Fighting his increasing deafness and resultant depression, Smetana made a few small changes to Krásnohorská's original draft and delivered a full score to the New Czech Theatre on 4 August 1877, for the premiere in September.

[1] The opera was not as successful as Smetana had hoped; after its opening run, it was seen only a dozen more times during his lifetime and was unperformed for twenty years after that.

[1] Act I: We are in the square in the town of Bela, the followers of two rival councillors, Kalina and Malina, are praising their respective champion.

Malina and Kalina, egged on by their supporters, start to trade insults and curry favour by plying the old ballad singer Skrivánek with beer.

A rocky overhang is to one side of the stage, a broken down gate permits entry to a pathway which leads up to the ruined castle and monastery, with the spire of a church also visible.

Vitek and Blazenka enter the now-deserted spot and pour out their love for each other but they have been observed by Bonifac, who summons Roza, Kalina, Malina, everybody in the town, to witness the couple’s shame.

Yet even with threats of being disowned by their fathers, the couple, supported by the townspeople, is defiant and now Roza admonishes the two men for believing that true love cares for worldly goods.

Malina refuses to listen to Roza’s pleadings and vows he will only permit the marriage if Kalina comes to his house and begs him humbly.

And now the opportunist Bonifac seizes the moment to tell everyone that Kalina will never ever come to Malina’s house… for he has been lured by the promise of treasure, has disappeared, and the devil most likely has now taken possession of his soul.

He has come to thank Roza for her blessing and despite being disowned by his father, he declares he will chance his luck in the world but rich or poor he will return in a year and again ask for Blazenka’s hand.

Bonifac takes the opportunity to ask Malina to allow Vit and Blazenka to wed, while also pressing his own suit to marry Roza.

Bonifac and Skrivanek are urged to sing to lighten the mood and they strike up a song about Friar Barnabas but it is interrupted by a furious rattling of the oven door and all except Roza rush out of the room, terrified.