Karel Svolinský and Smetana’s Operas

The exhibition in the Bedřich Smetana Museum presents the set design work of Karel Svolinský, a prominent 20th-century artist, for the operas of Bedřich Smetana. Svolinský (1896—1986), known as a painter, graphic artist, and illustrator, is also the creator of some two hundred stamp designs – many with a musical theme – as well as the stained-glass windows in St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle and the mosaic on the Olomouc astronomical clock. His porcelain drawings are unique, and he also illustrated books and music sheet covers and gramophone record.

He entered the world of theatre at the age of 44, already a mature and respected artist. His stage works were created between 1940 and 1982. He designed a total of 33 sets, primarily for operatic titles (mainly for the National Theatre). In the catalogue of his dramatic and artistic work, we find no other composers than Czech ones (with the exception of Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing and two operas, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas). He debuted as a set designer in 1940 with Dvořák’s The Jacobin at the National Theatre, conducted by Václav Talich. After the war, he designed the set for Janáček’s Jenůfa, which he later also staged in Vienna and Moscow. Almost half of his set designs were for Smetana’s operas. He created sets for The Devil’s Wall, The Secret, The Kiss and The Bartered Bride, to which he repeatedly returned.

The exhibition features his set design drawings, which served as templates for the stage realisations of these titles. Svolinský’s works are defined by space and colour and are conceived as paintings. Even after decades, they have not lost their artistic impact and remain unique works of art. The designs are complemented by surviving original costumes, stage models, and period photographs. The stage designs of Karel Svolinský for the operas of Bedřich Smetana are among the most significant artistic interpretations of the works of this musical genius.