# Smetana, The Bartered Bride, overture

Sustained fast fugal string writing at a tempo that leaves no margin. A stamina and clarity test.

## About the excerpt

- **Composer:** Bedřich Smetana

- **Work:** The Bartered Bride, overture

- **Era:** Romantic (c. 1820–1880)

- **Composed:** 1866

- **Clef:** Alto clef

- **Difficulty:** Audition

- **Audition list:** Standard excerpt

## Bowing

A short on-string stroke that stays identical for a long stretch, consistency is the difficulty, not the notes.

## Where it goes wrong

The entry has to be immediately in tempo and in character; there is no room to settle in.

Right-arm fatigue degrades the sound before accuracy fails. Practise the whole passage, not the opening.

## Techniques

overture, audition, fast, fugato, stamina

This public reference contains work information and original practice notes. It does not publish the excerpt notation or grant permission to copy a score. Score access and rights depend on the edition and jurisdiction.

## Related excerpts

- [Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/mendelssohn-midsummer-scherzo-viola), The viola benchmark for a light, fast, even stroke at a quiet dynamic. Appears on almost every audition list. Audition; Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Brahms: Haydn Variations, Variation VI](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/brahms-haydn-variations-viola), A standard Brahms viola excerpt testing rhythmic precision and a full sound in the middle register. Advanced; Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.
- [Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture, viola melody](https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/berlioz-roman-carnival-viola), The lyrical viola melody near the opening, one of the few moments in the repertoire where the section carries the tune outright. Advanced; Romantic; Alto clef. Standard audition excerpt.

Canonical source: https://arcosounds.com/repertoire/viola/smetana-bartered-bride-viola