What is the subject of The Moldau?
What is the subject of The Moldau?
The second, Vltava (The Moldau), occupied him from November 20 through December 8—a span of nineteen days (he noted in his diary). Its subject is the Bohemian river that flows north through Prague on its way to join the Elbe, which in turn leads its waters to the North Sea.
What instruments are used in Vltava?
Strings, 2 flutes (plus piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, harp, timpani and percussion. Vltava (or Moldau) is the second of six symphonic poems written in the 1870s.
What is the story behind The Moldau?
A devoutly patriotic work, The Moldau captures in music Smetana’s love of his homeland. Completed in 1874 and first performed the following year, the piece constitutes the second movement of a six-movement suite, Má vlast (My Country), which premiered in its entirety in Prague on November 5, 1882.
Why was The Moldau banned?
When Hitler and the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, Czech symphonies played The Moldau as a protest against the German invasion until the Nazis banned all performances of The Moldau in the capital city of Prague in an attempt to break the Czech people’s independent spirit.
Who composed my fatherland?
Bedřich Smetana
Má vlast/Composers
Má vlast (Czech pronunciation: [maː vlast]), also known as My Fatherland, is a set of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879 by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.
Who wrote Vltava?
From My Fatherland (Symphonic Poems): The Moldau/Composers
It contains the famous symphonic poem “Vltava”, also popularly known by its German name “Die Moldau” (in English, “The Moldau”). Smetana was naturally gifted as a composer, and gave his first public performance at the age of 6.
What’s the meaning of tone poem?
symphonic poem
A tone poem a single-movement piece of descriptive orchestral music. The tone poem, or symphonic poem, is a work that wholeheartedly acknowledges that need.
What other music inspired The Moldau?
Smetana claimed to have created the Czech musical style. And unlike many other nationalistic composers, he did not limit his inspiration to indigenous folk music. Besides Liszt, he admired Chopin, Berlioz, Verdi, and Gounod among his non-German influences.
Why was The Moldau written?
Czech composer Bed˘rich Smetana (BED-rick SMET–ah-na) was inspired to write The Moldau by nature, memories of his personal adventures, and a deep love for his country. The work is named after an actual river that runs from a mountainside, through the Czech countryside, and into the city of Prague.
What is the political significance of The Moldau?
“The Moldau” represents an exceptional expression of patriotic or nationalistic music. The musical poem reflects the pride, oppression, and hope of the Bohemian people. Before World War 1 Bohemia, presently the Czech Republic, was ruled by the Austro- Hungarian Empire.
When was Ma Vlast composed?
1879
Má vlast/Composed
Where does the melody of the Vltava come from?
THE SOURCE OF THE VLTAVA. The melody is introduced by flutes 1 and 2. Through the intertwining of these two parts, a concept of flowing water is formed. The melodic line bases around the dominant (B) and tonic (E), sounding legato through the use of scalic passages and small steps.
Where does the Vltava River begin and end?
The Vltava swirls into the St John’s Rapids; then it widens and flows toward Prague, past the Vyšehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the distance, ending at the Labe (or Elbe, in German). Vltava contains Smetana’s most famous tune.
Where did Smetana come up with the idea of Vltava?
Great and unforgettable was the impression made on Smetana by our outing to Čenek’s sawmill in Hirschenstein, where the Křemelná joins the River Vydra. It was there that the first ideas for his majestic symphonic poem Vltava were born and took shape. Here he heard the gentle, poetic song of the two streams. He stood there, deep in thought.
What was the subject of Beethoven’s Second Symphony Vltava?
The second, Vltava (The Moldau), occupied him from November 20 through December 8—a span of nineteen days (he noted in his diary). Its subject is the Bohemian river that flows north through Prague on its way to join the Elbe, which in turn leads its waters to the North Sea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWm5GRfK2Fk