There was an occasion when Bedřich Smetana called his opera The Bartered Bride a play. He meant its lighter, comedy genre, which he understood as a kind of composition distraction, besides other great and serious projects. The work is characterized by its comedy poetics, but also the national idea and the idea of a music theatre supported by popular traditions. Four versions were needed for the composer to elaborate the typical popular comedy and create a specific Czech opera comedy.

Running time: 2 hrs 40 mins with one interval