Friedrich Smetana page with free midi's to download

FRIEDRICH SMETANA

2ndMarch 1824 --- 12thMay 1884

Friedrich Smetana was a Czech composer and pianist,  he was born at Leitomischl in Bohemia on March 2nd 1824.  He studied under Prosch,  at Prague,
and later at Leipzig. On returning to Prague he became Konzertmeister to the Emperor Ferdinand.

In 1848 he married Katharina Kolar, pianist and with her founded a music school at Prague. At the same time he met Liszt, who subsequently influenced
him greatly, and with whom he afterwards stayed at Weimar. In 1856 Smetana went to Gothenburg as conductor of the Philharmonic Society.  There he
remained for five years when owing to his wife's ill health he returned to prague after a successful concert tour.

The death of his wife at Dresden  on their return caused Smetana  to change his plans,  he went back to Sweden,  but the opening of the Interim theatre,
Prague in 1866, with the offer of its conductorship brought him home again.   In Sweden he had written Hakon Jarl, Richard III, and Wallenstien's Lager
and had completed his Opera Brandenburger in Bohmen (January 5th,1866).   In the same  year he produced his best known Opera,  Die verkaufte Braut
(The Bartered Bride).

The grand prize opera Liuse was written for the opening of the National Theatre at Prague,  on June 11th 1881.  In 1874 Smetana lost his sence hearing.
To celebrate his sixtieth birthday a fete was arranged by the combined Bohemian musical societies but on that day Smetana had lost his reason and was
removed to a lunatic asylum, where he died on May 12th 1884.

Smetana was the  founder of the Czech school of composers.   He exercised a great influence over the younger  men of his generation  and is still held in
great esteem.   A great deal of his piano-forte music is interesting,  the Stammbuchblatter for example,  while his symphonic poems in six parts entitled
Mein Vaterland (Vlast), and his beautiful string quartet, Aus meinem Leben have made the tour of the civilized World.

Copyright 1953 Enclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated on 2023
By Steven Ritchie

And now for the Music

New (4168)"The Brandenburgers in Bohemia, act.3,No.1 Opera". Sequenced by Petr Cvikl.

New (4167)"The Brandenburgers in Bohemia, act.3,No.2 Opera". Sequenced by Petr Cvikl.

New (4166)"The Brandenburgers in Bohemia, act.3,No.3 Opera". Sequenced by Petr Cvikl.

New (4169)"The Moldau", Sequencer Unknown.

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