Prodaná nevesta (The Bartered Bride), overture to the opera
Date: 1863 -1870
Composer: Bedrich Smetana
Period: Post-Romantic (1870-1909)
Review
Unlike Rossini, who would often wait until the very last minute to write an overture for one of his operas, or even himself for his other operas,
Bedrich Smetana actually wrote the overture for his opera The Bartered Bride before he wrote anything else for it. While the libretto was still being worked out, Smetana composed the overture in piano score during autumn 1863, two and a half years before the premiere of the first version of the opera. He was excited about his second work in the genre, one that would depict rustic Czech life rather than aristocratic life, that would represent Czech music rather than copy German styles, and that would be light and comic rather than Wagnerian. The final orchestration does succeed in those respects. It also reflects the excitement he felt, opening with brief fanfare, then with the strings building up to the main theme, a peasant dance-like melody. This theme is developed somewhat fugally and is followed by a brief oboe melody. Another idea appears in the strings, before the return of the first theme, which is again elaborated and is also the basis of the coda. All of the themes were used in the finale of the opera's second act. Along with Dvorák's music, these themes contribute a great deal to the character of Czech Romantic music, using peasant dance and song idioms for new melodies. The fresh and earthy Overture to the Bartered Bride is perhaps Smetana's second-most famous work, behind only The Moldau. ~ Patsy Morita, Rovi
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
A Celebration in Music
A Night at the Opera, Vol. 2 1989
A Night at the Opera: Vol. 1
An Evening With The Hollywood Bowl
Arturo Toscanini Collection, Volume 51: Overtures 1992
At The Opera 1989
Ataúlfo Argenta: unedited recordings 1997
Baby Einstein: Sing and Play Collection 2008
Barbirolli: The Columbia Masters, Vol. 4 2005
Berühmte Ouvertüren und Zwischenspiele 1992
Bohemian Rhapsody 2006
Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter Conducts 3 Slavic Masters 1993
Bruno Walter Conducts Tchaikovsy, Dvorak, Smetana
Bruno Walter Conducts the London Symphony Orchestra 1994
Bruno Walter Live
Bruno Walter Plays and Conducts Mozart
Bruno Walter Recordings 1939-1940
Bruno Walter with the London Symphony Orchestra: The Legendary 1938 Recordings
Bruno Walter, featuring Nathan Milstein (Magic Talent)
Böhm: Maestro Decente (Box Set) 2002
Böhm: Maestro Decente, Disc 3 2002
Carnegie Hall Project 1995
Classical Favorites Advertiser's Guide (Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4) 2000
Classical Treasures: Classical Sounds of Excellence 2005
Coffeehouse Classics 1999
Coffeehouse Classics [Classical Heritage] 1997
Coffeehouse Classics [Intersound Boxset] 1997
Concert Encores! 1990
Czech Philharmonic Centenary Homage
Dorati Conducts Albéniz/Falla/Moussorgsky/Smetana
Dvorak: Symphony No9; Smetana: Bartered Bride
Dvorák's New World Symphony and Other Orchestral Masterworks 1995
Dvorák: New World Symphony; Smetana: Bartered Bride; Weinberger: Polka & Fugue 1995
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 2004
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"; Bedrich Smetana: Vltava; The Bartered Bride Overture 1995
Dvorák: Three Great Symphonies; Carnival Overture; Bedrich Smetana: Bartered Bride Overture 1998
Dvorák: Violonkonzert; Symphonie No. 9 1995
Famous Overtures 1997
Famous Overtures [Madacy] 2003
Favorite Classical Overtures 1992
Favorite Overtures
Favorite Overtures
Favorite Overtures, Vol. 1 1988
Fireworks 1997
Fritz Busch: His Complete Dresden Recordings [CD+DVD] 2008
Gallery of Classical Music [Box Set] 2005
Gallery of Classical Music: Dvorák & Smetana 2000
Gallery of Classical Music: Rimsky-Korsakov & Borodin 2000
Great Conductors 2007
Great Opera Overtures & Marches 1990
Highlights der Film Musik 2009
Janácek: Sinfonietta; Operatic Preludes; Weinberger: Schwanda the Bagpiper; Smetana: The Bartered Bride Overture 2009
Janácek: Sinfonietta; Weinberger: Schwanda the Bagpiper; Smetana: The Barter Bride Overture 2009
Karel Ancerl Conducts Celebrated Overtures 1999
Karel Ancerl Conducts the Czech Philharmonic
Karl Böhm 2007
Karl Böhm-The Dresden Years 1938-1940
Karl Böhm: The Dresden Years "The Opera Experience"
Meditations for All Seasons 2001
Meditations for Spring 2000
Menuhin Conducting Czech Music
Most Famous Overtures
Mozart: Concertos for piano No20; Smetana: Bartered Bride
Music for Your Star Sign: Pisces
Music of the Zodiac: Leo 1996
Opera Overtures
Opera Overtures & Incidental Music 1997
Opera for People Who Hate Opera 1994
Orchestral Lollipops
Overturas 2004
Overture
Overtures 1994
Overtures 1991
Overtures, The Greatest Hits
Prague--The City of Music
Prague-The City of Music 1990
Rhapsodies 1993
Rhapsodies 2004
Rhapsodies
Smetana, Mendelssohn and Dvorak
Smetana: Ma Vlast - Complete Orchestral Works
Smetana: Má Vlast, cycle of 6 symphonic poems; Bartered Bride
Smetana: The Bartered Bride Overture; Dvoràk: Symphony No. 8; Janácek: Sinfonietta 2001
Sounds of Excellence: 200 Greatest Classics, Vol. 2 2000
Stokowski's Stereo Collection (Remastered) 1997
Tchaikovsky 1812
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture; Music by Liszt, Dvorák, Weinberger, Smetana 2004
Tennstedt: Portrait of a Legend 2007
The 50 Greatest Overtures
The Art Of Sir Hamilton Harty 1995
The Best Of The Overtures 1995
The Best Overtures 1995
The Best Overtures 1995
The Best Overtures 2001
The Good Life: Famous Classical Overtures, Vol. 2 2005
The Heart Of Opera 1997
The Overtures Collection [Deluxe Edition]
The Overtures Collection, Vol. 2 1993
The Top 10 of Classical Music, 1854-1866 1998
The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music 1991
The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10
The Wedding Collection: Classical/Party/Love 2006
The World of Classic 1995
The World's Greatest Composers [Collector's Edition Music Tin] 2007
The World's Greatest Composers, Vol. 1 [Box Set] 2008
The World's Greatest Overtures (Box Set)
The World's Greatest Overtures, Vol. 2
The Yellow Guide-Classical Music
Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Box Set) 2001
Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Collectors Edition) 2001
Traum Klassik, Vol. 3
Trilogy: Classical Works of the Great Masters
Unforgettable Classics: Overtures 1997
Virtuoso Orchestra 1994
Virtuoso Orchestral Music 1994
Václav Neyumann in Rehearsal [DVD Video]
Walter: Maestro Generoso (Box Set) 2000
Walter: Maestro Generoso, Disc 3 2000
World's Greatest Overtures 1995
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
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