Gigantic

The composer Julius Fučík (1872-1916) wrote over 300 compositions of which only a tiny fragment has survived on concert platforms to this day. The RUNDEL Julius Fučík Edition presents the composer’s works for concert bands.

Antonín Dvořák had assumed the post of “composition teacher” at the Prague Conservatory as of January 1, 1891, and Julius Fučík was one of his first students. He, Josef Suk and Oskar Nedbal were among the most gifted in the class. Fučík developed a lifelong affinity for Dvořák, although Dvořák was very strict with his students. During his study and the Prague Conservatory (1885-1891) Fučík distinguished himself by the originality of his invention, compositional agility and creative facility for which he had occasionally earned a praising remark from Dvořák.

Military band leaders at that time were writing for themselves and actually had drawers full of compositions because they had to be always ready to provide a composition fitting for a particular military occasion. Fučík was not different. When, after the start of the war, patriotic music with clattering titles became the fashion he had enough in store. The march named “Gigantic, op. 311” is yet another composition that Fučík had initially written “for the drawers”. Fučík used here the trio from the march “Vpravo hled” (Look Right).