Festival History

Litomysl - a small town in the borderlands of Bohemia and Moravia is, due to its tradition and state of preservation, a true cultural monument from the past. In the eyes of the public - not only Czech - it is known first and foremost as the birthplace of one of the greatest composers of the 19th century and creator of modern Czech classical music, Bedrich Smetana.

It is rightful that Litomysl has always valued Smetana's historical legacy and has named the most prominent town buildings and areas after him: on the wishes of the townspeople the main square carries his name (from 1990), in 1905 the new 'Smetanuv dum' theatre and concert hall was opened which was recognised in 1924, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, as a national monument. On this occasion the entire company of the Prague National Theatre performed here, as did the great Czech singer Ema Destinnova.

Even then a plan was being formulated to organise a celebration of Smetana's music on the lines of the festivals in Bonn (L. van Beethoven), or Salzburg (W. A. Mozart). This plan did not however come to fruition until the 125th anniversary of the birth of Bedrich Smetana in 1949. The festival was named simply 'Smetana's Litomysl' and soon became well-established. It has taken place from the outset in the beautiful Litomysl Castle with its natural amphitheatre and acoustically perfect second castle yard.

At first the festival was monothematic - only the music of Bedrich Smetana was performed and the Prague National Theatre company was the regular guest performer. Later other operatic ensembles were invited to perform - from Brno, Ostrava and Bratislava and in 1965 the works of other composers (E. Suchon - Svatopluk) were heard for the first time.

From 1966 - 1973 however the festival of Smetana's Litomysl did not take place, and did not resume until another jubilee year - 1974. The 1970s brought a dramaturgical breakthrough with the regular performance of works by other, predominantly Czech and Slovak, composers. The works of Dvorak, Janacek, Martinu, Fibich, and also Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev added variety to the program. It was not until the beginning of the 1980s that the works of Mozart, Verdi and other world composers were performed by public demand.

However, at that time interest started to wane and after the November revolution in 1989 questions were asked as how to proceed.

The municipal authorities were able to create a new organisational team, created a foundation trust for the festival of Smetana's Litomysl and gave considerable support to the new festival model. From 1992 Smetana's Litomysl has taken place at the end of June and the beginning of July over consecutive extended weekends. Dramaturgy has opened up and the new management of the festival has been strengthened by the transformation of Smetana's Litomysl into a truly high-quality cultural event with a carefully thought-out long-term plan, arising not only from the existing productions, but also the unique projects for the staging of music, both domestic and co-productions. Thanks to this trend the festival has attracted the attention of critics, and Smetana's Litomysl has become a concept for musical experts to consider. Its importance has extended beyond the borders of the region and now influences Czech cultural life as a whole.

Program 2011

Program 2010

Program 2009

Program 2008