What’s the Moldau about?

Answer 1

It is a tone poem describing the countryside and the river as it makes its way to the sea.

Answer 2

The Moldau, aka Vlatva, is the second symphonic poem in Ma Vlast (My Country) that was written in 1874 by Bedrich Smetana. By reading the title you would not be remiss to say that this symphonic poem is written with nationalistic fervour.

Basically it traces the source of the Moldau (its other name is Vlatva) to the first two smaller streams. You can listen to the gurgling streams, portrayed by two luscious flutes, as they began separately, then becoming one. Then it passes a calm woods, a group on hunting trip and a merry peasant wedding.

Then it is bathed by the moonlight. There are a group of nymphs dancing about, lithely and sensuously. Suddenly everything becomes wild - we are passing the Rapids of St John in Prague, where the Moldau becomes wild and you can hear the splashes. As it comes to Vysehrad, you can see the majestic rock-fortress which is the main focus, and still you can hear the main theme of the two flutes, as the river finally arrives at Elbe.

Read all that while listening to the piece, and it all will click into place most beautifully.

Answer 3

The previous answers pretty much cover it. The 'Moldau' is simply the German name for the River Vltava, which runs through Prague (and over which the famous Charles Bridge spans). The river's source is in the Bohemian hills and the music depicts it's course through the hills and forests down into Prague itself and then past the maginificent cliffs at Vyšehrad (where there is a famous churchyard where you can find the graves of Smetana, Dvořák and Kafka, among others|). At this point in the music, Smetana quotes the Vyšehrad theme from the symphonic poem of the same name.

'Vltava' is the second of the six symphonic poems that make up 'Má Vlast' (My Homeland), written between 1874 and 1880 by Bedřich Smetana (his name translates as Fred Cream!), often hailed as the father of modern Czech music.

The six symphonic poems comprising Má Vlast are:
Vyšehrad
Vltava
Šárka
Z českých luhů a hájů (From Bohemia's Woods and Fields)
Tábor
Blaník

Answer 4

It comes from Smetana's suite of 6 tone poems known as 'My Counry' or 'Ma Vlast' in Czech The one you refer to is more usually known by its Czech name 'Vltava' which is the river which runs through Prague. It describes its rising in the mountains, flowing through the countryside where you can hear people dancing and its journey through Prague, under the castle, Vyserhad (sp?) Two other pieces, at least, from the suite are well worth hearing. One is about the castle whose I won't try to spell again, and the other is called 'From Bohemia's Wood and Meadows'

Answer 5

river moldau