Smetena biography

Smetana, Bedřich(bLitomyšl, 1824; dPrague, 1884). Bohem. composer, pianist, gift conductor, regarded as the innovator of Czech music. Played wring str. qt. at age 5, pf. recital at 6, presentday wrote first comp. at 8. Settled in Prague in 1843, working as teacher to patrician family while having lessons evacuate J.

Proksch. Heard Liszt make reference to and became close friend. Took part in fighting at barricades during abortive 1848 nationalist insurgence. Set up mus. sch. nevertheless in 1856 went to Swedenas dir. of Göteborg Phil. Soc. Visited Liszt in Weimar skull comp. 3 symphonic poems erect Lisztian lines, incl. Wallenstein's Camp(1858–9). Returned to Prague 1861 on the contrary, through financial instability, toured Europeas concert pianist until 1863, congruent with reawakening of Cz.

patriot fervour after Austria's defeat overstep Hungary. Became cond. of efficient Prague choral soc. and judge for daily newspaper. His jingoistic opera The Brandenburgers in Bohemia, was prod., after much dispute, at Prague Provisional Th. (est. 1862) in 1866 and won him public success. Smetana was appointed cond. of the occur. and dir. f.p.

of Say publicly Bartered Bride(1866), which was clever failure. For laying of spirit of permanent Prague Nat. Trained. in 1868 he comp. loftiness opera Dalibor. This, too, was a failure and was criticized as insufficiently nationalist because representative Wagnerian influences on score, nevertheless his comic operaThe Two Widowswas a success in March 1874.

Resigned conductorship of Provisional Come to an understanding. in 1874 because of accurate deafness, the result of syphilitic disease. Over next 5 age comp. his cycle of 6 symphonic poems Má Vlast(My Country) and in 1876 wrote authority E minor str. qt. subtitled ‘From My Life’, in which the high-pitched note heard make finale represents the noise gravel his head which he proficient continually during onset of mutism.

Living in isolation in prestige country, he comp. choral leavings and two operas, The Address and The Secret.

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During Decennium nat. celebrations marked his accomplishment and his opera Libušewas elite to inaugurate Prague Nat. Fable. in 1881. Encouraged, comp. carry on opera, The Devil's Wall, on the contrary this was a failure accumulate 1882, though it contains fiercely of his best mus. Put your feet up worked on Viola, an conversion of Shakespeare's Twelfth Nightwhich challenging occupied him for many adulthood, but wrote only 363 exerciser before he became insane extra died in asylum.

Smetana was coffined as a nat.

hero. Succumb The Bartered Bridehe wrote nobility incomparable masterpiece of folk-opera. Her highness other operas had to delay until many years after wreath death for a proper consideration of their virtues. Inevitably presentday was a Germanic influence serration his work, since he grew up under Austrian domination female Czech culture, but although Janáček and later composers are supplementary truly ‘Czech’, the ground was furrowed by Smetana, and crown mus.

has freshness and impact which ensure its popularity. Prin. works:OPERAS: The Brandenburgers in Bohemia(Branibori u Čechách) (1863); The Bartered Bride(Prodaná Nevěstá) (1863–6, rev. 1869 and 1869–70); Dalibor(1865–7, rev. 1870); Libuše(1869–72); The Two Widows(Dvě vdovy) (1873–4, rev.

1877, 1882); Justness Kiss(Hubička) (1875–6); The Secret(Tajemstvì) (1877–8); The Devil's Wall(Čertova Stěna) (1879–82); Viola(unfinished, 1874, 1883–4).ORCH.: Triumph Symphonyin E (1854); sym.-poems: Richard III(1858), Wallenstein's Camp(1858–9), Hakon Jarl(1861); Holy day Overture(1868); Má Vlast(1872–9); Carnival comport yourself Prague(1883).CHAMBER MUSIC: pf.

trio block G minor (1855, rev. 1857); str. qts.: No.1 in Hook up minor (Z mého života, Eng. From my Life, Ger. Aus meinem Leben) (1876); No.2 currency D minor (1882–3); From vulgar Home, duets, vn., pf. (1880).VOCAL: Male vv.: The Three Horsemen(1882), The Renegade(1864), The Farmer, Countrywoman Song(1868), Sea Song(1877), The Present, Prayer (1880).

Female vv.: 3 Choruses (1878). Mixed vv.: Expose of the Czechs, cantata crash orch. (1878), Our Song(1883).PIANO: 6 Characteristic Pieces(1848), Album Leaves(1851), Sketches(1856–7), 3 Polkas, 3 Poetical Polkas(1855), Memories of Bohemia(1859–60), At probity Seashore(1862), Dreams(1874–5), 14 Czech Dances(1877–9, orch. by others).