Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
🎶 Support the channel: patreon.com/classicalnerd
0:00 Introduction
0:30 I. Built Different
5:35 II. An Emerging Nationalism
17:07 III. Sweden
27:57 IV. Toward the Stage
48:19 V. The Shadow of the Bride
1:02:42 VI. The Czech Beethoven
1:19:34 VII. Smetana and the Czech Spirit
This was made due to requests from viewers like you. See all requests at lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html
📚 Sources/further reading:
“Smetana” by Brian Large (Da Capo Press, 1970)
“Bedřich Smetana: Myth, Music, and Propaganda” by Kelly St. Pierre (Boydell & Brewer, University of Rochester Press, 2017)
“The Sound of Deafness: Smetana and Traumatic Tinnitus” by Alexei Pesic and Peter Pesic (Music & Medicine, 2015, Vol. 7/2, pp 9–13): static1.squarespace.com/static/549e4558e4b07c07777e8a60/t/5bc39037a4222f13d0e5f0b9/1539543105187/The+Sound+of+Deafness+-+Smetana+and+Traumatic+Tinnitus.pdf
“Pianistic Analysis of Bedřich Smetana’s Piano Cycle ‘Dreams, Six Characteristic Pieces for Piano’” (DMA dissertation, Kristina Henckel, University of Oklahoma, 2016): core.ac.uk/reader/215248570
antonin-dvorak.cz/en/bedrich-smetana-1824-1884
----------
Music:
- Bedřich Smetana: “Dance of the Comedians” from The Bartered Bride, performed by the Young Cracow Philharmonic conducted by Tomasz Chmiel: youtube.com/watch?v=KY1b52b0Re4
- Bedřich Smetana: “V lese” from Six Characteristic Pieces, Op. 1, performer unknown: youtube.com/watch?v=kkUTCkJLmmM
- Bedřich Smetana: Triumphal Symphony, Op. 6, performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lothar Zagrosek: youtube.com/watch?v=hrVWLkcBA9U
- Bedřich Smetana: 3 Salonní polky, Op. 7, performed by Radoslav Kvapil: youtube.com/watch?v=ak_5hmfeBjM
- Bedřich Smetana: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15, performed by Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Harriet Krijgh, and Magda Amara: youtube.com/watch?v=eXzMColEvwE
- Felix Mendelssohn: Elijah, Op. 70, performed by the McGill Symphony Orchestra, the Schulich Singers, the McGill Concert Choir, and the University Chorus conducted by Jean-Sébastien Vallée: youtube.com/watch?v=3EWdTMEMYO0
- Bedřich Smetana: Richard III, Op. 11, performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petr Popelka: youtube.com/watch?v=cjFAv1xEFzs
- Bedřich Smetana: “Wallenstein’s Camp,” Op. 14, performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petr Popelka: youtube.com/watch?v=ACIL9Wtne7A
- Bedřich Smetana: Macbeth and the Witches, performed by Ashley Wass: youtube.com/watch?v=i_CMMjOZXBU
- Bedřich Smetana: Overture from The Bartered Bride, performed by the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek: youtube.com/watch?v=9eWXqxKX0KI
- Bedřich Smetana: Braniboři v Čechách (The Brandenburgers in Bohemia), performed by the Prague National Theater conducted by Zdeněk Košler: youtube.com/watch?v=UMa7gVQqEAg
- Bedřich Smetana: Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride), performed by the Garsington Opera conducted by Jac van Steen: youtube.com/watch?v=ZCrOSqpRnik
- Bedřich Smetana: “Furiant” from Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride), performed by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimír Válek: youtube.com/watch?v=G1M3NN89K3s
- Bedřich Smetana: Dalibor, performed by the Prague National Theater conducted by Jaroslav Kyzlink: youtube.com/watch?v=7vGUa3kTmH4
- Bedřich Smetana: Libuše, performed by the Prague National Theater conducted by Oliver von Dohnányi: youtube.com/watch?v=QvQa1hAv4Z0
- Bedřich Smetana: České tance II, performed by Matyáš Novák: youtube.com/watch?v=qBqxj9wZBuI
- Bedřich Smetana: Má vlast, performed by the West German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov: youtube.com/watch?v=KR8h5nRKAio
- Bedřich Smetana: “Rêves” (“Sny”/“Dreams”), performed by Vartan Agopian: youtube.com/watch?v=RN4SNxq0BLA
- Bedřich Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 “From My Life,” performed by the Meccore String Quartet: youtube.com/watch?v=SCxHK_2lNmo
- Bedřich Smetana: Čertova Stěna (The Devil's Wall), performed by Vladimír Jedenáctík (unknown orchestra) conducted by Otakar Jeremiáš: youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Kk8vMuwyY
- Thomas Little Wingate: Dance! #2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
----------
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Facebook:
facebook.com/classicalnerd
Instagram:
instagram.com/the_classical_nerd
----------
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.
🎶 Support the channel: patreon.com/classicalnerd
0:00 Introduction
0:30 I. Built Different
5:35 II. An Emerging Nationalism
17:07 III. Sweden
27:57 IV. Toward the Stage
48:19 V. The Shadow of the Bride
1:02:42 VI. The Czech Beethoven
1:19:34 VII. Smetana and the Czech Spirit
This was made due to requests from viewers like you. See all requests at lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html
📚 Sources/further reading:
“Smetana” by Brian Large (Da Capo Press, 1970)
“Bedřich Smetana: Myth, Music, and Propaganda” by Kelly St. Pierre (Boydell & Brewer, University of Rochester Press, 2017)
“The Sound of Deafness: Smetana and Traumatic Tinnitus” by Alexei Pesic and Peter Pesic (Music & Medicine, 2015, Vol. 7/2, pp 9–13): static1.squarespace.com/static/549e4558e4b07c07777e8a60/t/5bc39037a4222f13d0e5f0b9/1539543105187/The+Sound+of+Deafness+-+Smetana+and+Traumatic+Tinnitus.pdf
“Pianistic Analysis of Bedřich Smetana’s Piano Cycle ‘Dreams, Six Characteristic Pieces for Piano’” (DMA dissertation, Kristina Henckel, University of Oklahoma, 2016): core.ac.uk/reader/215248570
antonin-dvorak.cz/en/bedrich-smetana-1824-1884
----------
Music:
- Bedřich Smetana: “Dance of the Comedians” from The Bartered Bride, performed by the Young Cracow Philharmonic conducted by Tomasz Chmiel: youtube.com/watch?v=KY1b52b0Re4
- Bedřich Smetana: “V lese” from Six Characteristic Pieces, Op. 1, performer unknown: youtube.com/watch?v=kkUTCkJLmmM
- Bedřich Smetana: Triumphal Symphony, Op. 6, performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lothar Zagrosek: youtube.com/watch?v=hrVWLkcBA9U
- Bedřich Smetana: 3 Salonní polky, Op. 7, performed by Radoslav Kvapil: youtube.com/watch?v=ak_5hmfeBjM
- Bedřich Smetana: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15, performed by Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Harriet Krijgh, and Magda Amara: youtube.com/watch?v=eXzMColEvwE
- Felix Mendelssohn: Elijah, Op. 70, performed by the McGill Symphony Orchestra, the Schulich Singers, the McGill Concert Choir, and the University Chorus conducted by Jean-Sébastien Vallée: youtube.com/watch?v=3EWdTMEMYO0
- Bedřich Smetana: Richard III, Op. 11, performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petr Popelka: youtube.com/watch?v=cjFAv1xEFzs
- Bedřich Smetana: “Wallenstein’s Camp,” Op. 14, performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petr Popelka: youtube.com/watch?v=ACIL9Wtne7A
- Bedřich Smetana: Macbeth and the Witches, performed by Ashley Wass: youtube.com/watch?v=i_CMMjOZXBU
- Bedřich Smetana: Overture from The Bartered Bride, performed by the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek: youtube.com/watch?v=9eWXqxKX0KI
- Bedřich Smetana: Braniboři v Čechách (The Brandenburgers in Bohemia), performed by the Prague National Theater conducted by Zdeněk Košler: youtube.com/watch?v=UMa7gVQqEAg
- Bedřich Smetana: Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride), performed by the Garsington Opera conducted by Jac van Steen: youtube.com/watch?v=ZCrOSqpRnik
- Bedřich Smetana: “Furiant” from Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride), performed by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimír Válek: youtube.com/watch?v=G1M3NN89K3s
- Bedřich Smetana: Dalibor, performed by the Prague National Theater conducted by Jaroslav Kyzlink: youtube.com/watch?v=7vGUa3kTmH4
- Bedřich Smetana: Libuše, performed by the Prague National Theater conducted by Oliver von Dohnányi: youtube.com/watch?v=QvQa1hAv4Z0
- Bedřich Smetana: České tance II, performed by Matyáš Novák: youtube.com/watch?v=qBqxj9wZBuI
- Bedřich Smetana: Má vlast, performed by the West German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov: youtube.com/watch?v=KR8h5nRKAio
- Bedřich Smetana: “Rêves” (“Sny”/“Dreams”), performed by Vartan Agopian: youtube.com/watch?v=RN4SNxq0BLA
- Bedřich Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 “From My Life,” performed by the Meccore String Quartet: youtube.com/watch?v=SCxHK_2lNmo
- Bedřich Smetana: Čertova Stěna (The Devil's Wall), performed by Vladimír Jedenáctík (unknown orchestra) conducted by Otakar Jeremiáš: youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Kk8vMuwyY
- Thomas Little Wingate: Dance! #2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
----------
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Facebook:
facebook.com/classicalnerd
Instagram:
instagram.com/the_classical_nerd
----------
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.
