Václav Smetaček studied conducting with Pavel Dĕdeček and composition with Jaroslav Křička, as well as the oboe, violin and viola, at the Prague Conservatory; in addition he read aesthetics and musicology at the Charles University, Prague. He founded the Prague Wind Quintet, established in 1928, and was appointed as first oboe of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1930. In 1933 he left the orchestra to work for Prague Radio: he was a conductor for the radio and of the Prague Hlahol Choir from 1934 to 1946. His international career began as early as 1938, when he appeared on tour in England. He was appointed chief conductor of the radio orchestra in Prague, the FOK (standing for film, opera and concerts) Symphony Orchestra, in 1942, and developed it into a highly effective group. After the end of World War II, this orchestra was reorganised in 1945 as a co-operative, and then having been taken over by the Prague city authorities in 1952 was renamed the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Smetaček remained with it as chief conductor until 1972; together they toured widely, visiting the Far East and North and South America, as well as giving concerts throughout Europe. He also appeared widely as a guest conductor, often leading works from the Slavonic repertoire, such as Janaček’s operas From the House of the Dead at La Scala, Milan, and Kat’a Kabanova at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires; in 1961 he spent a period of five months in Japan with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. In addition Smetaček taught conducting, as well as oboe and chamber music performance, at the Prague Conservatory from 1945 to 1966, and composed several works for oboe and wind quintet.

Smetaček might best be described as a leading Czech conductor of his generation, who was also active internationally. He created a large discography, starting in the era of the 78rpm record. Virtually all of his post-war recordings were made for the Czech company Supraphon, when it operated under state control. These show him to have been a vigorous as well as a sensitive interpreter, who was especially at home with the performance of large-scale choral works, such as Dvořak’s Stabat Mater and cantata St Ludmila, and Carl Orff’s popular Carmina Burana. His accounts of late Romantic symphonies, such as Dvořak’s Symphony No. 3, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 and his compatriot Josef Foerster’s Symphony No. 4 ‘Easter’, were highlights of the early LP catalogue, and have well stood the test of time. Smetaček was also a most sympathetic accompanist, as is evidenced by his collaborations with the pianists Halina Czerny-Stefanska and Jan Panenka, and the violinists Andre Gertler and Ida Haendel.

© Naxos Rights International Ltd. — David Patmore (A–Z of Conductors, Naxos 8.558087–90).