(January 2023) Episode 543 is BEDŘICH SMETANA. I began this episode when I was in the Czech Republic, where he is one of their national musical heroes. He lived and composed in the mid-19th century at a time of national awakening. Harvesting local folk themes, Smetana’s music became both an expression of and inspiration for Czech (Bohemian) nationalism within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His compositions had a balanced range from opera to orchestral to chamber to piano. They are firmly in the Romantic style which, to be honest, I am finding rather tedious as I slog through this project. He may be the last Romantic composer I get to for a long while.
Favorite piece (orchestral): Má Vlast
Favorite chamber piece: Piano Trio
Favorite Opera: The Bartered Bride
Favorite solo piano piece: Czech Peasants’ Festival (La fête des paysans bohémiens)
Compared to expectations: same
Recommendation: It’s … fine. But all Romantic composers now sound the same to me.
Opus Project 
Same to me with those Romantic composers. They are all ‘nice enough’ but usually little edge or mysterious beauty. Maybe a trained musician/composer can actually analyze why this is the case. I am sure in the day, since there is no radio or recordings, folks thought how wonderful it was but now since we can compare pieces, it just seems…boring.
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