8. Philharmonisches Konzert: Entlang der Moldau

In the organizer's words:

Bedřich Smetana My Fatherland: Vyšehrad | The Moldau | Šárka | From Bohemia's Grove and Field | Tábor | Blaník

The great cycle My Fatherland (Má vlast) by Bedřich Smetana is popular all over the world, above all, of course, The Moldau. In the Czech Republic, however, the cycle is much more: a crystallization point of national consciousness. Every year, it opens the major "Prague Spring" festival and My Fatherland is an integral part of the national holiday commemorating the founding of independent Czechoslovakia on October 28, 1918.

When Smetana was working on the six symphonic poems in 1872 and 1879, which form the cycle conceived from the outset as a coherent whole, the Czech Republic was part of the Habsburg monarchy. With My Fatherland, the composer wanted to make a musical contribution to the aspirations for independence that were being voiced everywhere. He created a broad panorama in which Czech tradition and landscape are inextricably linked. From the majestic harp chords at the beginning of Vyšehrad, Smetana evokes mythical times and legendary figures, creates a musical monument to the beauty of the Czech landscape and finally recalls the battles of the Hussite period with the final pieces Tábor and Blaník, which are related in terms of content and musical substance.

As often as individual parts of the cycle appear in concert programs, it is rare to have the opportunity to hear it in its entirety outside the Czech Republic - as was Smetana's intention.

8th Philharmonic Concert: Along the Vltava