“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.
Walzer
for: Trumpet, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305568
Walzer
for: Bass trombone, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305559
Má Vlast/ My Fatherland No. 2
Eulenburg Audio+Score
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score, CD
Item no.: 1663985
for: Soprano saxophone, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248918
for: Concert band
Sheet music
Item no.: 1288735
Brass Band
for: Brass band
Sheet music
Item no.: 595118
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
for: Violin, cello, piano (piano trio)
Study score
Item no.: 736486
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 849918
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 307828
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Score
Item no.: 615132
for: 2 pianos 8 hands
2 Performance scores
Item no.: 384029
from: Má vlast (My Country)
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 691984
Book, CD
Item no.: 637601
for: Sopran-Saxophon, Alt-Saxophone (2), Tenor-Saxophon, Bariton-Saxophon
Score, part
Item no.: 1199641
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 218371
Edition Meisel
for: Salon orchestra
Item no.: 487601
Walzer
for: Oboe, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305592
Walzer
for: Bass recorder, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305579
Walzer
for: Horn (F), organ [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305567
Walzer
for: Double bass, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305549
Walzer
for: Double bass, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305548
for: Bassoon, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248929
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248926
for: Tenor recorder, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248923
Six Characteristic Pieces
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 605270
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Study score
Item no.: 391533
Brass Band
for: Brass band
Sheet music
Item no.: 594285
for: Flute ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 994690
Studienpartitur und Libretto in 2 Bänden
(tschech/dt)
for: BUEHNENWERKE + SZENISCHE WERKE OPER
Item no.: 1344797
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Set of parts
Item no.: 963672
for: Youth concert band
Item no.: 339197
for: Concert band
Set of parts
Item no.: 924956
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 941506
Má Vlast/ My Fatherland No. 2
Eulenburg Audio+Score
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score, CD
Item no.: 471808
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 108774
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1212979
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 768495
for: Cello, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305550
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 256706
No. 2 from "My Fatherland"
Symphonic Poem
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391689
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 281161
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 691985
for: 2 pianos 8 hands
Score, Parts
Item no.: 366035
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 691990
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 691988
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 691987
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 691989
from The Bartered Bride
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 898249
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