Smetana was hurt by this remark, which he felt downgraded his opera to operetta status, and was convinced that press hostility had been generated by a former adversary, the Russian composer Mily Balakirev.
Smetana blev såret over det og følte, at hans opera var blevet nedgraderet til operette; han var overbevist om, at pressens fjendtlighed blev genereret af en tidligere modstander, den russiske komponist Milij Balakirev.