Bedřich Smetana

He transformed Czech music into a confident voice of the nation and gave it a form that resonated with the world as well. The cycle Má vlast and the opera The Bartered Bride rank among the peaks of his work. Even the loss of his hearing in later years did not break his creative strength — it was precisely then that works full of emotion, drama, and beauty were created. He drew inspiration from the Czech landscape, history, and folk traditions, and to this day he remains a symbol of Czech culture.

Quotes

• I wanted to express in music what I feel for my homeland. ( 78 ×)
• Music is a language that knows no boundaries. ( 66 ×)
• Music is the most beautiful gift we have been given by God. ( 64 ×)
• A composer must be a child of his time. ( 58 ×)
• Music is the most beautiful language mankind possesses. ( 57 ×)
• Music is a language that does not need translation. ( 47 ×)