Which opera by Bedřich Smetana is known in English as The Bartered Bride?

Bedřich Smetana’s opera known in English as The Bartered Bride is titled Prodaná nevěsta in Czech.

The comic opera premiered at the Provisional Theatre in Prague on 30 May 1866. Karel Sabina wrote the Czech libretto. The story follows Mařenka and Jeník, whose love is complicated by an arranged marriage, financial bargaining, and mistaken identity.

Smetana originally conceived the work as a two-act opera with spoken dialogue. He later revised it several times, expanding the score and changing the structure. The final version includes lively dances, including a polka and a furiant, helping establish the opera’s strong Czech national character.

The title can sound like a literal trafficking story, but “bartered” refers to the comic marriage negotiations surrounding Mařenka. The opera became Smetana’s best-known stage work and an important part of the Czech repertory. Its English title is widely used internationally, while Prodaná nevěsta remains the canonical original-language title.