Má Vlast

Discover Má Vlast (My Country) by Bedřich Smetana on medici.tv!

Má Vlast, translated as “My Country,” is a cycle of six symphonic poems composed by the Czech master Bedřich Smetana between 1874 and 1879. Having lost his hearing in the fall of 1874, the composer devoted himself exclusively to composing and, despite this terrible setback, created one of the most iconic works in the Czech symphonic repertoire. Every year, Vltava (the first piece in the cycle), traditionally opens the Prague Spring International Music Festival on May 12, the anniversary of the composer’s death. True to his patriotic convictions, Smetana evokes the founding legends, landscapes, and history of his native Bohemia. The premiere of the complete set of six poems took place on 5 November 1882 at the Žofín palace in Prague under the baton of Adolf Čech.

Six scenes in service of one national anthem

The cycle opens with Vyšehrad (“The Castle on the Heights”), completed in November 1874, which evokes the past glory and ruins of Prague’s ancient fortress through the song of a legendary bard. Vltava follows suit, composed in just three weeks. The most famous piece in the cycle, Vltava depicts the course of the Vltava River (or Moldau, in German) as it flows through Bohemia, from its two sources to its arrival in Prague, passing by a scene of nymphs dancing in the moonlight and a village wedding. The third poem Šárka is inspired by a legend of war: a betrayed woman uses trickery to lure the chieftain Ctirad and his soldiers into a deadly trap.  From Bohemia’s Meadows and Forests, the cycle’s fourth installment, departs from the narrative to depict the beauty of the Czech countryside and the joy of its inhabitants in pastoral strokes. The last two poems —Tábor and Blaník, completed in 1878 and 1879 — form a diptych dedicated to the Hussite resistance of the 15th century. The first poem is somber and solemn, based on the Hussite chorale Ktož jsú boží bojovníci (“You are God’s Warriors”), while the second adopts this same theme to celebrate the hope of a national rebirth. According to legend, the Hussite knights sleep beneath Blaník Mountain, waiting to come to their country’s aid.

Smetana’s Má Vlast on medici.tv 

medici.tv, the largest streaming platform for classical music, is the perfect place to (re)discover this landmark of the Czech repertoire and symbol of the nation’s identity. In our catalog of over 4,500 programs, you’ll find numerous performances of Má Vlast by leading international orchestras and conductors. Discover the masterpiece in a concert by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov, or in a program by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. To explore further, check out our playlist dedicated to the Czech repertoire!