Smetana B. - Early Piano Works

This volume of Smetana’s piano works contains 3 early cycles from the years 1844 to 1849. At this time, the composer was studying music theory and composition with Josef Proksch , a teacher in Prague, and himself gave private piano lessons to the family of Prince Leopold Thun.

The ‘Bagatelles et impromptus’ are the result of the twenty-year- old’s first foray into composing a cycle of pieces. The ‘ Six Morceaux caractéristiques ’ op. 1, freer in form and technically more demanding, mark the beginning of Smetana’s artistic relationship with Franz Liszt, who recommended this work for publication (1851). ‘ Wedding scenes’ were composed as a present for   the wedding of one of Smetana’s pupils, Maria Thun-Aehrenthal . The programmatic cycles are complemented by five early polkas, which have remained popular up to this day.

The musical text of the volume is based on the Complete Edition of Bedrich Smetana’s Piano Works and contains fingering and pedalling suggestions by the pianist and Smetana interpreter Jan Novotný.