Bedrich Smetana & Asteroid 2047 Smetana - Jabkenice, Czech Republic - Extraterrestrial Locations on Waymarking.com

Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

Titled as “father of Czech music,” Bedrich Smetana was a famous Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style in Czech. His style of composing became closely identified with Czech’s aspirations for an independent statehood. He attained fame with his opera “The Bartered Bride” composed for the symphonic cycle Má vlast ("My Fatherland"). This opera depicts the legends, history, and landscape of Czech, his native land. Another composition, “First String Quartet From My Life” was also a great success and his fame spread across borders. A naturally gifted pianist, Smetana was deemed as a child prodigy who gave his first public performance at the age of six. Regarded as the most talented and popular musician Czech has ever had, Smetana enjoyed more reverence and popularity than his contemporaries. He was a highly passionate and strong willed individual who overcame all hurdles so far his musical career was concerned. Though often described as frail and unimpressive, he enjoyed a great fan following and was especially popular among females. Plagued by deafness and mental collapse, this great composer had faced tough times in his life. Last 9 years of his life he spent in in the age-old gamekeeper’s lodge in the village of Jabkenice not far from Mladá Boleslav, close to a large fenced game range surviving to this day with beautiful natural scenery. The lodge served as headquarters for the forestry office of the Thurn-Taxis princes who owned the dominion. Starting in 1875 the forester here was Josef Schwarz, the husband of Smetana’s oldest daughter Žofie. After losing his hearing, the composer moved here in 1876 and spent the final years of his life in this environment. In the gamekeeper’s lodge in Jabkenice he composed many of his most important works: the operas The Kiss (Hubicka), The Secret (Tajemství), and The Devil’s Wall (Certova stena), both of his string quartets, the piano cycles Dreams (Rêves) and Czech Dances (Ceské tance), and some choral works. He also completed here the cycle of symphonic poems titled My Country (Má vlast).
Behind the house, now Memorial of Bedrich Smetana, a statuary of this great composer is placed. Behind his statue there are sculpted scenes from his famous operas. Author of this statuary is famous Czech sculptor František Bílek.


Asteroid 2047 Smetana

2047 Smetana (1971 UA1) is an inner main-belt asteroid discovered on October 26, 1971 by L. Kohoutek at Bergedorf. It is a member of the Hungaria family.Photometric observations of this asteroid collected during 2006 show a rotation period of 2.4969 ± 0.0004 hours with a brightness variation of 0.12 ± 0.02 magnitude. However, the short period may instead indicate it is a binary asteroid.

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