SMETANA: Piano Works ('Let's Sing and Dance')

Xenia E. Zilli
Feb 5, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Apr 2

In this blog I am introducing (with great pleasure) - the lightweight sunshine-happy romantic piano works by Bedřich Smetana.

Bedřich Smetana's piano works could be be quite a discovery for those who know his music only through his orchestral works. It has certainly been so for me.

His piano works, possessing boundless romantic charm and melodious playfulness, is not of great difficulty, in fact, quite easy to read and play (and listen).

Smetana's piano miniatures are now seldom performed and even less often recorded, and this is such a shame. (I am still trying to find scores with some pieces that I would like to play.)

Extroverted, expressive, melodious, feathery and lyrical in character, inspired not only by simple and song-like melodies, but also irregularly stressed dance-rhythms (therefore the title), Smetana's romantic piano music is undoubtedly mood elevating, as a breath of fresh air, and equally attractive to perform as it is to listen.

I particularly like and recommend '6 Album Leaves Op. 2 JB 1:51', '4 Sketches Op. 4 JB 1:66', and '4 Sketches Op. 5 JB 1:67' which I intend to include in my performing repertoire. '4 Sketches Op, 4 and 5' the composer dedicated as per his words: “To Frau Clara Schumann in deepest admiration”.

You can listen to my selection of Smetana's best romantic piano works here (brilliantly performed by Jitka Čechová):

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0whnnLUmJ6IvWPdfAPem2G?si=7111465152d54f51

Charming music, isn't it ?

Let's wrap it all with the following lyrics, which describe the core nature of Smetana's piano works so well:

Let it be MUSIC and LIGHT,

let's sing and dance all night ...

Forget all sorrows,

let it all fade away,

forget tomorrow,

let's start living for today ...

~ Imagination