This volume of Smetana?s piano works contains 3 early cycles from the years 1844 to 1849. At this time, the composer was studying music theory and composition with Josef Proksch, a teacher in Prague, and himself gave private piano lessons to the family of Prince Leopold Thun.The Bagatelles et impromptus are the result of the twentyyear- old?s fi rst foray into composing a cycle of pieces. The Six Morceaux caractéristiques op. 1, freer in form and technically more demanding, mark the beginning of Smetana?s artistic relationship with Franz Liszt, who recommended this work for publication (1851). Wedding scenes were composed as a present for the wedding of one of Smetana?s pupils, Maria Thun-Aehrenthal. The programmatic cycles are complemented by fi ve early polkas, which have remained popular up to this day.The musical text of the volume is based on the Complete Edition of Bedøich Smetana?s Piano Works and contains fi ngering and pedalling suggestions by the pianist and Smetana interpreter Jan Novotný.
