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	Bedrich Smetana (Czech: Bedřich Smetana, Litomisl 2 March 1824 - Prague 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer, considered the father of Czech music in his homeland. He wrote 8 operas, 6 symphonic poems, a trio with piano, 2 quartets for strings, many works for piano (polkas and Czech dances), choirs and melodies. He is best known internationally for his 1866 opera The Bartered Bride and for the symphonic circle Má vlast ("My Fatherland"), which depicts the history, legends and landscape of his homeland. From an early age he studied piano and violin, and played in an amateur quartet. He was a student at Pilsen High School in 1840-1843 and then studied composition in Prague. During the Prague Uprising of 1848, he wrote revolutionary music, later went to Sweden, and in Gothenburg began writing large-scale orchestral works. In the early 1860s, a more liberal political climate encouraged Smetana to return permanently to Prague. He threw himself into the musical life of the city, and became a major protagonist of Czech opera. In 1866 his first two operas, The Brandenburgers in Bohemia and The Bartered Bride, premiered at the new Provisional Theater in Prague, with the latter gaining in popularity. In the same year, he became the main conductor of the theater, but in the following years he will be involved in many disputes with the music establishment. The controversy affected his creative work and led to his resignation from the theater in 1874. In early 1884 a mental breakdown led him to a psychiatric asylum where he died the following year. Smetana's reputation as the founder of Czech music has been retained in his homeland, however, relatively few of Smetana's works are in the international repertoire and most foreign critics tend to regard Antonín Dvořák as the most important Czech composer.

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Smetana Bedrich 1824 - 1884 (60)

QUOTES

Bedrich Smetana (Czech: Bedřich Smetana, Litomisl 2 March 1824 - Prague 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer, considered the father of Czech music in his homeland. He wrote 8 operas, 6 symphonic poems, a trio with piano, 2 quartets for strings, many works for piano (polkas and Czech dances), choirs and melodies. He is best known internationally for his 1866 opera The Bartered Bride and for the symphonic circle Má vlast ("My Fatherland"), which depicts the history, legends and landscape of his homeland.

From an early age he studied piano and violin, and played in an amateur quartet. He was a student at Pilsen High School in 1840-1843 and then studied composition in Prague. During the Prague Uprising of 1848, he wrote revolutionary music, later went to Sweden, and in Gothenburg began writing large-scale orchestral works. In the early 1860s, a more liberal political climate encouraged Smetana to return permanently to Prague. He threw himself into the musical life of the city, and became a major protagonist of Czech opera. In 1866 his first two operas, The Brandenburgers in Bohemia and The Bartered Bride, premiered at the new Provisional Theater in Prague, with the latter gaining in popularity. In the same year, he became the main conductor of the theater, but in the following years he will be involved in many disputes with the music establishment. The controversy affected his creative work and led to his resignation from the theater in 1874. In early 1884 a mental breakdown led him to a psychiatric asylum where he died the following year.

Smetana's reputation as the founder of Czech music has been retained in his homeland, however, relatively few of Smetana's works are in the international repertoire and most foreign critics tend to regard Antonín Dvořák as the most important Czech composer.