Page "The Bartered Bride" Paragraph 8

As early as October 1862, well before the arrival of any libretto or plot sketch, Smetana had noted down 16 bars which later became the theme of The Bartered Bride's opening chorus.

In May 1863 he sketched eight bars which he eventually used in the love duet " Faithful love can't be marred ", and later that summer, while still awaiting Sabina's revised libretto, he wrote the theme of the comic number " We'll make a pretty little thing ".

He also produced a piano version of the entire overture, which was performed in a public concert on 18 November.

In this, he departed from his normal practice of leaving the overture until last.