Early Life

Bech was born October 23, 1877 in Lounky (Litoměřice ), Czechia. He attended the Prague Conservatory from 1891 to 1897 and was a student of both Vendelin Sladek and František Černý. Shortly after his studies concluded Bech’s first professional engagements were quite tumultuous. Not staying in one place for too long, Bech journeyed across Central Europe; working for the Graz Opera in Austria from 1900 to 1901, the Czech Philharmonic from 1902- 1903, and then settled for a bit in Warsaw, where he found work as a music teacher and section player with the Warsaw Philharmonic. 

 

St. Petersburg

Bech's Russian period began in 1906 where he accepted a position as concert master with the Tsarist Opera in St. Petersburg. Shortly after, Bech began working as the bass professor for the St. Petersburg Conservatory where he taught Favij Koussevitzky (Fabien Sevitzky) nephew of the bassist and conductor Serge Koussevitzky. In 1914, Bech moved back to his native Czechia right on the heels of World War 1, where he would remain for the rest of his life.

 

Return to Czechia / Brno Conservatory

Bech first recorded engagement activity after moving wouldn’t be until after the war ended in 1918, where he was asked to be a guest with the National Theatre in Prague. In 1919, Bech would not only hold the position as concertmaster of the National Theatre Orchestra in Brno, but he would go on to accept the position as the first bass professor for the newly opened Brno Conservatory. Bech held that position until he passed away December 7, 1936, where he would be succeeded by Rudolf Tuláček.

 

In addition to his work as performer and educator, Bech was also an author of several educational books for bass, including a collection of etudes, a method book, and collection called the “Folk and Practical School for Bass”.