Bedrich Smetana
Bedrich Smetana was one of the great composers of his country's history and one of the leaders of the movement toward musical nationalism. His father was a violin teacher who gave Bedrich his first lessons and referred him to keyboard, harmony, and composition lessons when the boy requested them. His father tried to get Bedrich to apply himself in academics, but Bedrich was too focused on music to be a good student.
Bedrich Kittl, director of the Prague Conservatory, in 1844 found Smetana a job as a music teacher to the family of Count Leopold Thun while continuing music studies. He remained with the count for three and a half years, but he quit to undertake a concert tour, which turned out to be a financial failure.
Franz Liszt aided Smetana in finding a publisher for some early piano music and in 1848, Smetana founded a successful piano school.
Although he established a strong local reputation as a pianist, his piano compositions (mostly lighter works) did not earn him any special distinction as a composer.
In 1860, the Austro-Hungarian Empire granted internal political autonomy to Bohemia. A movement began to search for a genuine Czech voice in arts, including the establishment of a national theater. In 1862-1863, Smetana composed The Brandenburgers in Bohemia, his first opera, which was a success at its premiere on January 5, 1866. His next opera was Prodaná nevesta (The Bartered Bride), his most famous and enduring opera today, but a failure when it premiered on May 30, 1866.
In 1866, Smetana became conductor of the Provisional Theater, re-forming its administration and attempting to raise standards. His next opera, Dalibor (1871), was criticized for its Wagnerian elements. He had also written Libuse, but could find no producer. But in 1874, he had a large success with a light, popular opera, The Two Widows.
However, a severe whistling in the ears (graphically depicted in his autobiographical string quartet From My Life) led to deafness by the end of that year, symptoms of tertiary syphilis. He continued to compose and wrote his orchestral masterpiece Má Vlast (My Country) from 1874 to 1879. Three more operas were premiered successfully, including Libuse, but the last was The Devil's Wall (1882). By now, Smetana was seriously ill. The brain damage from syphilis led to madness, and he was confined to an asylum where he died. National mourning was proclaimed and he was given a burial at the Vyshehrad, one of the national sites depicted in Má Vlast.
© TiVo
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Discografía
20 álbum(es) • Ordenado por Mejores ventas
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Smetana The Moldau (Studio Recording)
Clásica - Editado por Artemisia el 3 abr. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana: Dalibor
Jiří Bělohlávek , Andrew Griffiths
Ópera - Editado por Onyx Classics el 29 oct. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana: Orchestral Works
Vladimir Valek, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bedrich Smetana
Música sinfónica - Editado por Supraphon a.s. el 18 may. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana - The Moldau
Clásica - Editado por Piros Comercial Digital el 13 abr. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Famous Classics
Clásica - Editado por Claves Records el 1 ene. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15
Música de cámara - Editado por Prospero Classical el 20 may. 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Classical Collection - Smetana - El espíritu de Bohemia
Prague Philharmonic, Czech Straatsphilhamonie
Clásica - Editado por ClassicalPirosDigital el 10 jun. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Moldau & Other Masterpieces
Clásica - Editado por Warner Classics el 1 mar. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana - Great Recordings
Clásica - Editado por UME - Global Clearing House el 27 feb. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana - Ma Vlast
George Richter, Royal Danish Orchestra, Bedrich Smetana
Clásica - Editado por Denon el 1 ene. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 - Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15
Vienna Mozart Trio, Ludwig van Beethoven, Bedrich Smetana
Clásica - Editado por Reader's Digest Music el 29 jul. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bedrich Smetana: Die verkaufte Braut
Hilde Konetzni, Richard Tauber, Stella Andreva
Ópera - Editado por Urania el 1 ene. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana - Piano Works
Clásica - Editado por Denon el 1 ene. 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kunstlerleben. Piano Music from the Golden Age
Peter Phillips, Johann Strauss II, Bedrich Smetana, Cyril Scott, Léo Delibes, Enrique Granados
Clásica - Editado por Novus Promusica el 5 mar. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana: Wallenstein's Camp - Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 in D Minor
Prague Symphony Orchestra, Zdenek Macal
Clásica - Editado por Clarton, Edit, Music Vars Corporation, s. r. o. el 15 feb. 2001
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Bedřich Smetana: Čertova Stěna [The Devil's Wall] (1952), Volume 1
Clásica - Editado por Classical Moments el 26 mar. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana: Má Vlast (Prague Spring 1997 Opening Concert)
Prague Symphony Orchestra, Gaetano Delogu
Clásica - Editado por Clarton, Edit, Music Vars Corporation, s. r. o. el 13 may. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smetana - Ma Vlast
Sinfonieorchester Des Südwestfunks
Clásica - Editado por ClassicalPirosDigital el 12 jul. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
6 Album Leaves, Op. 2: No. 2 - Pisen (Chanson). Moderato
Bedrich Smetana, German Kitkin
Clásica - Editado por Stereo Arts Classics el 11 abr. 2024
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Dioses de la Música - Dvorak, Smetana
Slowakische Philharmonie, London Symphony Orchestra
Clásica - Editado por Piros Comercial Digital el 24 may. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo