There is broad agreement among most commentators that Smetana created a canon of Czech opera where none had previously existed, and that he developed a style of music in all his compositions that equated with the emergent Czech national spirit.
Der er bred enighed blandt de fleste kommentatorer om, at Smetana skabte en tjekkisk operakanon i et tomrum, og om at han udviklede en musikalsk stil i alle sine kompositioner, der udtrykte den frembrydende nationale ånd i Tjekkiet.