Vivat Praga - MVSR1709 | Musica

Emil Štolc was born into a musical family. Though he did not complete his studies in the organ department of the Prague Conservatory, he remained closely affiliated with music for the rest of his life. He played fluegelhorn in the military band at Kutná Hora, and became bandmaster in Brandýs n.L. from 1908-1912, when he established his own music publishing firm in Prague-Smíchov. Before that he had already been active for several publishers. Štolc was also bandmaster of the Sokol Band in his local district after 1918. From 1928-1933 he was bandmaster of the National Guard I Band in Prague. Deafness overtook him at age 45, which is the probable reason for hid discontinuance of this post in 1933. Emil Štolc was a prolific composer. Many of his works show influences of Czech nationalism (Sokol movement). Vivat Praga still is one of his best known marches. In the early years of Czechoslovakia, the buglers of infantry regiments on the march would strike up, when the band stopped playing, the first 16 measures of ”Vivat Praga” to keep soldiers in step.