The Bartered Bride and musical characterisations, and paid particular tribute to "Mr. Mahler", whose master hand was in evidence throughout. Mahler chose to play the overture between acts 1 and 2, so that latecomers might hear it. The opera was performed more than one hundred times during Smetana's lifetime (the first Czech opera to reach this landmark), subsequently becoming a permanent feature of the National Theatre's repertory. On 9 May 1945 a special performance in memory of the victims of World War II was given at the theatre, four days after the last significant fighting in Europe. In the years since its American
Matus Tomko Dvorak International Vocal Competition in opera singing in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. As a principal soloist at the State Theatre in Kosice he has sung many roles of the world repertoire (Brander in Faust, Mícha – in the Bartered Bride, Samuel Ribbing in Un Ballo in Maschera by G. Verdi, Marchese d'Obigny in La Traviata by G. Verdi, Masetto in Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart, captain Zuniga in Carmen by G. Bizet, etc.). In 2009, he performed the role of Jan (John) in the worldwide premiere of the original Slovak opera - Šavol (Saul) of which the music was