Why was The Moldau banned? After the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, many Czech symphony orchestras started to play 'The Moldau' as a sign of protest to the occupation. As a consequence, in an attempt to break the spirit of independence and resistance among the people, Nazis banned the performance of the symphonic poem.
What is the meaning of the Moldau?
Learn More. The Moldau. Written By: The Moldau , Czech Vltava, symphonic poem by Bohemian composer Bedřich Smetana that evokes the flow of the Vltava River—or, in German, the Moldau—from its source in the mountains of the Bohemian Forest, through the Czech countryside, to the city of Prague.
What is the meaning of the Moldau by Bedřich Smetana?
The Moldau , Czech Vltava, symphonic poem by Bohemian composer Bedřich Smetana that evokes the flow of the Vltava River —or, in German, the Moldau—from its source in the mountains of the Bohemian Forest, through the Czech countryside, to the city of Prague. A devoutly patriotic work, The Moldau captures in music Smetana’s...
When was the Moldau composed?
Updated: 12/29/2021 The Moldau is a symphonic poem composed in 1874 by the 19th-century composer Bedrich Smetana The Moldau. This composition is called Vltava in Czech and Die Moldau in German. The Smetana Moldau symphonic poem portrays the movement of the Vltava or Moldau River through sound.
Why is Vltava called the Moldau in Germany?
Given his efforts to create a music free of German dominance, it seems almost an insult to Smetana’s memory that his internationally most popular piece, Vltava, has become almost universally known by the German name for the river: Moldau. Smetana’s deafness and “The Moldau” / David Nelson, In Mozart’s Footsteps.
When was the Moldau performed?
What is the name of the movement that Smetana composed?
What is the name of the piece that Smetana conceived of?
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What is the story behind The Moldau?
The Moldau specifically was intended to evoke the sounds of one of Bohemia's great rivers – the Vltava river. The “Moldau” name comes from the German name for the source of the river in the Bohemian mountains.
Why was The Moldau important?
"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 The Moldau composed?
Má vlast was composed over a period five years: Vysehrad and Vltava (Moldau in German) in 1874, Sarka and From Bohemia's Woods and Fields in 1875, Tábor and Blaník in the winter of 1878/79.
What is the form of The Moldau?
�The Moldau,� is the second of six tone-poems in the collection Smetana titled Ma Vlast (My Fatherland). A tone-poem, also referred to as a symphonic poem, is a one movement orchestral work that communicates one unifying extra-musical idea.
What does The Moldau depicts?
The Moldau , Czech Vltava, symphonic poem by Bohemian composer Bedřich Smetana that evokes the flow of the Vltava River—or, in German, the Moldau—from its source in the mountains of the Bohemian Forest, through the Czech countryside, to the city of Prague.
What instruments were used in The Moldau?
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 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.
What is Smetana most famous piece?
Beyond Czech-speaking countries Smetana is best known for his cycle of six orchestral tone poems, Má vlast ('My Country'), especially 'Vltava', his depiction of the river that flows through Prague. In the Czech Republic, he is widely regarded as the father of Czech musical nationalism.
What key is The Moldau in?
E minorFrom My Fatherland (Symphonic Poems): The Moldau / KeyVltava, also known by its English title The Moldau, and the German Die Moldau, was composed between 20 November and 8 December 1874 and was premiered on 4 April 1875 under Adolf Čech. It is about 13 minutes long, and is in the key of E minor.
Is The Moldau a river?
Vltava River, German Moldau, river, the longest in the Czech Republic, flowing 270 miles (435 km). Its drainage basin is 10,847 square miles (28,093 square km). The river rises in southwestern Bohemia from two headstreams in the Bohemian Forest, the Teplá Vltava and the Studená Vltava.
Did Smetana become deaf?
Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884) Having had fairly normal hearing most of his life, he lost the ability to hear in his left ear in September 1874, and just one month later, the right ear had gone as well. Imagine Smetana, 50 years old, at the height of his popularity, and now completely deaf.
Who composed The Moldau?
Bedřich SmetanaFrom My Fatherland (Symphonic Poems): The Moldau / ComposerBedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival." He has been regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music. Wikipedia
How do you pronounce Moldau?
0:051:00How To Say Moldau - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBoudou boudou boudou boudou boudou boudou.MoreBoudou boudou boudou boudou boudou boudou.
Who composed the Moldau?
Bedřich SmetanaFrom My Fatherland (Symphonic Poems): The Moldau / ComposerBedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival." He has been regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music. Wikipedia
Where is the Moldau?
the Czech RepublicVltava River, German Moldau, river, the longest in the Czech Republic, flowing 270 miles (435 km). Its drainage basin is 10,847 square miles (28,093 square km). The river rises in southwestern Bohemia from two headstreams in the Bohemian Forest, the Teplá Vltava and the Studená Vltava.
What does Smetana's The Moldau represent?
The symphonic poem The Moldau portrays the Vltava River's movement in sound. The river is also known as the Moldau, from the mountains in the Boh...
What is the story of The Moldau?
Bedrich Smetana composed The Moldau as one of six symphonic poems in the cycle Má vlast ( My Country ), which he envisioned as a musical portra...
Why was The Moldau banned?
Czech orchestras played The Moldau to protest the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia from 1939. Nazis banned its performance from countering this...
The Moldau Analysis | PDF | String Instruments | Elements Of Music - Scribd
Monday, 26 November 2012. The Moldau Analysis The Moldau (originally Vlatava), written by Czechoslovakian Romantic music composer Bedich Smetana in 1874 (shortly after he became deaf), is, according to Machlis and Forney (1999, p. 123), one of Smetanas finest programmatic orchestral works.
The Moldau (Vltava) - Bedrich Smetana - AS Music Composition Diary
The Moldau (also known by its Czech name, Vltava) is a piece of Romantic Classical music that was written by the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana in 1874.It is the second part in a series of six symphonic poems entitled Má vlast (My Homeland) which is dedicated to various aspects of Bohemian culture. The other five pieces within the set are entitled Vyšehrad (The High Castle), Šárka, which ...
When was the Moldau performed?
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.
What is the name of the movement that Smetana composed?
Courtesy of the Royal College of Music, London. Má vlast ultimately became Smetana’s most enduring composition, and of its movements, the second, The Moldau, has remained the most popular. The movement starts with light, rippling figures that represent the emergence of the Moldau River as two mountain springs, one warm and one cold.
What is the name of the piece that Smetana conceived of?
Smetana conceived of a series of orchestral pieces with topics drawn from the legends and landscapes of his homeland, what he called “musical pictures of Czech glories and defeats.”. It took the better part of the 1870s for the composer to bring the idea to full fruition as Má vlast.
Who wrote the Moldau?
Vltava (The Moldau) by Bedřich Smetana. Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) is remembered chiefly as a Czech nationalistic composer. His nationalism expressed itself above all in his operas, but he also wrote symphonic tone poems after the example of Franz Liszt. One of them, The Moldau, has become a beloved part of the international orchestral repertoire.
What was the first taste of Czech nationalism?
These groups all wanted to become independent nations and independent cultures. In fact, Smetana’ s first taste of Czech nationalism came in the revolutionary year of 1848.
What is the theme of Smetana?
Besides the river theme, Smetana depicts both the calmness of the moonlit river and its exciting rapids. The river flows past Vyšehrad. So Smetana quotes its main theme before the Vltava empties into the Elbe at Mělník.
Where is the Vltava?
Vltava. Vyšehrad Castle in Prague as seen over the Vltava. Smetana composed Vyšehrad, the first piece in Má Vlast, in 1874 in tribute to a historic castle in Prague. Shortly before he completed it, he began to go deaf. His deafness didn’t leave him with a life without sound, however.
Who was Smetana's friend?
Only then could they get a serious hearing for their native music. Smetana became friends with Franz Liszt, one of the earliest composers to suggest alternatives to German compositional techniques.
Did Smetana know his calling?
While visiting Liszt, he heard a conductor say that while many Czechs were gifted musicians, none composed original music. At that moment, Smetana knew his calling.
Why was the Moldau concert banned?
In 1941 the Nazis banned all performances of Moldau in Prague to try and break the independent spirit of the Czech people.
What is Ma Vlast's main theme?
Ma Vlast written between 1872 and 1879 is a symphonic cycle of tone poems created to celebrate the history, beauty, culture and traditions of the Czech people. He started composing the main theme for the first movement on the day he went deaf.
Why did the Slavs create their own nationalism?
In response and partly in defense, the Slavs (which included the people of Bohemia) created their own forms of nationalism. One was to attempt to keep their Bohemian identity was the Czech language itself. It became a rallying point, much like a flag. It was used as a means to communicate traditional values of the nation.
When was the Moldau performed?
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.
What is the name of the movement that Smetana composed?
Courtesy of the Royal College of Music, London. Má vlast ultimately became Smetana’s most enduring composition, and of its movements, the second, The Moldau, has remained the most popular. The movement starts with light, rippling figures that represent the emergence of the Moldau River as two mountain springs, one warm and one cold.
What is the name of the piece that Smetana conceived of?
Smetana conceived of a series of orchestral pieces with topics drawn from the legends and landscapes of his homeland, what he called “musical pictures of Czech glories and defeats.”. It took the better part of the 1870s for the composer to bring the idea to full fruition as Má vlast.
