The Children of the Regiment

When Julius Fucík was nominated bandmaster of Infantry Regiment (IR) No. 86, important periods of his lifetime had already elapsed: his education in school, his studies at the Prague Conservatory of Music, his national service in IR 49 (1891-94) under bandmasters Schlögel and J.F. Wagner, from which he was discharged as a sergeant and finally the “Croatian interlude” in Sissak. Fucík appreciated life in Sarajevo. First compositions were written there, which made him become one of the leading representatives of his profession in Austria-Hungary. Among those pieces also figured his elaborate work “Austria’s Glory and Honor”. Yet another area of activities, where Fucík was able to demonstrate his talents was the symphony concerts introduced by him in Sarajevo. When his regiment deployed to the Hungarian capital Budapest in 1900, the ambitious bandmaster and composer was offered new opportunities. Some of his most beautiful compositions were written in Budapest, among them “The Children of the Regiment”, Op. 169, a march of universal appeal. It was dedicated to the Inhaber of IR 86, Lt.Gen. Forinyák.