Václav Smetáček
composer (1906–1986)
A musician of a very broad perspective, Václav Smetáček was an acknowledged Czech conductor and oboist.
In the years 1922–1930 he attended the Prague Conservatory, studying oboe with Ladislav Skuhrovský, composition with Jaroslav Křička, and conducting with Metod Doležil and Pavel Dědeček. He also graduated from Charles University in the field of musicology, aesthetics, and philosophy, and in 1933 received his doctor's degree. In 1928 he founded the Prague Wood-Wind Quintet, whose member he remained for the following twenty-seven years.
Between 1930 and 1933 Smetáček was an oboist with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. After the year 1934 he worked for the Czech Radio, assuming several positions at once: he was engaged in the music section and the phonograph department, and he also conducted the Radio Orchestra. At the same time, he was also in charge of the Prague Hlahol choir.
From 1945 to 1966 he taught conducting, chamber music interpretation, and oboe at the Conservatory and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. As a conductor he won international recognition. He guest-conducted a number of European orchestras, promoted Czech music, and he also led successful performances of Czech operas.
In 1942 he became the chief conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, bringing the ensemble to an excellent artistic level, both in terms of the interpretation quality and the repertoire. He is the author of three piano cycles, several orchestral compositions or pieces for oboe and wood-wind quintet. In consequence of his experience as a conductor he created orchestral arrangements of many compositions by both Czech (B. Smetana, A. Dvořák, J. Suk) and foreign (M. P. Musorgskij, J. S. Bach) authors. He also wrote several treatises on the theory of instrumentation.
Titles for sale:
Pictures from an Exhibition - M. P. Mussorgsky / instr. Václav Smetáček
Prague Waltzes - Antonín Dvořák / instr. Václav Smetáček
Titles for hire - see Complete catalogue