“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: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 894175
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 276852
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 663346
In a simple arrangement for piano
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1340994
for: Women's choir [male choir] (3 voices)
Choir score
Item no.: 850502
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 280067
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 664885
for: Piano
Score
Item no.: 419604
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401011
Symphonic Poem No. 2 from "My Fatherland"
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 351251
for: Brass ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1331556
for: Klarinettenensemble
Buch
Item no.: 612178
G
for: Violin
Instrumental Solo
Item no.: 1051923
Ab
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1553966
for: Trumpet, piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1635998
Walzer
for: Alto saxophone, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305574
Walzer
for: Bass trombone, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305558
Nr. 1 Arie der Marie
for: Voice (high), piano
Item no.: 200042
Boosey Choral Music Experience
for: 4-Part Treble Voices [SSAA] and Piano
Choir score
Item no.: 867471
for: Flute, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248937
for: bass clarinet, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248930
for: Baritone saxophone, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248912
for: Tuba (E-flat), guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248886
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Set of parts
Item no.: 615133
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 104022
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391875
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Score
Item no.: 963671
for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Score
Item no.: 911646
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 287088
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 256708
from: Má vlast (My Fatherland)
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 675062
for: Piano
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 1672697
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1198880
for: 4 Melody Instruments and Mixed Ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 997740
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 987144
for: Flute, guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248936
for: Horn (E-flat), guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248906
for: Viola, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248895
for: Euphonium, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248889
for: Tuba (B flat), guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1248884
Blasorchester
for: Concert band
Sheet music
Item no.: 587921
Klassik
for: Concert band
Sheet music
Item no.: 592727
Walzer
for: Viola, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1305553
Komische Oper in 3 Akten
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Lyric book
Item no.: 179624
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1384643
for: Piano
Item no.: 114322
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 609082
Symphonic Poem from Mein Vaterland for organ
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 989554