Biography
The Smetana Trio, known in Czech as Smetanovo Trio, has sustained the longstanding Czech legacy of ensemble playing in the chamber-music domain. Formed in 1934 by pianist Josef Pálenícek, violinist Alexandr Plocek, and cellist Frantisek Smetana—the last of whom bears no relation to composer Bedrich Smetana—the ensemble has seen numerous personnel changes while preserving a uniform interpretive stance and core repertoire.
Josef Pálenícek, who was twenty at the trio’s inception, later established himself as a leading performer and pedagogue in Czechoslovakia. Several musicians who have belonged to the group have likewise pursued notable solo paths. Beyond its appearances in major recital halls, the trio has joined forces with ensembles such as the Bamberg Symphony, the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana Lugano, the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, and assorted Czech orchestras. Its itinerary has encompassed repeated visits to both North and South America as well as Europe; the United States, in particular, hosted tours during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. Among its artistic partners stands legendary conductor Jirí Belohlávek.
The trio’s discography is extensive, and since 2000 the group has recorded principally for Supraphon. Its 2005 Supraphon release of trios by Smetana, Suk, and Novák drew international attention and received accolades from the French journals Diapason and Le Monde de la musique. Although Czech works predominate in its catalog, the players have also committed to disc compositions by Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, and additional non-Czech composers. In 2019 the current lineup—cellist Jan Pálenícek, son of Josef, violinist Radim Kresta, and pianist Jitka Cechová—issued an album containing trios by Zemlinsky, Arensky, and Rachmaninov.
Josef Pálenícek, who was twenty at the trio’s inception, later established himself as a leading performer and pedagogue in Czechoslovakia. Several musicians who have belonged to the group have likewise pursued notable solo paths. Beyond its appearances in major recital halls, the trio has joined forces with ensembles such as the Bamberg Symphony, the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana Lugano, the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, and assorted Czech orchestras. Its itinerary has encompassed repeated visits to both North and South America as well as Europe; the United States, in particular, hosted tours during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. Among its artistic partners stands legendary conductor Jirí Belohlávek.
The trio’s discography is extensive, and since 2000 the group has recorded principally for Supraphon. Its 2005 Supraphon release of trios by Smetana, Suk, and Novák drew international attention and received accolades from the French journals Diapason and Le Monde de la musique. Although Czech works predominate in its catalog, the players have also committed to disc compositions by Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, and additional non-Czech composers. In 2019 the current lineup—cellist Jan Pálenícek, son of Josef, violinist Radim Kresta, and pianist Jitka Cechová—issued an album containing trios by Zemlinsky, Arensky, and Rachmaninov.
Albums
