polka

A lively Czech dance in 2/4 time originating in Bohemia around 1830. The polka became the most internationally popular dance of the mid-19th century. For Smetana it was the quintessential Czech form — he composed polkas throughout his career, from early salon pieces to the grand concert polkas of Czech Dances I and the operatic dances. The word is thought to derive from the Czech 'půlka' (half-step), referring to the characteristic hop on the upbeat.

Smetana's polkas range from intimate salon pieces to demanding concert works. In the early salon and poetic polkas (Opp. 7, 8), keep the texture light and the character dance-like without being mechanical. In the concert polkas of Czech Dances I (1877), the polka is a fully developed recital piece requiring full virtuosity. The characteristic 'hop' upbeat should be present but not exaggerated.