Bedyeh Smetana (1824.3.2 1884.5.12)

At the end of September 1881, an elderly man suffering from illness hobbled onto the stage, picked up his baton and said to the band,"I must trust you completely because I cannot hear the sound of your instruments" and "Please follow my command." Under his command, the band performed well and the audience applauded enthusiastically. The conductor was Smetana. After suffering from deafness in both ears, he was holding a fund-raising performance for the reconstruction of the National Theater, which was destroyed in the fire.

Smetana is a proud musician of the Czechoslovak people. Today, his works are not only well-known and loved by everyone in this country, but also have long been well-known in the world music scene.

Smetana was born on March 2, 1824, in the town of Litomichl, east of Prague. He was fascinated by music from an early age and showed an extraordinary talent. At that time, it was the autumn of the Czech nation's crisis, and the national revival movement was in the ascendant. Born into a civilian family, Smetana was well aware of the suffering of the loss of national independence, and he established the belief in fighting for national independence in his youth. He experienced firsthand the armed uprising against the foreign rule of the Habsburg dynasty held by Czech patriots in Prague, and wrote famous works such as the "College Student March" in praise of the uprising with enthusiasm.

Smetana's works are permeated with the spirit of fighting for national independence. The Czech opera "Brandenburg in the Czech Republic", written in collaboration with the famous poet Sabina, caused a sensation in Prague when it was performed in 1866. Many strangers shook hands warmly and congratulated each other when they walked out of the theater. This play reflects the German army's invasion of the Czech Republic in Brandenburg at the end of the 13th century and the Czech people's rise to drive away the invaders. The author used the method of borrowing the past to describe the present to express the Czech nation's opposition to the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its demand for independence at that time.

The symphony suite of poems "My Motherland" is one of Smetana's masterpieces. He wrote it at the age of 55 after he became deaf. According to the author's original conception, this symphony poem consists of only four movements, with the theme of praising the long history of the Czech nation and the beautiful scenery of the motherland. Later, in order to stimulate the people's fighting spirit and inspire confidence, two more movements were written to reproduce in musical language the heroic struggle between the Czech people and the European Crusaders during the extraordinary years of the Husi Revolutionary Movement in the 15th century; describing the legend of the Iron Knights coming out to save the motherland when it was in danger. This symphony is not only an immortal epic praising the glorious history of the Czech nation, but also a clarion call to the people to continue fighting.

Smetana was also the founder of national opera. In the past, the Czech stage was completely occupied by German operas. In order to break this situation, which is detrimental to national dignity, Smetana created eight Czech operas with national styles.

Operas such as "The Betrayed Bride", which expresses the simple style of the Czech people, and "Dalipol", which praises freedom, are still dazzling today.

During his difficult life, Smetana created more than 100 works with amazing perseverance, leaving a glorious artistic legacy for the people of Czechoslovakia. It is often heard in Czechoslovakia: "Smetana is our musician".

On May 12, 1884, the proud Smetana of the Czech people passed away due to illness.

"My Motherland" Smetana