BEDŘICH SMETANA
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OVERVIEW
 Smetana
 Family
 Compositions
 Ma Vlast
 Ma Vlast highlights
 The Moldau
 Listening Guide
 Bibliography
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BEDŘICH SMETANA

Born: March 2, 1824, Litomyšl,
Czech
Republic

Composed Má vlast, some say most
famous piece in modern society.

regarded his homeland, the Czech
Republic as his Father

Started a Piano Institute in late August
1848

Struggled with loss of hearing and mental
illness

Died in May of 1844
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FAMILY
 Father František Smetana, brewer, violinist
 Mother Barbora Lynková
 Katerina Kolářová- Wife
 Children 4 daughters, 3 died in infancy
 Second wife Bettina Ferdinandova
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SOME OF BEDŘICH SMETANA’S MORE
POPULAR COMPOSITIONS
Year
1874-1879
Title
Má vlast
1865
The Bartered Bride
1863
The Brandenburgers in
Bohemia
1868
Dalibor
1877
Tajemství
1875
Hubička
1870
Libuše
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MÁ VLAST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdtLuyWuPDs
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MÁ VLAST HIGHLIGHTS
 Meaning "My country/homeland"
 Actually six symphonic poems together
 Composed between 1874-1879
 six pieces were conceived as individual works
 Each poem depicts some aspect of the countryside, history, or legends of Bohemia
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THE MOLDAU
 Composed between 20 November and 8 December
1874
 Second in six part
 No lyrics
 A homage to his home country
 The Moldau premiered in Prague on April 4, 1875
 Appearances in modern culture include:
 “The Tree Of Life”
 “Kotsch”
 “Tiny Toon Adventures”
 “Tabu: A Story of the South Seas.”
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
 GENRE: Symphonic poem, taken
from the whole piece titled My Country
0:00 Introduction
or (Má vlast)
Flutes start the introduction of The Moldau section of Ma Vlast. The two
flutes are used to represent a bubbling spring that join together. The tempo is
rather fast in this introduction. The music is a steady piano, soft dynamic
Though the tempo begins a building crescendo that you almost feel if you
close your eyes and picture the river starting at its source, bubbling from the
springs
 Allegro commodo (moderately fast)
 Instrumentation: Instrumentation:
piccolo, flutes , oboes, clarinet,
bassoons, French horns, trumpets,
trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum,
0:30 Intro Continued
Flutes continue, the volume is at a piano. Harps and clarinets join making the
piece seem to speed up, thus making the listener believe that the river is slowly
building and its speed increasing. He is able to do this by making the rhythm
speed up, the tempo quickens with the above added instruments
triangle, cymbals, harp, strings
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
1:06 Chorus
In this piece the chorus is the also known as the “river.” Violins are added to
the theme in a minor key. Here, again the chorus is in a piano or soft dynamic
with a building crescendo. The chorus is dominated by strings. The pitch
fluctuates between crescendos and decrescendo or diminuendos, eventually
with a decrescendo ending the chorus. This chorus is called the river because
it is the main focus of the entire piece, the journey down the river; yes we see
many different things throughout the trip but one thing is constant, the river.
1:39 Bridge
The river is building and getting wider as is reflected by the violins, clarinets
and flutes all play together with the continued crescendo followed by the
diminuendos. Strings are in the minor with low strings.
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
2:00 Chorus continued
At this point of the chorus, the crescendo has peaked and the energy is at a
high point of the piece. I would say the volume is at a mezzo-forte now, it’s
loudest so far.
Violins continue to again have a crescendo followed by a diminuendo. The
chorus is repeating itself, intentionally. Swirling sixteenth notes act as
accompaniment, adding to the depth of the river
3:00 Forest Hunt
French horns and trumpets begin to play at a forte. Strings are added with
running notes. The volume is raised through a rapid crescendo to a fortissimo
level. Pitch is lower but fluctuates with the help of the strings in the
background of the song. Melody has changed from the introduction and
chorus
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
4:00 Peasant Wedding
Strings are playing at a forte or loud
volume. The songs dynamic has
totally changed now. Again we have a
building crescendo, but the strings
and triangle have made the song feel
more like a dance or polka now.
3:30 Forest Hunt Continued
The dynamics change as the strings take over dominance from the horns at
this time in the piece. The horns and trumpets have faded and are now only
heard in the background. We close this section at a pianississimo
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
4:30 Peasant Wedding Continued
The piece is at the peak of its crescendo at this section. Strings are still playing
at a piano volume with a triangle playing in the background. Song dynamic
has dropped to a pianississimo. Instruments are barely audible towards the
end.
5:19 Moonlight dance of water nymphs
Woodwinds playing sustained notes at a pianissimo or soft tone. Flutes enter
playing running notes at a louder piano. Rhythm is at its slowest pace of the
piece so far, but the beat starts to fasten as we have a crescendo
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
5:50 Moonlight dance continued
Violins enter at a pianissimo; the melody is a legato with flutes and harps
accompanying violins. Rhythm has slowed to a longer more drawn out tempo.
Tempo is steadiest, no real crescendo to find
6:35 Moonlight dance continued
Violins, harp, woodwind and flute are all playing. A subtle crescendo starts as
the brass enters at a pianissimo. Throughout the moonlight dance section, you
feel as if you are a fairy or something light and magical dancing across the
river.
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
7:10 Moonlight dance continued
The piece is in the middle of a
crescendo. Woodwinds are playing
running notes. Rhythm is much faster
with the woodwinds playing. You can
sense that the music is about to make a
transition back into its chorus.
7:59 The River (chorus)
Violins playing river theme for the chorus again. A running note
accompaniment in strings. Here, again the chorus is in a piano or soft
dynamic with a building crescendo. The chorus is dominated by strings. The
pitch fluctuates between crescendos and decrescendo or diminuendos,
eventually with a decrescendo ending the chorus.
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
8:40 The Rapids
All instruments are now playing or a
full orchestra. With all the instruments
playing the theme is the fast, swift
rapids. Fortissimo volume peaks.
Piccolo playing with cymbals crashing.
Strings playing at a pianissimo, with a
quick crescendo
9:30 The Rapids Continued
Ascending minor scales alternate in the low brass and low strings in fortissimo.
Jagged,
piercing arpeggios in the piccolos. Both have dissonant chords. Timpani
rolls and cymbal crashing together insinuate that the river is getting faster and
very swift.
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
10:00 The Rapids Continue
River is at its fastest, swiftest point. A full orchestra begins to play again, still
at a fortissimo. Gradual shortening of the phrase lengths adds to building
intensity.
10:40 Chorus
The chorus has returned but is now being played in a
faster, accelerated way. It is now being played in a major.
Also being played at another fortissimo, the loudest the
chorus has been played so far. This is supposed to be the
most powerful part of the river.
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
11:10 Ancient Castle
The river is now passing the castle Vysehrad. Melody is filled by brass and is
harmonized by full brass section. Tempo is now broad while still at a
fortissimo
11:30 Ancient Castle Continued
River continues to pass the castle. Violins and harps play.
Smaller yet noticeable crescendos build and slowly
decrescendo. We are nearing the ending of the piece and
the artist has made this apparent. It is as if the river is
starting to calm again as we are closing.
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LISTENING GUIDE
THE MOLDAU
12:01 Coda- Ending
The river is starting to disappear into the distance. The final decrescendo is
made here, playing at a pianissimo. Full orchestra for the chords play the
ending piece in a fortissimo. The river is no more and we have ended our
journey, our trip of the river through the countryside and its many changes.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Roger Kamien, “An Appreciation of Music”
 CD # 3 included in text, “An Appreciation of Music”
 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1666110/The-Moldau
 http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/kamien/student/olc/61.htm
 http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/4107/4206309/pdfs/Ch_10.pdf
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1_vlast
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