Dějiny orchestru FOK a jeho koncertní mistři

Monika Vrabcová

Bachelor's thesis

History of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and it´s representative concertmasters

Abstract:

Studie popisuje klikaté cestičky osudu, jimiž se historie orchestru za dlouhá léta ubírala. Přibližuje atmosféru pionýrských začátků, stvoření tělesa v téměř garážových podmínkách, mapuje ?Zlatý věk?, kdy příznivé okolnosti nastavily nejlepší příležitosti k uměleckému rozvoji a budování vynikajícího jména na domácí i zahraniční kulturní scéně. Zmiňuje podrobněji 3 významné organizátorské a dirigentské osobnosti: Dr. Rudolfa Pekárka, Dr. Václava Smetáčka a Jiřího Bělohlávka, jejichž zásluhy byly pro vývoj orchestru klíčové. V kapitole ?Zahraniční zájezdy? se čtenář dozví, jaký až úsměvný vliv měly na podobu zahraničních hostování a pohodlí hráčů politické tlaky komunistické garnitury. Těžištěm pojednání jsou sekce věnované koncertním mistrům. Některé z osobností, jež tento post v orchestru v minulosti zastávaly, poutavě vzpomínají na své působení v orchestru FOK a přibližují svůj vlastní pohled na ideál koncertního mistra. Skrze slova vdovy po Mistrovi, paní Míly Smetáčkové, svůj názor vyjádří i legendární šéfdirigent Václav Smetáček, jemuž se stal FOK osudem na celých 30 let. Závěr práce poodkrývá současnou situaci s výhledem do budoucnosti a nevšední dramaturgické i marketingové nápady, jimiž se orchestr snaží čelit nepřízni dnešní doby, macešské ke své vlastní kultuře.

Abstract:

FOK. The notion which have marked the awareness of concert visitors, record collectors or even cinema lovers with an indelible trace in the decades of its existence... A Cinderella who, due to admirable human efforts, passed through necessary imperfections of early youth, turbulent growing up, melancholy of middle age, betrayals of fate and passions of society, and blossomed into mature and spiritual beauty. The ensemble, originally created as a last resort for unemployed musicians, have managed to gain respect on an international scale in the course of time and it united a whole range of the most renowned conductors and soloist names with the memory of cooperation. As a loyal companion of Prague, it has kept being sucked into the vortex of the city's history, celebrating triumphs, being shaken by downfalls, it has been tempered by fate itself as well as it has tempered with the fates of others, it has always represented an enticing challenge for many biographers. It is, therefore, a major theme of the whole range of already published writings. In the area of biographical data described so much in detail, one can hardly produce new, so far unknown information. Nevertheless, I think that a view from the inside, through the optics of my own interpretative experience as an deputy concertmaster, could enrich the available literature by many observations, however subjective they may necessarily be. The study describes the winding paths of fate, along which the orchestra's history has passed in the course of long years. It illuminates the ambience of pioneer beginnings, the formation of the ensemble under almost garage conditions, it maps out the ?Golden Age?, when favourable circumstances brought the best opportunities for artistic development and for an establishment of our reputation both on the domestic and international scenes. It mentiones in greater detail 3 significant organiser and conductor personalities: Dr. Rudolf Pekárek, Dr. Václav Smetáček and Jiří Bělohlávek, whose contributions were fundamental to the orchestra's development. In the chapter ?foreign concert tours?, readers will learn about the almost ridiculous influence of political pressures of the communist powers-that-be on the form of guest performances abroad and on the comfort of the musicians. The central points of the work are sections dealing with concertmasters. Some of the personalities, who held this post in the orchestra in the past, reminiscence in an interesting way about their activity in the orchestra FOK and they give us their own opinion about the ideal of a concertmaster. Through the words of his widow, Mrs. Míla Smetáčková, even the legendary chief conductor Václav Smetáček comes to express his opinion; the FOK was his fate for the whole 30 years. The conclusion of the work reveals partly the contemporary situation while anticipating the future and mentions extraordinary dramaturgical and marketing ideas, which help the orchestra to face the adversities of the present age, unkind to its own culture.

Language used: Czech

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 16. 4. 2007

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 28. 5. 2007
• Supervisor: Ivan Štraus, Ivan Štraus
• Reader: Jiří Tomášek, Jindřich Pazdera

Akademie múzických umění v Praze

Hudební a taneční fakulta AMU

Bachelor programme / field:
Hudební umění / Housle