Vincent Frank Safranek
Encyclopedia
Vincent Frank "V.F." Safranek (March 24, 1867 - September 7, 1955) was an Czech American musician. He was born in Bohemia
and died in San Diego. He came to the United States at an early age. He studied at the Conservatory of Music in Prague
and on his return after graduation he became interested in military music and he applied for a bandmaster position and was selected for training and then sent to the 25th Infantry band at Fort Missoula
, Montana
. He developed some advanced ideas in the concept of the military band and added such instruments as alto
and bass clarinets
, oboes, French horns and flugelhorns to his band. Many of the military band arrangements were designed for brass bands with extra reed parts. As a result of his work in combing and balancing the instrumentation of the military band Safranek became the chief band arranger for the Carl Fischer publishing house
. He made an enormous contribution to the band repertoires including marches, overtures and novelty numbers. He composed two very popular suites for band the Atlantis and Don Quixote (1914) suites. Don Quixote suite was finished around 1914. He served for 30 years as a U.S. Army bandmaster and retired in 1930 from the army. Although many of his arrangements have disappeared from the band repertoire his International Peace march medley and Master Melodies remain as classic band works.
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and died in San Diego. He came to the United States at an early age. He studied at the Conservatory of Music in Prague
Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory, sometimes also Prague Conservatoire, in Czech Pražská konzervatoř, is a Czech secondary school in Prague dedicated to teaching the arts of music and theater acting.- Instruction :...
and on his return after graduation he became interested in military music and he applied for a bandmaster position and was selected for training and then sent to the 25th Infantry band at Fort Missoula
Fort Missoula
Fort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. He developed some advanced ideas in the concept of the military band and added such instruments as alto
Alto clarinet
The alto clarinet is a wind instrument of the clarinet family. It is a transposing instrument pitched in the key of E, though instruments in F have been made. It is sometimes known as a tenor clarinet; this name especially is applied to the instrument in F...
and bass clarinets
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
, oboes, French horns and flugelhorns to his band. Many of the military band arrangements were designed for brass bands with extra reed parts. As a result of his work in combing and balancing the instrumentation of the military band Safranek became the chief band arranger for the Carl Fischer publishing house
Carl Fischer Music
Carl Fischer Music is a major publisher of sheet music based in New York City that has been in business since 1872. As one of the few remaining family-owned music publishers, it supplies educational materials to professional and beginning musicians of all ages, as well as new music works.Notable...
. He made an enormous contribution to the band repertoires including marches, overtures and novelty numbers. He composed two very popular suites for band the Atlantis and Don Quixote (1914) suites. Don Quixote suite was finished around 1914. He served for 30 years as a U.S. Army bandmaster and retired in 1930 from the army. Although many of his arrangements have disappeared from the band repertoire his International Peace march medley and Master Melodies remain as classic band works.