10.2: Smetana's "The Moldau"

Smetana and The Moldau.

Bedřich Smetana (1824-84) was a Romantic-style Bohemian composer (now modern-day Czech Republic). During the 19th century, as we discussed in previous chapters, there was a significant political movement in Europe with the rise of nationalism in the arts. Nationalist artists and composers sought to artistically depict their love for the culture and homeland in their works, while simultaneously trying to create their own unique artistic identity. This ideal is perfectly embodied in Smetana's Romantic-style orchestral music titled Ma Vlast, or My Country. This was a set of 6 different single-movement works that depicted a specific landmark in his country. These unrelated single-movement works are known as tone poems or symphonic poems: single-movement programmatic works that try to depict poetry or other types of imagery, without using traditional forms like sonata form!

These pieces are usually more freely written, and are in what we sometimes call sectional form. This term refers to the fact that the music does not follow any traditional form like sonata, rondo, fugue, or ABA form. Instead, the composers organize their music in different sections the way they want to in order to best tell their story. Thus, one movement in sectional form may be completely different than another work in sectional form!

Smetana's best-known work, Má Vlast, is thus a collection of 6 tone poems, each in their own unique form, that depict his love for his homeland. Each poem is named after a different cultural artefact:

1. Vyšehrad (The High Castle)
2. Vltava (The Moldau)
3. Šárka (named after the female warrior of the Czech legend The Maiden's War)
4. Z českých luhů a hájů (From Bohemia's Woods and Fields)
5. Tábor (named after a town in South Bohemia)
6. Blaník (a mountain that according to legend, says the army of knights led by St. Wenceslaus sleep, who will aid the country in their darkest hour).

(above): painting of Smetana by Geskel Saloman - Public Domain.

"Vltava" ("The Moldau")

"Moldau" by @felixtriller is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The 2nd tone poem of Má Vlast is his most famous work, translated to "The Moldau," which is the name given to a mighty river that runs through his homeland. The tone poem depicts what different sights one might see if they traveled down the river. As is common in program music, Smetana provided his own description of his musical ideas with the music itself. According to Smetana:

"Two springs pour forth in the shade of the Bohemian forest, one warm and gushing, the other cold and peaceful. Their waves joyously rush down over their rocky beds, then unite and glisten in the rays of the morning sun. Coming through Bohemia's valleys, they grow into a mighty river. Through the thick woods it flows as the joyous sounds of a hunt and the hunter's horn are heard ever closer. It flows through grass-grown pastures and lowlands where a wedding feast is being celebrated with song and dance. At night, wood and water nymphs revel in its sparkling waves. Reflected on its surface are fortresses and castles—witnesses of past days of knightly splendor and the vanished glory of bygone ages. The Moldau swirls through the St. John Rapids, finally flowing on in majestic peace toward Prague to be welcomed by historic Vyšehrad [a legendary royal castle]. Then it vanishes far beyond the poet's gaze."

The description above provides vivid imagery of many different sights. Each of these sights and sounds are musically depicted in the music. Take a listen to each of these different sections so you know what you're listening for:

"Source of the River" (you'll eventually hear 2 melodies in 2 instruments playing against each other representing the 2 different streams he mentions above)

"The Moldau" (this is the main River theme)

"The Hunt" (you'll hear a French horn outlining the "hunter's call"

"Peasant Dance" (this sounds like folk music, and is in a different meter than the River theme)

"Nymphs at Night" (you'll hear a very peaceful melody that shimmers through its high pitches. You can even hear the "River Theme" in the background!)

"St. John Rapids" (you'll hear loud and exciting music)

"Castle Theme" (you'll hear lots of horns)

Throughout the music, the "River Theme" (the A section) comes back a few times, creating a form that looks like "Intro, ABCDAEAF, Outro."

After you've listened to the themes from above, take a listen to the entire piece. As you listen, pay close attention to how the composer shifts from section to section. Sometimes, the transitions are very smooth, and other times, they're almost too abrupt. These are good ways for the composer to signal to the audience that he's moving to a different section.

Compare the way that this composer approaches musical form with Tchaikovsky's approach with Romeo and Juliet. You'll notice that Tchaikovsky used a traditional sonata form and expanded and manipulated it, while Smetana's music is almost "formless" in its approach. While Smetana's tone poems are a beautiful collection of individual movements, some "formalists" (those who find beauty in formal musical organization) might criticize this kind of music because its form almost seems haphazard. In other words, although it depicts the artists' visions and imagery, some might argue that it's really just a bunch of random unrelated themes played after another---and that there is no musical cohesion within it. In other words, the music simply moves from theme to theme, without connecting the themes. The themes aren't related to each other, and because of that, musical cohesion is lost.

These types of debates and criticisms are even found in critiques of Wagner's Operas, film music, and even music in video games. We'll see these arguments and criticisms in more detail when we get into Chapters 12-14.