“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.
„Quelle“
for: gemischtes Instrumental-Ensemble
Music score
Item no.: 746444
Theme
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1072418
My Fatherland No. 5 Symphonic Poem
for: Orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 749183
Leuckart-Chorblatt
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 343311
Werkeinführung
Schriftenreihe "Die Oper" über musikalische Bühnenwerke
Teachers book
Item no.: 106776
D
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1478862
for: Bass recorder, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248921
for: Trombone, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248903
for: Violin, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248897
for: Tuba (B-flat), piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248885
Walzer
for: Baritone saxophone, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305570
Walzer
for: Horn (E-flat), piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305565
Walzer
for: Alto trombone, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305563
Walzer
for: Tuba (B-flat), piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305543
Introduktion und Variationen über das Vysehrad-Thema von F. Smetana
for: 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba, harp
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1023857
for: 4 flutes (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 214487
Klassik
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1185244
from: “My Fatherland”
for: Violin-Ensemble (3-4 Violinen)
Music score
Item no.: 761160
Má Vlast/ My Fatherland No. 2
Eulenburg Audio+Score
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score, CD
Item no.: 1663985
Eulenburg Miniature Scores
for: Violin, cello, piano (piano trio)
Study score
Item no.: 736486
Two Works by Dvorák & Smetana
Masterworks for Violin
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 780730
Bohmischer Tanz Nr.5
for: Sopran-Saxophon, Alt-Saxophone (2), Tenor-Saxophon, Bariton-Saxophon
Score, part
Item no.: 1199641
Ensemble Music 58
for: Flexible ensemble (5 parts), piano (school orchestra)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1671189
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Score
Item no.: 615132
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 218371
aus der Oper "Die verkaufte Braut", für gem. Chor u. Orchester (Klavier)
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 307828
Young Band 7
Die Serie für junge Bläsergruppen
for: Wind ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 138607
Walzer
for: Piccolo, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305596
Walzer
for: Flute, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305594
Walzer
for: Clarinet, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305590
Walzer
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305584
Walzer
for: Tenor recorder, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305580
Walzer
for: Trumpet, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305568
Walzer
for: Bass trombone, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305559
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
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 849918
für 2 Klaviere zu 8 Händen
Originalkomposition
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
Sinfonische Dichtung von Bedřich Smetana
Kinder hören und erleben Orchestermusik
Book, CD
Item no.: 637601
Klassik
for: Fanfare
Score
Item no.: 1180432
Studienpartitur und Libretto in 2 Bänden
(tschech/dt)
for: BUEHNENWERKE + SZENISCHE WERKE OPER
Item no.: 1344797
Klassik
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1212979
for: Flute ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 994690
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Set of parts
Item no.: 963672
Große Komponisten und ihre Zeit 21
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 768495
Sinfonische Dichtung Nr. 2 aus dem Zyklus "Mein Vaterland". Für Klavier bearbeitet
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 108774
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