Bedřich Smetana Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Bagatelle and Impromptu, Op. 6Bedřich Smetana22rank/position

B. Smetana – Bagatelles et Impromptus, JB 1:19 (Sekera)

The piano piece Bagatelles and Impromptus, Op.

6 by Bedřich Smetana, the composer regarded as the founder of the Czech national school, is one of the most popular among Smetana’s early piano works.

Consisting of eight short pieces, each portrays a specific emotion or state, and the set is said to represent the composer’s attempts to express the fluctuations of his romantic feelings in musical form.

Performing this work, with its emotionally rich melodies and beautiful harmonies, offers a glimpse into Smetana’s warmly human character.

Piano Sonata in G minorBedřich Smetana23rank/position

Bedřich Smetana – Piano Sonata in G minor (1846)

Composed in 1846 by Bedřich Smetana, the father of the Czech national school, the Piano Sonata in G Minor is known as one of his important early works.

Consisting of four movements, this sonata is an ambitious piece brimming with the young Smetana’s musical talent and passion.

The virtuosic passages in the final movement, in particular, are overwhelming to the listener and showcase Smetana’s prowess as a pianist.

Deeply infused with the composer’s personal emotions, the work is a masterpiece that combines the rich expressiveness of Romantic music with formal beauty.

Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15Bedřich Smetana24rank/position

Bedřich Smetana – Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15

The great Czech composer Bedřich Smetana not only excelled in opera and orchestral music, but was also an accomplished pianist who left behind numerous beautiful piano works.

Among them, his Piano Trio in G minor, Op.

15—into which Smetana poured his grief over the loss of his daughter—is a profoundly moving masterpiece filled with pain, sorrow, and fierce passion.

Strongly reflecting the characteristics of Romantic music, this work resonates deeply with listeners.

It is a gem I highly recommend not only to those already familiar with classical music, but also to first-time listeners.

Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15Bedřich Smetana25rank/position

Smetana: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15 – Harriet Krijgh & Friends – Live Classical Concert HD

A work composed by Smetana imbued with the sorrow of losing his beloved eldest daughter.

The timbres woven by piano, violin, and cello express profound grief, passion, and hope.

In the first movement, the violin in its lower register plays a plaintive melody; the second movement, in scherzo form, interweaves lightness with melancholy.

The third movement alternates a fierce tarantella-like main theme with a consoling secondary theme, concluding on a bright note.

Premiered in Prague on November 3, 1855, it has been highly regarded as a forerunner of Czech national Romantic music.

As a deeply moving masterpiece, it continues to be cherished by many to this day.

Memories of Bohemia in Polka Form, Op. 12 No. 1Bedřich Smetana26rank/position

Live From The Factory Floor: Smetana Memories of Bohemia, Polkas Op 12 No1 in A moll, Mari Kodama

A solo piano piece that adopts the form of the polka, a Czech national dance.

While light and rhythmic, it also conveys lyricism and depth.

Its distinctive, wistful melodies evoke the beautiful landscapes of Bohemia and the lives of its people.

Composed between 1859 and 1860 and published in Prague in 1863, the work fuses elements of Czech folk music with characteristics of Romantic music.

Cherished within 19th-century salon culture, it helped popularize the charm of the polka.

Infused with love for the homeland and respect for folk music, it is a piece that reflects the rich tradition of Czech music.

Macbeth and the WitchesBedřich Smetana27rank/position

B. Smetana – Macbeth and the Witches, JB 1:75 (Maxián)

Bedřich Smetana, a Czech composer, is hailed as the founder of the Czech national school and made major contributions to the development of his homeland’s music and culture.

His 1859 piano piece Macbeth and the Witches depicts a scene from Shakespeare’s masterpiece Macbeth and, as part of Smetana’s creative output, contributed to shaping Czech cultural identity.

In this work, Smetana superbly conveys the tension and mystery of the scene in which Macbeth receives prophecies about his fate from the witches.

Note by note, the piece evokes Macbeth’s heavy destiny and the supernatural forces surrounding him, making it a romantic and dramatic work.

rondoBedřich Smetana28rank/position

Smetana: Rondo pf. Sanae Konno; pf. Harumi Sugo; pf. Noriko Fujishiro; pf. Masako Takagi

Bedřich Smetana, the national composer of the Czech Republic, was in fact also an outstanding pianist, and he left behind piano works that shine with brilliant technique and expressive power.

The Rondo for two pianos, eight hands is a piece characterized by its dynamic, rhythmic nature.

It overflows with lively, cheerful melodies, musically expressing Smetana’s patriotism and his feelings for his homeland.

His works often adopt themes rooted in Czech landscapes and history, and this piece can be understood in that context as well.

It is recommended not only for lovers of classical music but also for those interested in piano ensemble.