Page:The music of Bohemia.djvu/39

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THE MUSIC OF BOHEMIA

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est works. The high spiritual plane of his life as it touched the personal and the accidental is revealed in the charming string quartet "From my Life."^[1]

"My quartet," says Smetana, "is not merely formal playing with the tones and motifs, to show off the composer's skill; but it is the real picture of my life. The tone sounding for a long time in the Finale is that whis-

↑ When Liszt heard this composition in Weimar he remarked: "There is nothing to be said. It is very, very beautiful. We really enjoyed your wonderful quartet." In this connection it may be interesting to note the following anecdote about Smetana and Liszt, who were great friends. On one occasion Liszt introduced Smetana to his German friends, who naturally pronounced his name with a wrong accent, as the English would do. Liszt corrected them with a clever musical joke, using two motifs from Beethoven's Leonore and Fidelio overtures; the first, pointing out the correct accent on the first syllable:

${ \key e \major \time 2/2 \relative c' { \autoBeamOff e4. b8 b4 r4 | gis'4. e8 e4 r4 | b'4. gis8 gis4 e'4 | dis4 r4 r2 \bar "||" } \addlyrics { \override Lyrics.LyricText.font-shape = #'italic Sme -- ta -- na, Sme -- ta -- na, Sme -- ta -- na am I! } }$

The other pointing out the wrong accent on the second syllable.

${ \time 2/2 \relative c' { c4^$ e2 g4 | a2. g4$ } \addlyrics { \override Lyrics.LyricText.font-shape = #'italic Sme -- ta -- na } }$

[1] When Liszt heard this composition in Weimar he remarked: "There is nothing to be said. It is very, very beautiful. We really enjoyed your wonderful quartet." In this connection it may be interesting to note the following anecdote about Smetana and Liszt, who were great friends. On one occasion Liszt introduced Smetana to his German friends, who naturally pronounced his name with a wrong accent, as the English would do. Liszt corrected them with a clever musical joke, using two motifs from Beethoven's Leonore and Fidelio overtures; the first, pointing out the correct accent on the first syllable:

${ \key e \major \time 2/2 \relative c' { \autoBeamOff e4. b8 b4 r4 | gis'4. e8 e4 r4 | b'4. gis8 gis4 e'4 | dis4 r4 r2 \bar "||" } \addlyrics { \override Lyrics.LyricText.font-shape = #'italic Sme -- ta -- na, Sme -- ta -- na, Sme -- ta -- na am I! } }$

The other pointing out the wrong accent on the second syllable.

${ \time 2/2 \relative c' { c4^\( e2 g4 | a2. g4\) } \addlyrics { \override Lyrics.LyricText.font-shape = #'italic Sme -- ta -- na } }$

[1]

Page:The music of Bohemia.djvu/39

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