I haven't posted for a while because I do music in various ways: I think about it and listen to it, but above all, I do it, as in, sing and play several instruments. Voice and cello are my main specialisations.
Singing is more relevant to Smetana than the cello because, although cellists can play his music in chamber groups or perform adaptations of his musical scores, he never wrote a cello concerto, unlike Dvorak. However he did compose operas, one of which bears my full name, Libuse, for a coronation that didn't take place in the end. The opera was set in medieval Bohemia with (historical) Libuse at its centre. It's not an opera often performed, especially outside the Czech Republic.
Most productions are stuck on only one of his operas, in particular, The Bartered Bride, which has a rather appallingly sexist storyline. But the music is very romantic, beautiful and based on folk music. Nevertheless, the vast majority of operas have horrendous storylines so what's another one? The music is the main attraction for opera audiences, well, it is for me, anyway.
Smetana was a 19th century composer who was born today, 200 years ago (2 March 1824 - 12 May 1884) to a well-off, large family that mainly spoke German. Czech was spoken but it had a lower status at that time, due to Czechs suffering oppression at the hands of the Austrian Empire and then the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, which infuriates any good, self-respecting Czech! So Smetana neither spoke nor wrote Czech very well, contrary to our present day expectations.
I wonder whether prejudice against Czechs (Eastern Europe) stems from this Germanic history of invasion and occupation of the Czech lands. It divided East Europe and West Europe and the perception is always the West is best as we can see by Roger Scruton who ran in to teach, or is that to preach, Christianity under the guise of philosophy. Many philosophers these days are still doing this in universities which, I think, is unacceptable. And it retrospectively shows that going into Communist Czechoslovakia and other countries was all about underground preaching and ultra-Conservatism not actually the overtly stated values of political liberal democratic freedom from totalitarianism which was what we actual Czechs in exile in England were supporting.
If you think about it, Scruton's values (and his Foundation and followers of his ideology) of ultra-Conservativism mixed with Christianity (including Catholicism through his wife despite him coming from a humanist background) and glorifying Western values clash badly with Czech history, so it's frankly very odd that they were so obsessed with going there since they have nothing in common with Czechs and their ideology is actively against features of Czech history and culture. For instance, after the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, Czech lands had Germanic culture, language, politics and Catholicism foisted onto them for centuries, despite attempts to end it, such as the Revolution of 1848. And to cap it all Scruton and co. came armed with Kant, an 18th century (biological racist) German philosopher!
My grandmother was constantly referring back to the tragic events of the Battle of White Mountain. Hence she was enthusiastic about the Czech National Revival and loved the music and literature of that period. Conversely, she refused to speak German and had an antipathy towards Catholicism, although she didn't allow that to show in public. So Nazis marching into Czechoslovakia revived that early 17th century battle for Czechs, who were only just beginning to enjoy their own national identity and freedom.
So, for instance, it's culturally insensitive to keep calling Smetana's 'Vltava' in his Má Vlast (My Homeland) by the Germanic name for the river, 'Moldau'.
Smetana attended various schools and by the age of nineteen he made Prague his home. At that time, it boasted a thriving music scene. Indeed, whenever I have visited Prague I have noticed how musical it is. Concerts are everywhere and free. In Smetana's day famous musicians and composers gave concerts, for instance, Mendelssohn, Paganini, Clara Schumann and, of course, Liszt with whom he struck up a special friendship. Smetana entered wholeheartedly into the vibrant Prague music scene.
In 1848, the year of revolutions, Smetana started a music school which became very popular. However, civil unrest interrupted and Smetana got stuck in and helped wherever he could but, in the end, martial law took over. Unhappy, Smetana went to Sweden for a few years. In 1859, his first wife died (Katerina) but he remarried a year later (Bettina). Most people marry twice during their lifetime, it seems especially men, while being puritanically high and mighty about women marrying more than once. Smetana fathered several children but they had a low survival rate.
Anyway, Smetana was into the Czech national Revival, learnt Czech and composed music with a distinct Czech flavour. When the National Theatre was built it became a central meeting point of theatre and music. Smetana was overjoyed with it. And my grandmother would tell me that she loved nothing more than to go there.
I can't help but notice how rarely Smetana's works are performed especially in the UK. In terms of opera it's The Bartered Bride that is wheeled out and orchestras focus on the well-known, beautiful Vltava. Other than that very few people are aware of his music.
1620 was pivotal because prior to that date Czech culture was awesome and The University of Prague, (1348) the only university in Central Europe. After that everything became German. The Germans arrogantly thought their culture was somehow superior. So, when the National Revival came about it caught on. The Czech language was at the centre of it. Smetana's operas were crucial to this Revival which really took off during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Although during the late nineteenth century German remained an administrative language and Prague university was divided into two universities, one Czech the other German.
During his latter years Smetana was unwell. As is true even today, speculation abounds and biographers are dramatic about what was wrong with him. It's difficult to say. It's such a long time ago. But either way he moved to the countryside despite being a towny kind of person. There he wrote his best works despite any health issues: Ma Vlast comes from this period in his life as does the comedy opera, The Kiss together with string quartets, songs and piano compositions.
Despite Libuse (1881) not being performed for a coronation it was performed later (1883) at the reopening of the National Theatre which had burnt down. I think this was very poignant because a year later he died.
I personally have always preferred Smetana to the other Czech composers with the exception of Dvorak. Smetana's music is tuneful, romantic, emotional and very Czech. Some complained he was Wagnerian. I don't see him that way. But if there is a touch of Wagner, a composer I don't like so I don't listen to his music, then one has to remember the historical context of Smetana's life. The Czech lands were dominated by German culture. But those who accused him of being Wagnerian were just trying to get rid of him. They were his jealous opponents who were just plain nasty.
Lastly it should be noted that the type of nationalism you see in the West is very different from the Czech Revival Nationalism Smetana was involved in which was about freedom from oppression and bringing about national autonomy.
