Václav Smetáček

Václav Smetáček, PhDr., was a Czech conductor, oboist, chorus master, musicologist, and educator, born on 30 September 1906 in Brno and passing on 18 February 1986 in Prague. His father, JUDr. Rudolf Smetáček, was a lawyer and amateur musician, which fostered Václav’s early interest in music. After grammar school studies in Brno, Slaný, and Prague, he trained in oboe under Ladislav Skuhrovský, composition with Jaroslav Křička, and conducting with Metod Doležil and Pavel Dědeček at the Prague Conservatory (1922–1930). Simultaneously, he studied musicology with Zdeněk Nejedlý and Josef Hutter, aesthetics with Otakar Zich, and philosophy with Jan Blahoslav Kozák at Charles University, earning his PhD in 1933 with a dissertation on Bedřich Smetana’s orchestration in Youth.

In 1928, Smetáček founded the Prague Wind Quintet (Pražské dechové kvinteto), which he led until 1956. The ensemble, consisting of top-tier players, became a prominent fixture in Czech chamber music. He was also a member of the Czech Philharmonic, serving as deputy principal oboist (1930–31) and principal oboist (1931–33), while establishing himself as a leading soloist and chamber musician. Even in his seventies, he occasionally performed with his sons’ jazz ensemble, composing and arranging works like Small Waltz and Rag Time Echo.

Smetáček’s conducting career began at Czechoslovak Radio, where he worked from 1934 to 1943 as head of the gramophone department and conductor. He became chief conductor of the Film Orchestra (FISYO) in 1943 and assumed the role of chorus master of the Prague Hlahol Choir during the 1940s. In 1942, he succeeded Rudolf Pekárek as chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra FOK (Film-Opera-Koncert), a position he held until 1972, continuing as a guest conductor until his death.

During his tenure with the FOK orchestra, Smetáček significantly expanded its size and repertoire, elevating it to one of the top three Czech ensembles alongside the Czech Philharmonic and the Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. He championed Czech composers, performing and recording works by Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček, Suk, Kabeláč, Martinů, and others. He also introduced international symphonic masterpieces by Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Mahler, and Prokofiev. During the German occupation, he prioritised Czech classical music, regularly programming My Country by Smetana and Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances to maintain cultural resilience.

Smetáček’s international career began in 1938 with a London debut. After the war, he conducted in Romania, Austria, France, Iceland, Yugoslavia, and Poland. Tours with the FOK orchestra began in the late 1950s, reaching Italy, East and West Germany, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South America, and Egypt. He often introduced Czech works abroad, including premieres of compositions by Kabeláč, Fišer, and Klusák. He conducted operas internationally, including Smetana’s The Bartered Bride and Verdi’s Rigoletto in Iceland, Janáček’s From the House of the Dead in Italy, and Shostakovich’s Katerina Izmailova in Argentina.

He was an accomplished chorus master, evident in his frequent performances of choral symphonic works like Dvořák’s Stabat Mater and Martinů’s Field Mass. At the Prague Spring Festival, he premiered notable contemporary works, including Fišer’s Requiem and Kabeláč’s Eufemias mysterion. His recordings spanned a broad repertoire, from Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn to Czech composers like Suk and Foerster.

As an educator, Smetáček taught oboe and chamber music at the Prague Conservatory from 1945 and conducted the Chamber Orchestra at the Academy of Music. Despite his busy schedule, he published instructional materials for oboe and several musicological essays.

Smetáček received numerous accolades, including the National Artist title (1976), the Polonia Restituta Officer’s Cross (1957), and the Nippon Columbia Prize (1984). By the end of his career, he had conducted over 2,000 performances, with his final concert in Zlín in December 1985 featuring works by Martinů, Fišer, and Novák.

Despite his significant contributions, no comprehensive monograph exists on his life. His wife Míla’s book, Life with a Baton, provides personal insights but lacks the depth of a formal biography. Smetáček’s artistic legacy endures through his recordings and his transformative impact on Czech orchestral music.

Source: The Czech Music Lexicon of Persons and Institutions, entry: Václav Smetáček, author: PhDr. Petar Zapletal