Smetana’s greatest work is the series of six orchestral national symphonic poems entitled Ma Vlast, which is translated as My Country. For this term paper, we will be looking at the second poem from the set, Vlatava (the Moldau). This piece depicts the journey of the Czech river from its source until it reaches the city of Prague. The River Moldau is a poetic symbol of the composers’ beloved native homeland, Bohemia. It is so beautifully composed that listeners are actually able to imagine the scenic beauty of the country’s landscape just by listening to the composition. He also included some folk elements such as the polka dance in the wedding. At the beginning of the piece, listeners can imagine the rippling figure of the two springs from the hills from the running notes by the flutes and clarinets. The lower strings then join in later on and lead the music into the river where the songlike river theme is heard in a minor key. Repeated notes in the strings (Figure 1) are heard, indicating a rustic folk tune while depicting a peasant wedding feast where the people are dancing the polka which is a Bohemian dance by the river
Smetana’s greatest work is the series of six orchestral national symphonic poems entitled Ma Vlast, which is translated as My Country. For this term paper, we will be looking at the second poem from the set, Vlatava (the Moldau). This piece depicts the journey of the Czech river from its source until it reaches the city of Prague. The River Moldau is a poetic symbol of the composers’ beloved native homeland, Bohemia. It is so beautifully composed that listeners are actually able to imagine the scenic beauty of the country’s landscape just by listening to the composition. He also included some folk elements such as the polka dance in the wedding. At the beginning of the piece, listeners can imagine the rippling figure of the two springs from the hills from the running notes by the flutes and clarinets. The lower strings then join in later on and lead the music into the river where the songlike river theme is heard in a minor key. Repeated notes in the strings (Figure 1) are heard, indicating a rustic folk tune while depicting a peasant wedding feast where the people are dancing the polka which is a Bohemian dance by the river