There was an occasion when Bedřich Smetana called his opera The Bartered Bride a play. He meant its lighter, comedy genre, which he understood as a kind of composition distraction, besides other great and serious projects. The work is characterized by its comedy poetics, but also the national idea and the idea of a music theatre supported by popular traditions. Four versions were needed for the composer to elaborate the typical popular comedy and create a specific Czech opera comedy.Indeed, in composing this opus Smetana was wary of the national mission of his opera that was to also play a political role during the national renascence.Yet we still perceive this this gem of Czech operatic opus more like a unique connection of characteristically Czech humour with rural colour scheme and an original music language of the exceptional composer.

Running time: 2 hrs 40 mins with one interval

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