Towards a New Life

Josef Suk (1874-1935), the pupil and son-in-law of the composer Antonin Dvorak and a protagonist of the Czech Modernism in music, in 1919 entered his composition V novy zivot (Towards a New Life), subtitled Festive Sokol March for Large Orchestra, Op. 35c, in the competition organised on the occasion of the 7th Sokol Rally.The march, entered in the competition under the pseudonym of Jan Emanuel Skrysovsky, won and was first performed at the rally’s opening on June 27, 1920. Corresponding to the joyous atmosphere prevailing after the end of Word War I and the creation of an independent Republic of Czechoslovakia, the march was very well received. It was later awarded the gold medal in the art competition held within the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 1932.

It is written in ternary form, with the exhilarating intrada of the trumpets with a small drum in the introduction quoting the main motive of the trio which is sometimes performed as chorus with the text of Petr Kricka. The March, together with "Meditation on the Saint Wenceslas Hymn" and "Legend of the Dead Victors", form op. 35, which the composer dedicated to the heroes of World War I.