Music Director at the Interim Theater

Smetana had long prepared himself for the position of music director at the Interim Theater. Since his time in Göteborg, he had regarded it as his main goal. With the position now secured, his success hinged on introducing the principles and artistic standards he had criticized his rival Maýr for lacking. However, he soon encountered formidable opposition—a conservative clique that considered Italian opera, with its extensive coloratura, the cornerstone of the operatic repertory. He had to implement reforms cautiously, navigating aesthetic, technical, and financial obstacles. Despite these challenges, he solidified his team and led them with boundless enthusiasm.

Departing from Maýr's routine, workman-like approach, Smetana introduced new methods and spirit into the theater. His distinctive conducting style and his attitude toward the personnel had already made an impression during the production of The Brandenburgers in Bohemia. These qualities were instrumental in securing him his current position. Rather than imposing tyranny on the orchestra, he worked collaboratively, showing genuine respect for their work and treating each musician as an individual. In rehearsals, he started by explaining the opera's nature and significance, then explored it with contagious enthusiasm, drawing everyone along with him. No mistake in entry or attack escaped his notice; he tapped his baton on the desk to offer polite and constructive feedback, often revisiting passages with meticulous attention to tempo and dynamics.

At that time, the orchestra was modestly sized, perfectly suited to the dimensions of the Interim Theater. Despite its small size, it included outstanding musicians, such as Antonín Dvořák in the viola section. During critical moments—such as in the early 1870s, when Smetana's adversaries sought to oust him—the orchestra rallied spontaneously behind their conductor. The seeds of such intrigue had been sown as early as 1868, during performances of Smetana's third opera, Dalibor.