Bedřich Smetana (2 March 1824 - 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer, one of h… Read Full Bio ↴Bedřich Smetana (2 March 1824 - 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer, one of his nation's most significant. He is best known for his symphonic poem Vltava - Die Moldau , the second in a cycle of six which he entitled Má vlast ("My Homeland"), and for his opera Prodaná nevěsta ("The Bartered Bride").
Smetana was the son of a brewer in Litomyšl in Bohemia. He studied piano and violin from an early age, and played in an amateur string quartet with other members of his family. He attended a high school in Pilsen from 1840-1843. He studied music in Prague, despite initial resistance from his father. He then secured a post as music master to a noble family, and in 1848 received funds from Franz Liszt to establish his own music school.
September 1855 marked the death of his second child, his beloved four-year-old daughter Bedřiška. When his third child died nine months later, he committed himself to composition, producing the Piano Trio in G minor. This piece is full of sadness and despair, making use of phrases that are cut short, possibly in resemblance to his daughter's own life.
Smetana moved in 1856 to Gothenburg, Sweden, where he taught, conducted, and gave chamber music recitals. In 1863, back in Prague, he opened a new school of music dedicated to promoting specifically Czech music.
By 1874 he had become almost totally deaf, but he continued to compose; Má vlast was written after his deafness had developed. He also suffered from tinnitus, which caused him to hear a continuous, maddening high note which he described as the "shrill whistle of a first inversion chord of A-flat in the highest register of the piccolo."
From 1875 he lived mostly in the small village of Jabkenice.
His string quartet in E minor, Z mého života (From My Life, composed in 1876), the first of two pieces that he wrote for the medium, is an autobiographical work. Each movement deals with a different aspect of its creator's life. The first movement is expressive, demonstrative of Smetana's youthful love of art and his search for something undefinable. The second movement, carefree and somewhat raucous, takes the listener back to the days of Smetana's youth. The third movement is reminiscent of the happiness Smetana felt when in love with the girl who later became his wife. The final movement begins with Smetana's joy over the recognition which was given to the national music of Bohemia. However, as the movement progresses, the music is punctuated by a piercing high E in the first violin which, Smetana explained, represents the devastating effects of his tinnitus. He may also be hinting at this personal misfortune with the piccolo scoring in Má vlast.
Smetana was the first composer to write music that was specifically Czech in character. Many of his operas are based on Czech themes and myths, the best known being the comedy The Bartered Bride (1866). He used many Czech dance rhythms and his melodies sometimes resemble folk songs, though he was proud of not directly quoting folktunes for the most part. Smetana maintained that his country's music should be a patriotic expression of the Czech life and collective soul. In this assumption, he clashed with a former friend of his, Frantisek Pivoda, who believed that "art knows no boundaries." Pivoda wanted to see fair interchange of artistic ideas between countries.
In 1882 Smetana suffered further effects of his progressive neurological illness. After he suffered a stroke-like seizure, doctors forbade him to compose in the fear that the increased mental activity of composition would result in further seizures. However, Smetana rebelled against these orders and composed his final, incomplete, opera, Viola. In 1884 he was taken to the Prague Lunatic Asylum, where he died soon afterwards. He is interred in the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague.
For many years it was believed that Smetana suffered from syphilis. Nevertheless, later studies carried out by Dr Jiří Ramba, who studied Smetana's skull, revealed that he suffered from osteomyelitis.
Smetana was a great influence on Antonín Dvořák, who similarly used Czech themes in his works. The output of Smetana influenced many Czech composers who came after him, and continues to inspire musicians today.
Operas
Braniboři v Čechách, "Brandenburgers in Bohemia" - Interim Theatre, Prague, 1866.
Prodaná nevěsta, "The Bartered Bride" - Interim Theatre, Prague, 1866 (original version in 2 act).
Prodaná nevěsta, "The Bartered Bride" - Interim Theatre, Prague, 1870 (final revision in 3 act).
Dalibor - Czech Theater, Prague, 1868.
Libuše - National Theatre, Prague, 1881. [2]
Dvě vdovy, "The Two Widows" - Czech Theater, Prague, 1874.
Hubička, "The Kiss" - Czech Theater, Prague, 1876.
Tajemství, "The Secret" - Premiere in 1878.
Čertova stěna, "The Devil's Wall" - Premiere in 1882.
Orchestral music
Má vlast (My Homeland) including "The Moldau"
'Triumphal' or 'Festive' Symphony in E major
Richard III, symphonic poem
Wallenstein's Camp, symphonic poem
Håkon Jarl, symphonic poem
Prague Carnival
Festive Overture in D major
March for Shakespeare Festival
Chamber music
String Quartet No. 1 in E minor "From My Life"
String Quartet No. 2 in D minor
From My Homeland for piano and violin
Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15
Piano music
Album Leaves
Bagatelles and Impromptus
Czech Dances
Polkas
Sonata in G Minor
Other works
Choral works
Songs
Smetana was the son of a brewer in Litomyšl in Bohemia. He studied piano and violin from an early age, and played in an amateur string quartet with other members of his family. He attended a high school in Pilsen from 1840-1843. He studied music in Prague, despite initial resistance from his father. He then secured a post as music master to a noble family, and in 1848 received funds from Franz Liszt to establish his own music school.
September 1855 marked the death of his second child, his beloved four-year-old daughter Bedřiška. When his third child died nine months later, he committed himself to composition, producing the Piano Trio in G minor. This piece is full of sadness and despair, making use of phrases that are cut short, possibly in resemblance to his daughter's own life.
Smetana moved in 1856 to Gothenburg, Sweden, where he taught, conducted, and gave chamber music recitals. In 1863, back in Prague, he opened a new school of music dedicated to promoting specifically Czech music.
By 1874 he had become almost totally deaf, but he continued to compose; Má vlast was written after his deafness had developed. He also suffered from tinnitus, which caused him to hear a continuous, maddening high note which he described as the "shrill whistle of a first inversion chord of A-flat in the highest register of the piccolo."
From 1875 he lived mostly in the small village of Jabkenice.
His string quartet in E minor, Z mého života (From My Life, composed in 1876), the first of two pieces that he wrote for the medium, is an autobiographical work. Each movement deals with a different aspect of its creator's life. The first movement is expressive, demonstrative of Smetana's youthful love of art and his search for something undefinable. The second movement, carefree and somewhat raucous, takes the listener back to the days of Smetana's youth. The third movement is reminiscent of the happiness Smetana felt when in love with the girl who later became his wife. The final movement begins with Smetana's joy over the recognition which was given to the national music of Bohemia. However, as the movement progresses, the music is punctuated by a piercing high E in the first violin which, Smetana explained, represents the devastating effects of his tinnitus. He may also be hinting at this personal misfortune with the piccolo scoring in Má vlast.
Smetana was the first composer to write music that was specifically Czech in character. Many of his operas are based on Czech themes and myths, the best known being the comedy The Bartered Bride (1866). He used many Czech dance rhythms and his melodies sometimes resemble folk songs, though he was proud of not directly quoting folktunes for the most part. Smetana maintained that his country's music should be a patriotic expression of the Czech life and collective soul. In this assumption, he clashed with a former friend of his, Frantisek Pivoda, who believed that "art knows no boundaries." Pivoda wanted to see fair interchange of artistic ideas between countries.
In 1882 Smetana suffered further effects of his progressive neurological illness. After he suffered a stroke-like seizure, doctors forbade him to compose in the fear that the increased mental activity of composition would result in further seizures. However, Smetana rebelled against these orders and composed his final, incomplete, opera, Viola. In 1884 he was taken to the Prague Lunatic Asylum, where he died soon afterwards. He is interred in the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague.
For many years it was believed that Smetana suffered from syphilis. Nevertheless, later studies carried out by Dr Jiří Ramba, who studied Smetana's skull, revealed that he suffered from osteomyelitis.
Smetana was a great influence on Antonín Dvořák, who similarly used Czech themes in his works. The output of Smetana influenced many Czech composers who came after him, and continues to inspire musicians today.
Operas
Braniboři v Čechách, "Brandenburgers in Bohemia" - Interim Theatre, Prague, 1866.
Prodaná nevěsta, "The Bartered Bride" - Interim Theatre, Prague, 1866 (original version in 2 act).
Prodaná nevěsta, "The Bartered Bride" - Interim Theatre, Prague, 1870 (final revision in 3 act).
Dalibor - Czech Theater, Prague, 1868.
Libuše - National Theatre, Prague, 1881. [2]
Dvě vdovy, "The Two Widows" - Czech Theater, Prague, 1874.
Hubička, "The Kiss" - Czech Theater, Prague, 1876.
Tajemství, "The Secret" - Premiere in 1878.
Čertova stěna, "The Devil's Wall" - Premiere in 1882.
Orchestral music
Má vlast (My Homeland) including "The Moldau"
'Triumphal' or 'Festive' Symphony in E major
Richard III, symphonic poem
Wallenstein's Camp, symphonic poem
Håkon Jarl, symphonic poem
Prague Carnival
Festive Overture in D major
March for Shakespeare Festival
Chamber music
String Quartet No. 1 in E minor "From My Life"
String Quartet No. 2 in D minor
From My Homeland for piano and violin
Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15
Piano music
Album Leaves
Bagatelles and Impromptus
Czech Dances
Polkas
Sonata in G Minor
Other works
Choral works
Songs
Vltava
Bedřich Smetana Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Vltava' by these artists:
Daniel Landa Ve vratký bárce mě unáší proud. Sám sebe se ptám, kam…
Karel Gott Znám kraj, kde zlátne réva a poutník netuší Že proud řeky…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@bag3lmonst3r72
0:00 The warm spring (flutes): the source of the Vltava.
0:29 The cold spring (clarinets): the two brooks meet and form the Vltava.
1:11 Vltava: the main theme.
3:15 Hunters' horns: the river passes through a forest hunt.
4:10 Polka: a village wedding dance by the river.
5:49 Rusalka: beautiful water nymphs in old Czech legends, bathing in the river by the moonlight amid the ruins of ancient castles. Muted strings, flutes, harps and horns. Calm yet mysterious.
9:04 Return to the main theme
10:03 Our river enters the raging St. John Rapids. Stormy and turbulent.
11:19 Main theme recap. Having cleared the rapids, now in a bright and cheerful major key.
11:45 Vyšehrad theme: the Vltava salutes the great castle, seat of the Czech nation. Cymbals. Goosebumps.
12:41 The music slowly fades away as our river says farewell and flows on into the distance, as it always has since time immemorial.
Truly one of the most evocative pieces of music ever written.
@terryhoath1983
Sorry, mariandrake1942. The river flows from South to North. Just upstream, there is a large hydroelectric dam. Its' confluence with the Elbe about 20 miles north of Prague is guarded by two huge coal fired power stations, Mělník I and Mělník II. Mělník III has just been closed. Between Mělník and Prague, the river is canalised. There is a river port in the North of Prague served by large barges which travel up the Elbe from as far away as Hamburg, and, via the canal system, from Berlin and from the Rotterdam. Just so that you know, "Moldau" is a German name. The correct name is "Vltava"
Try these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnYCW8eWqQo Transcription by Hanuš Trneček 1858-1914
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd3bIIaz3Kg Considered to be sacrilege by some but Karel was at the top of Czech and Slovak light entertainment for nearly 60 years. Following an outpouring of grief at his death in 2019, he was given a state funeral.
Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H1ukxdYlXs&t=6012s Go to 1 hour 36 minutes and watch for 30 seconds. You will then hear the beautiful song/hymn so often used at funerals in Czech R set to the Scots-Irish Appalachian tune "New Britain".
The words begin:
Už z hor zní zvon, už tmí se kraj Already, from the mountain tolls the bell. already darkness falls upon the land
A s ním tvůj syn šel spát And with Him, thy son hath gone to sleep
Všem přej týž sen, všem píseň hraj Let us all, wish we, sweet dreams, Let us all, the tune play,
Mír strun, mír snů mám rád The peace of strings, the peace of dreams, have I (we) love.
It goes on, "Already from the mountain tolls the bell, already sleeps thy stable ..... lay down thy spade."
Enjoy !
@jardanowotny7674
I am a native Czech. Every time I hear this song. My soul is clenched, with national pride.
And so to all of you. I am sending greetings from my homeland. Old Czechs.
@jeanettemccormack1041
And warmest greetings from Australia to you and all your countrymen and women.❤
@eckardkruger6650
Ahoj Jarda, I can understand your feelings well. I heard 'Vltava' for the first time when I was about 14 years old. We finally had an old radio. That's now 70 years ago, but I still remember it well. Even then I felt something with this wonderful music, something I couldn't explain. But it was something like a deep connection with the country through which the Vltava flowed. And it has not changed until today. - Greetings from Good Old Germany, my home country, but it's not the part where I was born. That is much further in the east.
@jesperkunukegede906
This was the first piece of classical music I remember my mother played for me in my childhood in Greenland - I was 7-8 years old, so for about 50 years, this music has been in my heart. Today I live in Budapest, partly due to my love for Central and Eastern European music. I can understand your pride.
@Freedomon832
I am in Prague now. Listening to it.
@erikg.4217
The land of Svejk....
@weltenbummler4x4
2.3.2024
Happy birthday Bedrich Smetena........200 years ......well composed
@bag3lmonst3r72
0:00 The warm spring (flutes): the source of the Vltava.
0:29 The cold spring (clarinets): the two brooks meet and form the Vltava.
1:11 Vltava: the main theme.
3:15 Hunters' horns: the river passes through a forest hunt.
4:10 Polka: a village wedding dance by the river.
5:49 Rusalka: beautiful water nymphs in old Czech legends, bathing in the river by the moonlight amid the ruins of ancient castles. Muted strings, flutes, harps and horns. Calm yet mysterious.
9:04 Return to the main theme
10:03 Our river enters the raging St. John Rapids. Stormy and turbulent.
11:19 Main theme recap. Having cleared the rapids, now in a bright and cheerful major key.
11:45 Vyšehrad theme: the Vltava salutes the great castle, seat of the Czech nation. Cymbals. Goosebumps.
12:41 The music slowly fades away as our river says farewell and flows on into the distance, as it always has since time immemorial.
Truly one of the most evocative pieces of music ever written.
@insomnio8093
This is the kind of comment i always hope to find in every video of the style. Thank you kind person, you're a true savior.
@bag3lmonst3r72
@@insomnio8093 Anytime!