Bedřich Smetana public success. Back in 1866, as the composer of "The Brandenburgers" with its overtones of German military aggression, Smetana thought he might be targeted by the invading Prussians, so he absented himself from Prague until hostilities ceased. He returned in September, and almost immediately achieved a long-standing ambition—appointment as principal conductor of the Provisional Theatre, at an annual salary of 1,200 gulden. In the absence of a body of suitable Czech opera, Smetana in his first season presented standard works by Weber, Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini and Glinka, with a revival of his own "Bartered Bride". The quality of Smetana's production
Bride of the Wind Bride of the Wind Bride of the Wind is a 2001 period drama directed by Academy Award-nominee Bruce Beresford and written by first-time screenwriter Marilyn Levy. Loosely based on the life of Alma Mahler, "Bride of the Wind" recounts Alma's marriage to the composer Gustav Mahler and her romantic liasions. The title of the film alludes to a painting by Oskar Kokoschka named "Die Windsbraut", literally meaning "The Bride of the Wind", though often translated as "The Tempest". The artist dedicated this painting to Alma Mahler. The film met a hostile reception from most critics and did poorly at the