Bedřich Smetana

Smetana
  • Born: 2 March 1824, Litomyšl, Czech Republic
  • Died: 12 May 1884, Prague, Czech Republic

The father of Czech opera.  A gifted melodist, probably best known for the symphonic poems Má vlast (“My homeland”).  Wrote nine operas drawing on Czech history and myth, including The Bartered Bride, a skillful mixture of comedy and melancholy.

OPERAS

  1. Braniboři v Čechách (The Brandenburgers in Bohemia) (1866)
  2. Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride) (1866) ****
  3. Dalibor (1868)
  4. Dvě vdovy (The Two Widows) (1874)
  5. Hubička (The Kiss) (1876)
  6. Tajemství (The Secret) (1878)
  7. Libuše (1881)
  8. Čertova stěna (The Devil’s Wall) (1882)
  9. Viola (concert version in 1900, staged in 1924)