Bedřich Smetana - The Bartered Bride

Wedding scene from Bedřich Smetana’s opera The Bartered Bride, highlighting its cheerful folk character.

A wedding scene from The Bartered Bride, reflecting the joyful, communal spirit that permeates Smetana’s comic opera.

Composed between 1863 and 1866 to a libretto by Karel Sabina, The Bartered Bride is set in a Bohemian village and unfolds as a unified comic narrative with a romantic core. It was the second of Bedřich Smetana’s eight operas and a decisive step in his lifelong ambition to establish a distinctly Czech national opera tradition—something that did not yet exist at the time.

Smetana revised the work no fewer than five times between 1866 and 1870, gradually transforming it from a modest operetta into the full-scale three-act comic opera known today. This process of refinement strengthened both its dramatic coherence and its musical vitality.

Overture

Smetana had often been accused of imitating the monumental operatic style of Richard Wagner, and critics claimed he lacked the ability to write light-hearted, joyful music. The Bartered Bride decisively refuted these claims. From the very first chord of the overture, the strings race through rapid scales, propelled by a lively theme passed energetically among the orchestral sections. The music soon gathers irresistible momentum, launching into a fast, rhythmically charged conclusion.

Polka

The polka, with its buoyant and cheerful character, returns repeatedly throughout the opera. Its vitality culminates in the ecstatic dance of the villagers, who eventually collapse to the ground—exhausted, yet exhilarated—capturing the communal joy at the heart of the work.

Furiant

The Furiant, a rapid and fiery Bohemian dance, is equally exuberant but marked by bold rhythmic accents and wide, acrobatic musical gestures. Its restless energy reflects the spirited temperament of Czech folk tradition.

Dance of the Comedians

The Dance of the Comedians opens with the strings, soon joined by playful intrusions from the piccolo and trumpet, where humor takes center stage. A rocking rhythmic figure develops into faster string passages, interrupted by sharp drum strokes. After a moment of hesitation, the comedians plunge back into their antics, bringing the dance to a mischievous and animated close.

Despite its title, The Bartered Bride is a celebration of joy, vitality, and community—a work in which folk dance, humor, and national identity blend into one of the most enduring masterpieces of Czech opera.

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