Biography
Enduring the June 1848 uprising in Prague, the figure known as the "father of Czech music" nevertheless wove unwavering support for Czech nationalism into every composition. Liszt, who publicly commended him, left a deep mark on Smetana; as a result his orchestral scores display an acute sensitivity to atmosphere and theatrical tension, at times adopting fragments of the "leitmotiv" method associated with Wagner. The cycle of symphonic tone poems Má Vlast (My Country) stands as his supreme achievement, its most frequently performed movements being Vltava (The Moldau) and From Bohemian Fields and Groves.
Albums