Jiří Srnka

Jiří Srnka studied violin (under Prof. Jan Mařák and Jindřich Feld) and composition (under Otakar Šín) at the Prague Conservatory between the years 1924 and 1928, he then continued his studies at the Master’s school of the Prague Conservatory under V. Novák (1928–1932) and also under Alois Hába.

Initially he worked not only as a violin player but together with Karel Ančerl also as a conductor of Jaroslav Ježek’s orchestra at „The Liberated Theatre”. Since 1934 he had put his efforts chiefly into compositions for motion-pictures.

Between 1948 and 1953 he was conducting the Motion-Picture Music Department at FAMU (Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague). Srnka made his first filmlet music composition for the picture „Dejte nám křídla“ (Give Us Wings) in 1936, then in 1938 it was the first full-length movie „Včera neděle byla“ (Yesterday, Sunday It Was).

He has created music for 75 full-length movies, 8 medium-length, 13 animated movies, 24 television inscenations and also scenic music for 88 theatre plays. Srnka’s music applies expressive cantilena, often being much lyrical. In motion-pictures his music is right to the point covering dramatic situations.

In many of his works Srnka was inspired by the tradition of southern Bohemia. Out of all the awards, Srnka himself most highly valued the honorary freeman nomination of the Plzeň town from 1967.

Titles for sale:
Moon over the River, orchestral suite

Titles for hire - see Complete catalogue