“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.
for: Women's choir [male choir] (3 voices)
Choir score
Item no.: 850502
Zpevu dar osech srdci
for: Male choir
Choir score
Item no.: 246012
Leuckart-Chorblatt
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 339561
Leuckart-Chorblatt
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 343311
Thema aus der Sinfonischen Dichtung Nr. 2 "Mein Vaterland"
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1566009
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 744589
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 730210
from Má Vlast
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 737139
Leuckart-Chorblatt
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 478848
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 367364
Boosey Choral Music Experience
for: 4-Part Treble Voices [SSAA] and Piano
Choir score
Item no.: 867471
Komische Oper in 3 Akten
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Lyric book
Item no.: 179624
for: Piano 4 hands
Music score
Item no.: 739549
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 755854
from: The Bartered Bride
for: Violin, piano
Music score
Item no.: 779886
from Má Vlast
for: Flute, piano
Music score
Item no.: 722356
from Má Vlast
for: Violin, piano
Music score
Item no.: 722308
Die verkaufte Braut
for: Voice (tenor), piano
Music score
Item no.: 741087
from: My Fatherland
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 750996
from Má Vlast
for: Cello, piano
Music score
Item no.: 743260
from: “My Fatherland”
for: Violin-Ensemble (3-4 Violinen)
Music score
Item no.: 761160
G
for: Violin
Instrumental Solo
Item no.: 1051923
for: Piano
Item no.: 114102
for: Piano
Item no.: 114096
from The Bartered Bride
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 898249
from Ma Vlast, No. 2 The Moldau
for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Score
Item no.: 911646
for: Piano
Item no.: 104015
for: Piano
Ensemble score
Item no.: 103921
aus der Oper "Zwei Witwen"
for: Piano
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1535110
for: Piano
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1535108
Landliedenkoor
Harmonia-Womens Choir
for: Women's choir (SSAA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 908869
Overture
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 754029
Harmonia-Men's Choir
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 931863
Bohemian Dance No. 1
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 754026
Ab
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1553966
G
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1044314
for: Piano
Item no.: 104013
Am
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1554118
D
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1478862
for: Piano
Item no.: 104019
aus der Symphonischen Dichtung "Mein Heimatland"
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1652098
Zwei Melodien aus dem berühmten Orchesterwerk
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 389341
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 104062
Folkloristische Klassik - Klassische Folklore
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 389346
aus der Oper "Die verkaufte Braut"
Folkloristische Klassik - Klassische Folklore
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 389345
"Seht am Strauch die Knospen springen" - ("Proč bychom se netěšili")
aus: "Die verkaufte Braut"
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 154695
Easy Piano
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 280067