Smetana Reborn – The Piano Version of My Country

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Bedřich Smetana, Jindřich Kàan z Albestů
Má vlast

In 2026, we will commemorate 100 years since the death of Jindřich Kàan of Albesty, a versatile musician whose legacy has been somewhat lost in time. A significant portion of Kàan’s work involves transcriptions of works by other composers. In this regard, his transcription of Smetana’s cycle My Country for solo piano stands out. While Smetana’s arrangement for four-hand piano is well-known and frequently performed, the opposite is true of Kàan ‘s version. It is practically unknown and performed only very rarely; according to available sources, it had never been performed at all until I prepared it for music-loving listeners. Musically, it is a very successful piece, albeit technically and expressively extremely demanding. Kàan’s arrangement is comparable to Franz Liszt’s most successful transcriptions, and in places even surpasses them.

I cordially invite you on March 9, 2026, to the Antonín Dvořák Concert Hall at the House of Music, where Bedřich Smetana’s legendary My Country will be performed in a single evening in a phenomenal arrangement by Jindřich Kàan.
Matyáš Novák

Matyáš Novák: klavír / piano