The Two Widows () is a two-act Czech opera by Bedà Âich Smetana based on the libretto of . The libretto is based on Jean Pierre Felicien Mallefille's one-act play Les deux veuves. The opera was composed between June 1873 and January 1874, and its premiere took place on 27 March 1874 at the Prague Czech Theatre under the direction of Smetana. However, this premiere was not successful and the opera was rewritten in 1874. The spoken dialogue was replaced by through-composed recitatives and some of the music and characters were reworked. The second premiere on 20 October 1874 was very successful. A further revised version was premiered on 17 March 1878, under Adolf ÃÂech.
For a later performance in Hamburg in 1882 "Smetena reluctan[t]ly added a trio in act 1 and an alternative ending to Aneà ¾ka's aria in act 2, and consented to a redivision of the opera into three acts".
The US premiere took place in New York on 23 October 1949 and it was first given in the UK on 17 June 1963 at the Guildhall School of Music.
Kurt Honolka provided a German version in 1958.
The opera was presented by Scottish Opera in 2008 at the Edinburgh Festival.
At the castle, people are celebrating. The two widows, Karolina and Aneà ¾ka, are sisters but are very different personalities. Karolina, the wealthy owner, is happy about her liberty and independence, while Aneà ¾ka cannot make friends because she is still in mourning. Karolina is being pursued by Ladislav, but does not want to marry him, so she conspires to make Aneà ¾ka fall in love with him. Karolina invites Ladislav to the castle, where he is arrested by Mumlal, the gamekeeper. Ladislav is condemned by Karolina to one day's house arrest in the castle, and accepts the punishment. Aneà ¾ka still shows no interest in him. At the end of the act, Lidka (Mumlal's daughter) and her suitor TonÃÂk, with the chorus, sing about love.
While in prison, Ladislav sings a love song, which awakens romantic feelings in Aneà ¾ka. However, learning of Karolina's scheme and Ladislav's confession, she will not show weakness. Only when Karolina begins to flirt with Ladislav does Aneà ¾ka admits her feelings for him. Mumlal cannot keep Lidka and TonÃÂk apart. At the ball, both couples become engaged.