Vaclav Dobias

Born Sept. 22, 1909, in Radčice. Czechoslovak composer, teacher, and prominent figure in musical life. Member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia since 1945.

Dobiáš was a student of J. Foerster and V. Novák. He has been a professor at the Academy of Arts in Prague since 1950. From 1955 to 1963 he was chairman of the Union of Czechoslovak Composers. From 1957 to 1960 he was chairman of the State Council for Culture and Art, and from 1960 to 1968 he served as a member of the presidium of the Committee of Socialist Culture of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.

Dobiáš work, deriving its inspiration from Czech musical folklore and classics, as well as from the achievements of contemporary musical art, is marked by individuality of style and national distinctiveness. It has reflected events from the life of the Czech and Slovak peoples: the liberation of the country from fascism and the building of a socialist society in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. These are the themes of the cantatas Stalingrad (1945), Order No. 368 (1946), and Build Up the Motherland and You Will Strengthen Peace! (3rd version, 1950; Gold Medal of Peace) and of the nonet My Native Land (1952). Among DOBIÁŠ’ best works are the Second Symphony (1957), the Sonata for Piano, the Quintet for Winds, Timpani, and Strings (2nd version, 1958), the “Pastoral” Quintet for Winds (2nd version, 1959), vocal cycles, and songs. DOBIÁŠ won the State Prize (1952) and the K. Gottwald Prize (1956).