Out of Italian Gaetano Donizetti or Czech Bedřich Smetana, which opera composer lived and worked earlier?
Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (] ; 29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, Donizetti was a leading composer of the "bel canto" opera style during the first half of the nineteenth century. Donizetti's close association with the bel canto style was undoubtedly an influence on other composers such as Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901).
String Quartet No. 1 (Smetana) String Quartet No. 1 (""From My Life"", Czech: ""Z mého života"" ) in E minor, written in 1876, is a four-movement Romantic chamber composition by Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.