Program Notes
Selected dances by BEDRICH SMETANA (b. 1824-1884)
Although Smetana is best known for his operas and orchestral works (The Bartered Bride and Má vlast are particularly famed), piano music actually constituted the largest part of his compositional oeuvre. Of the 300 compositions that he wrote, 200 are for the keyboard. This concentration of piano music reveals the central role that the piano played in Smetana’s life; he was a piano prodigy whose career activities included teaching the piano and giving solo and chamber music recitals. His substantial contribution to Bohemian piano music features a plethora of dances, including the Three Poetic Polkas and two volumes of Czech Dances. Widely considered the first nationalist composer of Bohemia, Smetana’s music carries a strong Slavic spirit, and these dances embody his abiding connection to his homeland.
Poetic Polka in G minor, Op. 8 No. 2 by BEDRICH SMETANA
Smetana wrote the Three Poetic Polkas around 1854. The polka originated in 19th-century Bohemia, and the Czech composer Josef Sawerthal discussed its popularity:
“[The polka] has now gone all round the world, enchanting and exhilarating the inhabitants of hovel and palace alike, knotting together and sundering many a heart…there is no other national dance that has conquered the world so quickly and within such a short space of time. But nowhere is the polka danced as it is in Bohemia: in other countries, it is normally turned a gallop, with the dancers careening through ballrooms at whirlwind speed. The true polka, by contrast, is no more than a moderate Allegretto, with a constant vibration of the body.” (Wiener allgemeine Musik-Zeitung, July 1845)
The second Poetic Polka, in G minor, is bittersweet and tender in mood. The central section, in the parallel major key and marked innocente, has a nostalgic and even dreamlike quality, achieved by the inclusion of some unexpected chromaticisms. The apparent simplicity of the material belies the depth in this music; the piece conveys both the vibrancy of Bohemian culture as well as an intimate sense of loneliness.
"The Lancer" and "Little Hen" from Czech Dances, Book 2 by BEDRICH SMETANA
The “Ten Characteristic Pieces” that comprise Book 2 of the Czech Dances were composed in 1879. (The first set of Czech Dances was written in 1877.) In 1874 Smetana suddenly lost his hearing; this misfortune spurred a serious state of depression that eventually led to his death in an asylum only a decade later. The pianist Rudolf Firkusny made a conjecture about the effect of Smetana’s deafness on his music: “It is as if Smetana, like Beethoven, had been liberated by his deafness from the restrictions of the keyboard, and allowed the piano to become less important as a specific instrument than as simply a medium for his ideas.” Smetana himself considered publishing these dances in versions for two pianos or for orchestra, and all ten dances were eventually orchestrated by various musicians. That being said, most of the dances are undeniably pianistic and showcase Smetana’s authentic understanding of the instrument.
In spite of the affliction he experienced, Smetana managed to write dances of great felicity, humor, lyricism, and flair. These dances are staunchly nationalistic in flavor as they are based on actual Czech folk melodies: half of the set are based on tunes from Karel Erben’s famous collection National Songs of Czechoslovakia, while the others were derived from Smetana’s own fieldwork.
Hulán (“The Lancer”), the seventh piece of the set, is a female dance based on song No. 379 from Erben’s collection. Wistful and poignant, it paints the sad tale of a lost love, as the accompanying poetry illustrates: “I had a sweetheart—a Lancer was he, / I loved him dearly and gave him my silver ring. / Now Lancer and ring are no more!” The folk melody is used as a theme for variation. The dance starts out with a simple statement of the tune over a flowing accompaniment. The tune is subsequently elaborated until it reaches a climax of considerable virtuosity. It finally dissolves in a mood of reflective resignation.
Slepicka (“Little Hen”) provides a piquant contrast to the lyricism of Hulán. The second work of the set, it is a girl's dance in the style of a polka. The melodic material is original. Animated and brilliant with a bravura central trio section, this dance is reminiscent of a showpiece by Franz Liszt (who incidentally championed some of Smetana’s early pieces) and is compositional proof of Smetana’s superior keyboard skills.
These three dances in particular, with their charming folk idiom and picturesque tableaux, are colorful examples of Smetana’s inextricable kinship to the Czech culture. As he once proclaimed: “My compositions do not belong to the realm of absolute music, where one can get along well enough with musical signs and a metronome.” The music, dance, character, and soul of his world endure in these rarely-played gems.
©2007 Elizabeth Joy Roe. All rights reserved.