Die Moldau from Má vlast
Bedrich Smetana
(b. March 2, 1824 in Litomyšl, Bohemia; d. May 12, 1884 in Prague)
Vltava ("The Moldau"), from Má vlast
A River's Journey
Smetana’s most beloved tone poem is a sonic travelogue of the Vltava river as it flows through the heart of the Bohemian countryside. Chosen for today’s Side-by-Side performance, it serves as a powerful metaphor for the flow of musical tradition. Just as the river gathers strength from its tributaries, the professional musicians of the CSO are joined today by the students of the CYS, swelling the orchestral sound to majestic proportions.
From Springs to Grandeur
The work begins with the "two springs" of the river—one warm, one cold—represented by the intertwining lines of flutes and clarinets. As the streams merge and the river travels toward Prague, Smetana paints a vivid series of scenes: the sounds of a forest hunt with ringing horns, a rustic peasant wedding (a polka), and a shimmering, moonlight dance of water nymphs. The river eventually crashes through the St. John’s Rapids before widening majestically as it flows past the Vyšehrad castle in Prague.
The Cycle: My Country
Vltava is the second of six symphonic poems that make up the monumental cycle Má vlast ("My Country"). While Vltava is the most famous, the cycle also includes Vyšehrad (The High Castle) and the dramatic, blood-soaked Šárka (No. 3), which tells the legend of the Maiden’s War. Though the six poems are thematically linked, they were written and premiered individually over a span of five years.
Triumph Over Silence
The composition of Vltava stands as a triumph of the human spirit. In the summer of 1874, Smetana began to notice a screeching in his ears; by October, he was completely deaf. Yet, he continued to compose, finishing Vltava in fewer than three weeks in late 1874. He never heard a note of the music that would become his nation's unofficial anthem. The work was premiered separately in Prague on April 4, 1875, seven years before the entire Má vlast cycle was finally performed as a complete set.
© 2026 by Steven Hollingsworth, Creative Commons Public Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Contact: steve@trecorde.net