Interview / david-marecek

David Mareček

A Good Car Is Like a Musical Instrument

The Czech Philharmonic is just one year younger than the Mladá Boleslav carmaker. In 1993, the two joined forces, and ever since they have enjoyed mutual cooperation and support. David Mareček has also tied his professional life to the Czech Philharmonic, having served as its general director for 15 years.

When did you find out that the Škoda cars are the same age as the Czech Philharmonic?

As soon as I joined the Philharmonic. I quickly realised that the two institutions have a similar history and that they're like sisters, in a way, who are close to each other.

What does this symbiosis look like in practice?

Besides direct financial support, it mainly means we have a small fleet of Škoda cars at our disposal, which we use mainly for management needs. Personally, though, I see it as a big plus that the Czech Philharmonic is supported by a Czech carmaker. And I admit that, say, on a German motorway, I enjoy representing both of our prestigious brands in a Czech car bearing the Czech Philharmonic logo.

What kind of driver are you?

A fast one? I learned to drive as a boy, because my dad had a licence for absolutely everything, so he introduced me to driving quite early. And there were times when I loved driving completely... recklessly. These days, though, I'm happy to just be a passenger, and when we're going somewhere with my older son, he's the one who drives.

So you were lucky to have a good teacher…

My dad always told me not to slack off behind the wheel, which, in his words, meant not listening to the radio or gazing at the scenery. He wanted me to focus on driving, think for others and anticipate. And even though a brisk pace is part of my driving style, if conditions are bad, I'm happy to go at almost a crawl.

For listening to music on longer journeys, the Superb is a pretty decent choice.

Can a music professional like you even listen to music in the car?

In the car, I tend to make phone calls, and on the radio I prefer to listen to spoken word while travelling. Otherwise, music sounds very decent in my Superb, because it has a good audio system and the cabin is relatively quiet. Of course, you don't hear every detail and nuance – for that you need headphones or a quality home speaker system – but for listening to music on longer journeys, the Superb is a pretty decent choice.

What kind of acoustics does a car actually have?

None, really, because it's full of leather, fabric, carpets, basically everything that dampens acoustics. That means the only thing actually producing sound in the car is the speakers.

Can you imagine a car as a musical instrument?

In history, we can certainly find periods when artists were fascinated by technology. Arthur Honegger wrote a piece called Pacific 231 about a locomotive, and Jaroslav Ježek's Bugatti step was directly inspired by the car. But in my view, a car really is a kind of musical instrument in its own right. Just the way you feel it, the dynamics it has. In music, dynamics means playing something softly or loudly, and how you move between those two extremes. When I used to teach piano students, I'd tell them to think of it in a similar way to a car. Dynamics is like acceleration that pushes you back into your seat. A change in dynamics in music can create the same effect – a good crescendo will push you back into your seat in the concert hall, too. And the ‘roar of the engine' is great music.

How does a trained pianist and conductor end up in management?

I've enjoyed organising things since I was a child. I'd look for ways to put together a chamber ensemble I could play with, for instance. Later, as deputy director at the conservatory, I organised concerts, and I did the same as dramaturg of the Brno Philharmonic. I like to say that every musician has to be a bit of a manager. You have to learn to weigh up what to do and what not to do, what to play and what not to play, or how to get the chance to perform here or there. And a music manager, in turn, should have a bit of the musician in them. In my case, the managerial side won out, perhaps partly thanks to family history, because my great-grandfather organised musical life in his home town of Příbor.

So musical experience certainly comes in handy for the director of the ‘first Czech orchestra'…

Certainly. Many of my predecessors – Jiří Pauer, Ctirad Kohoutek, Václav Riedlbauch – had experience as composers. But as director, you earn respect mainly through how you work for the orchestra. When the musicians see that the director is trying to create good conditions for them, they give a lot of support in return. But if he neglected them, he'd be in trouble.

What do such good working conditions involve?

You need to set up good financial conditions so that the players can fully devote themselves to their demanding profession. Quality instruments are also an important aspect. And I also consider a full hall to be a good condition – you give your best performances in front of full stands. And staying with sporting terminology, it naturally also depends on what kind of coach you have, that is, the conductor.

After these 15 years with the Czech Philharmonic, what are you pleased about?

I appreciate that it's not only in excellent artistic shape, but also in good spirits, that the mood in the orchestra is positive. You know, since childhood I've always been fascinated by the sound of a symphony orchestra, and I've always longed to create a perfect ensemble. The thing is, a perfect orchestra can't be created by definition. But I enormously enjoy the work on the way towards the best possible orchestra, a journey that never actually ends.

Competition

Want to get to a sold-out concert of the Czech Philharmonic? Search the archive of older issues in the Škoda Mobil app for the answer to the competition question: Since which year has the Czech Philharmonic's chief conductor Semjon Byčkov held a driving licence? Send the correct answer by 23 October to this email. Up for grabs are 5× 2 tickets to the concert conducted by S. Byčkov, taking place on 28 January 2027. You can find the competition rules here. You can download the Škoda Mobil app on Google Play and the App Store.