Smetana Festival

Czech birth opera as a great listening experience

The Renaissance chateau in Litomyšl, East Bohemia, where Bedřich Smetana was born.

(Bild: Smetanas Litomysl / Frantisek Renza )

Musical event for Bedřich Smetana's 200th birthday: Jakub Hrůša conducted a magnificent concert performance of his opera "Libuše" in his birthplace Litomyšl.

"My beloved Czech nation will not perish, it will gloriously survive the hells of terror." So proclaims Princess Libuše (Libussa), the mythical progenitor of all Czechs, at the end of Bedřich Smetana's opera of the same name. In our part of the world, we know little more of him than "Die Moldau" and "Die verkaufte Braut".

Kateřina Kněžíková sang a sensational Libuše

(Bild: Smetanas Litomyšl Frantisek Renza)

Just like now in the 10,000-strong community of Litomyšl (Leitomischl) in Eastern Bohemia. A magnificent Renaissance castle towers over the village. Smetana was born in 1824, the son of the master brewer, in the farm wing where the beer barrels were once stored.

Jakub Hrůša at the podium of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

(Bild: Smetanas Litomysl / Frantisek Renza)

But his "Libuše", the legend of the birth of the Czech Republic, is considered a virtual shrine in his homeland. It was to be played at the coronation of Franz Joseph I as King of Bohemia. But he was not in the mood for festivities. So it was used to open Prague's National Theatre in 1881. "Libuše" remained the piece for big occasions.

The Smetana statue on the main square in Litomyšl

(Bild: Stefan Musil)

In 1949, one of his operas was performed in the castle gardens for the first time. This gave rise to the "Smetanas Litomyšl" festival, which is celebrating the composer in a big way this year in its 66th year. All eight of his operas are on the program until 6 July, as well as concerts, a total of 51 programs. What usually takes place as open-air performances in the castle's arcaded courtyard had to be moved to the sports hall again this year. The castle is currently being restored and should be ready in time for 2025.

Adam Plachetka as Přemysl

(Bild: Smetanas Litomysl / Frantisek Renza)

The performance of "Libuše" has just become a real highlight. Under Jakub Hrůša, regular guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic and future chief conductor of London's Covent Garden, we experienced a rousing concertante performance.

Despite a great deal of pathos, the splendid Czech Philharmonic Orchestra succeeded in demonstrating how modern, original and imaginative Smetana's compositions are. The all-Czech cast was completely magnificent, with Kateřina Kněžíková's warm and immensely powerful Libuše and her husband Adam Plachetka as the pithy Přemysl. The emperor would certainly have been pleased.