Bedrich Smetana

The Bartered Bride Overture

The Bartered Bride (The Sold Fiancée) is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana. The opera is considered to have been a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. Smetana's musical treatment made considerable use of traditional Bohemian dance forms such as the polka and furiant, although he generally avoided the direct quotation of folksong. He nevertheless created music which sounded folk-like, and is considered to be a true representation of the Czech spirit. The overture is often played as a concert piece independently from the opera. Interestingly, it was composed before almost any of the other music for the opera had been written.