What kind of music did Smetana compose?

What kind of music did Smetana compose?

Bedřich Smetana, (born March 2, 1824, Leitomischl, Bohemia, Austrian Empire [now Litomyšl, Czech Republic]—died May 12, 1884, Prague), Bohemian composer of operas and symphonic poems, founder of the Czech national school of music. He was the first truly important Bohemian nationalist composer.

How many pieces did Smetana compose?

Apart from a juvenile fantasia for violin and piano, Smetana composed only four chamber works, yet each had a deep personal significance.

Is Smetana a romantic composer?

Smetana had a good head for melody, and he did use Czech dances in his music, but he was really a mainstream Romantic composer, who came from one of the longtime centers of the European musical tradition.

What is the story behind the Moldau?

The Moldau was written in the 1870’s, a time when Bohemians had a renewed interest in freedom from German culture. They embraced it and the rest of Má vlast as a sort of patriotic symphonic national anthem. Research suggests this was Smetana’s intent as well.

Which two Czech composers wrote nationalistic music of Bohemia?

Smetana, Dvořák and Leoš Janáček are the three most famous composers who wrote Czech nationalist music. His music is typical of the Czech people. His eight operas are about Nationalist stories. He wrote six tone poems for orchestra called Ma Vlast which means “My Home Country”.

What is Smetana known for?

Beyond Czech-speaking countries Smetana is best known for his cycle of six orchestral tone poems, Má vlast (‘My Country’), especially ‘Vltava’, his depiction of the river that flows through Prague. In the Czech Republic, he is widely regarded as the father of Czech musical nationalism.

Is Smetana the same as sour cream?

Smetana is a type of sour cream from Central and Eastern Europe. Its cooking properties are different from crème fraîche and the lighter sour creams sold in the US, which contain 12 to 16% butterfat. It is widely used in cooking and baking.

What type of composition is The Moldau?

symphonic poem
The Moldau , Czech Vltava, symphonic poem by Bohemian composer Bedřich Smetana that evokes the flow of the Vltava River—or, in German, the Moldau—from its source in the mountains of the Bohemian Forest, through the Czech countryside, to the city of Prague.

Which instruments does Smetana use to evoke the following?

Smetana described it as, ”the merry sounds of a hunt and the notes of the hunter’s horn. ” To portray this musically, he uses the French horns and trumpets of the orchestra in a fanfare-type motif. Underneath the brass instruments, the strings continue to play the rapid water-motive.

Who wrote Smetana?

Bedřich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana, Bohemian composer of operas and symphonic poems, founder of the Czech…… Vltava River, river, the longest in the Czech Republic, flowing 270 miles (435 km).