Smetana / Brian Large.
| Author/creator | Large, Brian |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | London : Duckworth, 1970. |
| Description | xvii, 473 pages, 27 pages of plates : illustrations, facsimiles, genealogical table, music, portraits ; 26 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Introduction -- Childhood 1824-1843 -- Years of apprenticeship 1843-1846 -- Years of struggle 1846-1856 -- Years abroad 1856-1859 -- Years of travel 1859-1862 -- Home for good 1862-1866 -- The Brandenburgers in Bohemia -- The Bartered Bride 1866-1867 -- Dalibor 1867-1868 -- Libuse 1869-1872 -- The Two Widows 1872-1874 -- Deafness and retirement 1874-1875 -- Ma Vlast -- A return to the stage 1876 -- The Kiss -- The Secret 1876-1878 -- The Devil's Wall 1879-1882 -- Madness and death 1883-1884 -- Appendixes: Geneaological tree ; Catalogue of album leaves ; Genesis of The Bartered Bride ; The Bartered Bride couplet ; Genesis of The Two Widows ; Extracts from the correspondence between Elišká Krásnohorská and Bedrich Smetana ; Works in order of composition ; List of works ; Opera synopses ; Select bibliography. |
| Abstract | Smetana is known outside Czechoslovakia, the land of his birth, mainly as composer of The Bartered Bride, the symphonic cycle My Country and a popular piano trio and string quartet. The son of a small-town brewer, he derived his music from the songs and dances of Bohemia and his life span coincided with a period of resurgent Czech nationalism, in which his eight operas themselves played a pioneer part. He can rightly be called the founder of modern Czech music. After initial struggles, he was overshadowed by his more brilliant junior, Dvorak, dogged by deafness and disease, matrimonial differences and other personal quarrels, and never in his lifetime had the recognition to which his talents and industry entitled him. This definitive biography, the first to appear in English, includes long extracts from Smetana's diaries and letters, a list of works, and detailed analyses of all his operatic and orchestral works. It seeks to redress the balance and establish his music as more important than it has hitherto been regarded. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 460-461). |
| LCCN | 74537456 |
| ISBN | 0715605127 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Music Stacks | ML410.S63 L4 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |