Josef Suk

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameJosef (Jaroslav)•Suk
Used nameJosef•Suk
Born4 January 1874 in Křečovice, Středočeský kraj (CZE)
Died29 May 1935 in Benešov, Středočeský kraj (CZE)
NOC Czechoslovakia
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 1
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Josef Suk was a Czech composer and well-known violinist. He was the son-in-law of the famous composer Antonín Dvořák and grandfather of the violinist Josef Suk (1929-2011). From 1885-92 Suk studied at the Praha Conservatory, where he was also a professor and later was rector starting in 1922. He was initially influenced by Dvořák’s music and national romanticism until Suk lost his wife and father-in-law in the same year. His later works displayed a high degree of complexity achieving harmonious modernity.

Suk composed mainly chamber and orchestral music as one of the representatives of Czech modernism. In addition, he was an excellent violinist and a member of the famous Czech string quartet. At times he also used the name Jaroslav. He never received his well-deserved approval outside the Czechoslovakia.

The approximately 6-minute long composition march V nový život (_Into a New Life, op. 35) was written in 1920 as a symphonic march for the Sokol sports movement. In this year, it won a respected competition in Czechoslovakia. Suk, however, complained about the reluctant reaction of Sokol officials, probably because it was musically more complex than the typical sporting march. It was not before 1930 that the text was written by Petr Křička (1884-1949), who was a scholar, librarian, poet, and translator, and was the brother of composer Jaroslav Křička, who added the choral texture. The first complete performance (music and text) took place in 1931. This allowed Suk the Czechoslovakian Olympic Committee to enter Suk’s march, as the rules required that the work was completed within the last four years. Finally, in 1934, the Czechoslovakian Sokol accepted it as his official festive march. It has since been included as the third part of a so-called War Triptych, but it is unlikely that Suk had already intended this compilation. Into a new life is one of the very few compositions available on CD as a 1938 historical recording. It was recently played at the 2012 Night of the Proms in London.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1932 Summer Olympics Art Competitions TCH Josef Suk
Music, Open (Olympic) 2 Silver