Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer of the Romantic era and is considered the founder of Czech national music. Best known for his symphonic cycle Má vlast and the comic opera The Bartered Bride, Smetana infused his works with the rhythms and spirit of Czech folk music. Despite losing his hearing later in life, he continued to compose and is remembered as one of the central figures in the musical identity of Bohemia.

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