“The Czechs live through music” – Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884)
Bedřich Smetana is a central authority in Czech music. His life story, in the predominantly German culture of Bohemia, aptly reflects this difficult era. Smetana contributed significantly to the emancipation of Czech musical life, and to the development of Czech musical identity. Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all his magnificent music today!
Bedřich Smetana came from a German-speaking family from Litomyšl, where his father worked as a brewer. The boy was not a good student, but he devoted himself intensively to the study of music and gave concerts with the local string quartet as early as 1830. After 1842 Smetana began to compose more intensively, initially smaller piano pieces such as Polkas, later also first orchestral works.
From 1843 Smetana lived in Prague, where he first studied composition and piano, and later, from 1848 he taught at his own music institute. Over the years, Smetana gained a good reputation in Prague circles as a solo pianist and teacher, but for a long time he was dissatisfied with his position. After the tragic death of three of his four daughters, he decided to accept an offer from Sweden, where he was appointed director of the Gothenburg Philharmonic Society from 1856 to 1861. There he gained valuable experience as a conductor and pianist. On the concert stage, he performed a wide range of classical and romantic compositions.
Smetana’s greatest influence, however, was the encounter with Franz Liszt and his Faust symphony. Smetana was fascinated by the programmatic form, the symphonic poem. He first composed a trio of Swedish symphonic poems, and later a cycle of symphonic poems, “Mein Vaterland”, “Má Vlast”, in six movements, the most famous of which is Vltava, The Moldau.
After his return from Sweden, Smetana took a position as Kapellmeister at the Provisional (later National) Theater in Prague. This is where he began composing operas, there are a total of eight Operas by Smetana, the best known is the comic opera “The Bartered Bride”. Smetana has long been criticized in Czech circles for his ’Wagnerian’ approach to opera, however it is indisputable that he was instrumental in the development of Czech opera, introducing many new musical and theatrical elements. Smetana’s greatest role models were Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, and Frédéric Chopin.
Towards the end of his life, like Ludwig van Beethoven, he suffered a severe blow, when he completely lost his hearing in 1874. Gradually he had to withdraw from public life, and gave up his work as a conductor and teacher. Paradoxically, however, this was one of the most fruitful periods in Smetana’s composing life. The autobiographical programmatic string quartet From My Life from 1876 is one of Smetana’s greatest works of reflection.
“I still want to give to the nation, that what I still owe, and what I have in my heart, in a work of great scope, for that, I have to keep all my strength in my sad state!”
After 1881, Smetana’s mental health began to deteriorate. In 1883 Smetana witnessed the opening of the National Theater in Prague, which was celebrated with the premiere of his festive opera “Libuše”. A year later he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he died a few months later. His funeral became an unmistakable manifesto for a Czech nation, who, young and old alike, accompanied their Czech-Maestro on his last journey.
Nach Motiven aus „Die Moldau“ von B. Smetana
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 658548
for: Trumpet
Study score
Item no.: 114256
for: Accordion orchestra
Score
Item no.: 373705
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Single part(n)
Item no.: 360252
aus der Oper "Zwei Witwen"
for: Piano
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1535110
Overture
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1064430
Polka
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1005871
Three Dances
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1069835
Zpevu dar osech srdci
for: Male choir
Choir score
Item no.: 246012
for: 5 flutes (quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 293462
Libretto
for: Libretto
Lyrics
Item no.: 257931
for: Piano
Item no.: 114498
for: Clarinet
Item no.: 114282
Mein Vaterland Nr. 3 Symphonische Dichtung
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391690
Meistermelodien
for: Piano
Item no.: 210020
Klassik
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 821033
Taschenpartitur 161
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1535109
Partitur
for: Symphonic school orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1351318
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1202161
Má vlast (all six symphonic poems in two volumes in A4 format)
Orchestra
for: Symphonic orchestra
Item no.: 1344506
Harmonia-Mixed Choir
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 903947
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 272340
for: Male choir (TTB) a cappella
[russisch]
Item no.: 549232
for: Piano
Ensemble score
Item no.: 347730
for: Voice (high), piano
[deutsch, tschechisch]
Item no.: 104118
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 104062
Polka
for: Piano
Ensemble score
Item no.: 104024
Ensemble ad libitum 37
for: Flexible ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 618532
Symphonische Dichtung Nr. 2 aus dem Zyklus "Mein Vaterland" (Ma Vlast)
Eulenburg Orchestral Series - Urtextausgabe
for: Symphonic orchestra
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 639027
for: Concert Band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1013898
Sinfonische Dichtung
Repertoire Explorer
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 461223
for: Concert band
Score, conductor's part, orchestral parts
Item no.: 680359
Score, Parts
Item no.: 557331
Polka
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 894963
for: Flute, violin, guitar
Score, Parts
Item no.: 647752
The Great Classics
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 869302
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 339628
from the opera "The Bartered Bride"
for: Concert band
Score, conductor's part, orchestral parts
Item no.: 1560297
Overture
BOVACO Classic CB
for: Concert band
Conductors part
Item no.: 1023360
Polka
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 906377
Grands Compositeurs
Poster
Item no.: 1105804
Score
Item no.: 114459
Muzika Ensemble Music
for: Flexible wind band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 348545
Mein Vaterland Nr. 6 Symphonische Dichtung
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391693
for: Fanfare
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1011890
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1211924
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1201425
Nr. 4 Duett Marie und Wenzel
for: 2 GES-H (S/T) KLAV
Item no.: 395685
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