“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: Electric organ
Music score
Item no.: 349410
Frühkompositionen, Bagatellen und Impromptus
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 304054
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401011
Oper-Querschnitt
for: Piano
Score
Item no.: 419604
Symphonic Poem No. 2 from "My Fatherland"
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 351251
Symphonische Dichtung Nr. 2 aus dem Zyklus "Mein Vaterland" (Ma Vlast)
Eulenburg Orchestral Series - Urtextausgabe
for: Symphonic orchestra
Cello 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 428240
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 663346
Sinfonische Dichtung
Repertoire Explorer
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 461236
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Set of parts
Item no.: 615133
Ma vlast VI
EMB Study Scores
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 256708
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 261270
for: Klarinettenensemble
Buch
Item no.: 612178
Komische Oper in drei Akten
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 564546
English only
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Lyric book
Item no.: 318335
Nach Motiven aus „Die Moldau“ von B. Smetana
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 658548
Nr. 1 Arie der Marie
for: Voice (high), piano
Item no.: 200042
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 104022
for: Trumpet
Study score
Item no.: 114256
for: Accordion orchestra
Score
Item no.: 373705
Symphonische Dichtung Nr. 2 aus dem Zyklus "Mein Vaterland" (Ma Vlast)
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 287088
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391875
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Single part(n)
Item no.: 360252
Zwei Melodien aus dem berühmten Orchesterwerk
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 389341
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 627127
Zpevu dar osech srdci
for: Male choir
Choir score
Item no.: 246012
for: 5 flutes (quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 293462
aus der Oper "Die verkaufte Braut", für gem. Chor u. Orchester (Klavier)
for: Mixed choir, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 283447
Komische Oper in 3 Akten
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Lyric book
Item no.: 179624
for: Piano
Item no.: 114498
for: Piano
Item no.: 114322
for: Clarinet
Item no.: 114282
Mein Vaterland Nr. 3 Symphonische Dichtung
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391690
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, cello, piano (piano trio)
Score, Parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 375916
Blasorchester
for: Concert band
Sheet music
Item no.: 587921
Klassik
for: Concert band
Sheet music
Item no.: 592727
Meistermelodien
for: Piano
Item no.: 210020
Aus meinem Leben
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Study score
Item no.: 391526
Edition Pro Salon
for: 2 violins, cello, double bass, piano (quintet)
Set of parts
Item no.: 137973
Beginning String Orchestra
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 609082
Abenteuer am Fluss mit der berühmten Musik von Bedřich Smetana
Kinder hören und erleben Orchestermusik
Book (Hardcover), CD
Item no.: 659401
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 272340
for: Male choir (TTB) a cappella
[russisch]
Item no.: 549232
for: Voice (high), piano
[deutsch, tschechisch]
Item no.: 104118
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 104062
Mein Vaterland Nr. 1 Symphonische Dichtung
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 391688
Ensemble ad libitum 37
for: Flexible ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 618532
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 489953
"Seht am Strauch die Knospen springen" - ("Proč bychom se netěšili")
aus: "Die verkaufte Braut"
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 154695
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