Born: 2 March 1824. Litomsyl, Bohemia, then part of Austria, now Czech Republic Father: František Smetana, brewer, violinist Mother: Barbora Lynková (3rd wife of František) Siblings: 5 half sisters (from father's previous marriages) 9 siblings of which 7 survived childhood. He was the 3rd child and eldest son. Wife 1: Katerina Kolarova in 1849. Died in 1859 Children: 4 daughters, 3 of whom died in infancy Wife 2: 20 old girl, Bettina Ferdinandova Children: Zdeňka, 2 daughters Died: May 12, 1884, Prague Cause of death: registered as senile dementia (probably caused by syphilis) Grave: Vysehradsky Hrbitov, Prague, Czech Republic see findagrave
Works:
Period/style: Romantic / Czech nationalistic Output: considerable Influenced by: Berlioz, Liszt, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Wagner and folk music Influenced: Dvorák; Janácek
* 8 operas, including The Bartered Bride, * Orchestral music, including Má vlast (My Country), cycle of 6 symphonic poems (No.2 is "The Moldau", 1874-1879) * Chamber music and keyboard works, choral music and songs
Career
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Smetana's father taught him the violin and other local teachers taught him the piano. Bedrich gave his first public piano recital at age 6. - age 20 appointed resident piano teacher to the family of Count Leopold Thun. This gave him the financial ability to pursue his musical studies. - age 23 (1847) attempted to organise a concert tour which he abandoned after the first disappointing performance. - age 24 set up a piano school in Prague - Formed a friendship with Liszt who helped find a publisher but declined to assist financially. - manned the barricades in the unsuccessful 1848 Prague Revolution - married Katerina Kolarova, his childhood friend, who bore him 4 daughters, 3 of whom died between 1854 and 1856. This tragedy inspired his 1855 Piano Trio. - age 32 Moved to Sweden where he had been offered a piano teaching post. - appointed director of the Gothenburg Philharmonic - popular for his conducting and piano playing - age 35 (1859) Katerina's tubercolosis worsened and she died at Dresden during the journey back to Bohemia. - age 36 (1860) Married Barbora (Bettina) Ferdinandiová, his brother Karel's sister-in-law. She bore him two daughters. - age 37 (1861) returned to Prague, following its being granted political independence from Austia - age 39 his opera The Brandenburgers of Bohemia won a prize for the best opera on a Czech theme. - age 42 Following the success of his next opera The Bartered Bride he was appointed director of the Prague Provisional Theatre - age 50 He became totally deaf and had to resign from the theatre. He also suffered from tinnitus (a shrill constant whistle in his ears). - age 52 He moved out of Prague with his family. He continued to compose despite his deafness and completed his best known work Má vlast ("My Fatherland") a cycle of 6 symphonic poems. - age 59 His mental health deteriorated rapidly and eventually he had to be put into a mental asylum where he soon died.
Smetana's funeral was followed by a great crowd and he was buried as a national hero.
