On 2 March 2024, the music world celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana, an outstanding Czech composer, father of Czech classical music and creator of the national opera and symphony.
Bedřich Smetana was born in 1824 in the small Czech town of Litomyšl into the family of a brewer. His musical talent became apparent very early and at the age of six he performed for the first time as a pianist. He learnt to play the violin, tried composing music, dreamed of playing the piano like Liszt and composing like Mozart.
The peak of Smetana's work was the cycle of symphonic poems “My Homeland”1., written in 1874-1879. The most famous of the six poems is “Vltava”, which has become a musical symbol of the Czech Republic.
Bedřich Smetana’s 200th jubilee is widely celebrated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Concerts were held in Prague and Bratislava, exhibitions were organised in Pardubice and Pilsen, and a classical music festival was held in Lys nad Labem. From 3 to 10 March, the composer's operas are broadcasted on television.
An interesting celebratory tradition was formed in the composer's hometown. In Letomyšl there are celebrations called “Roll out the barrels, little Bedřich was born!”. This is a reconstruction of the day in 1824, when the composer was born and his father ordered barrels of beer to be rolled out so that everyone could share the joy with him.
Smetana's passion and dedication to his country and music is still alive and his works are treasured in the hearts of people all over the world. A crater on Mercury is named in his honour, and the melodies of his operas are heard in the famous films “Spider-Man” and “First Man”.
Author and translator: Bc. Lívia Murárová
1. original: Má vlast