramatic Overture a, orchestra 1891-93 op7 Six Pieces for piano 1892 op5 Fantasy-Polonaise, piano 1892 op6 Serenade for Strings Eb 1893 Melody for young violinists, for 2 violins 1893 op8 rev1915 Piano Quintet g 1894 op9 rev1926 A Winter's Tale, Shakespeare Overture for orchestra 1894 or 1897? Humoresque C, piano 1895 Album Leaf, piano 1895 op10 Five Moods, piano 1895-96 op12 Eight Pieces, piano 1896 op11 rev1915 String Quartet 1 Bb: Finale Allegro Giocoso (second version) 1896 op11 String Quartet 1 Bb 1897 op13 Piano Sonatina g: Andante, included in Four Episodes for piano 1897 op13 rev1900 op21 Suite for piano 1897 op13 rev1900 op21a arr19?? Piano Sonatina g: Minuet arr string quartet 1897 Village Serenade for piano 1897-98 op16 rev1912 Raduz & Mahulena: A Fairy Tale Suite for orchestra 1897-99 op14 Symphony 1 E 1898 op14 Bagatelle (originally the third movement of Symphony 1 E), piano 1900 op17 Four Pieces for violin & piano 1901 op20 arr1911-2 Under the Apple Tree, cantata after Zeyer for mezzo-soprano & orchestra 1902 op22a Spring, five pieces for piano 1902 op22b Summer Impressions, three pieces for piano 1902 op23 Elegy for violin, cello, string quartet, harmonium & harp; also arranged for Piano Trio 1903 op24 Fantasy g, violin & orchestra 1903 op25 Fantastic Scherzo, orchestra 1904 op26 Prague, symphonic poem for orchestra 1905-6 op27 Symphony 2 c, Asrael 1907 op28 About Mother, five pieces for piano 1907-8 op29 A Summer's Tale, orchestra 1909 Ella-Polka, included in Four Episodes for piano 1909 op30 Things Lived & Dreamed, ten pieces for piano 1909 Spanish Joke, piano 1910-12 op33 Six Lullabies, piano 1911 op31 String Quartet 2 1912-17 op34 Ripening, symphonic poem for orchestra 1914 op35a Meditation on the Saint Wenceslas Chorale, 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 op35b Legend of Dead Victors, Commemoration for orchestra 1919-20 op35c Toward a New Life, Sokol March, orchestra 1920 op36 About Friendship, piano 1920-29 op37 rev1930-33 Epilogue, text from Zeyer & Psalms, for soprano, baritone, bass, mixed chous & orchestra 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 Composer Suk was the grandfather of the violinist Josef Suk, therfore are two musicians named Josef Suk: 1. A classical composer. 2. His grandson, a classical violinist. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.