Die Wiegenliedszene in Smetanas Oper Hubička
The Lullaby Scene in Smetana's Opera Hubička [The Kiss]

Summary/Abstract: An analysis of one particular scene from the opera Hubička verifies the validity (or merit) of the statement by Gustav Mahler, who compared the compositional masterpiece in the first act of Hubička to the first act of Wagner's Die Walküre [The Valkyrie]. The scene in which Vendulka puts the baby to sleep is embedded in the context of Smetana's other operas, where simple song forms are employed. Although Smetana used very simple musical acts connected to folklore, he managed to incorporate them in elaborate structures: in the case of the analysed scene, it is a two-part aria in the Italian bel-canto opera style.

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