Fantasy on Czech Folk Songs for 2 Clnts & Bsn

Julius Fučík (FOO-tcheek) was born in Prague, July 18, 1872 and died in Berlin on September 25, 1916. He was a bassoon player at the German Opera in Prague (1893) and later in Zagreb and Budapest - he studied composition with Antonín Dvořák and became the bandmaster of the 86th and 92nd Austro-Hungarian regiments. He wrote many dances and marches for band including the immensely popular, Entrance of the Gladiators and Florentiner marches. He is often compared to the American John Philip Sousa, America's "March King", yet Fučík pursued his compositional style in many other genres.

 

Almost no one knows of his chamber music but thanks to the efforts of the 21st-century conductor and clarinetist of the Prague Castle Guard-Police Band, Lieutenant-Colonel Václav Blahunek, this music has been unearthed and performed on its USA 2007 Wisconsin tour. API is proud to bring this magnificent and delightful chamber music to the public—the Václav Blahunek Chamber Music Series contains three Fučík works:

 

Works for WW3-Clnt 1-2, Bsn or Bs Clnt

 

Fantasy on Czech Folk Songs 

AP-02262

 

Perpetuum Mobile 

AP-02144

 

Scandalous Symphony  

AP-02145

 

FANTASY on CZECH FOLK SONGS is an 8-minute chamber work for woodwind trio of 2 Bb Clarinets and Bassoon which includes an extended cadenza which is optional but requires an advanced technique to accomplish beautifully. 

 

Fučík uses melodies from Czech folk songs and develops them in several ways beginning with Moravo, Moravo, then with U panskěho dvora and Ach, neni tu neni,  returning to Moravo, Moravo and closing with a Presto exhibiting Czech folk spirit.

 

Play into the spirit of the music.  Don't just play notes! Make the music live.  It is folk music so play with plenty of feeling.  

 

Examine this and other works for the same woodwind ensemble in the on-line API catalog at

www.apimusic.org.

 

—Joel Blahnâk