What does Moldau mean

Moldau is a German word which may refer to: The historical region of Moldavia. Vltava, a river in the Czech Republic. Moldova River, a river in Romania. “The Moldau”, German name of a symphonic poem by Bedřich Smetana named after the Vltava.

What is the story of The Moldau?

A devoutly patriotic work, The Moldau captures in music Smetana’s love of his homeland. … The movement starts with light, rippling figures that represent the emergence of the Moldau River as two mountain springs, one warm and one cold.

Where is Moldau?

listen); German: Moldau [ˈmɔldaʊ]) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague, and finally merging with the Elbe at Mělník. It is commonly referred to as the “Czech national river”.

What do French horns represent in The Moldau?

The sound of loud, dominating french horns and trumpets, portraying the calls of hunting horns, represents the great fields through which a horse-back hunt proceeds. The small forests which the hunters pass are represented by the quieter contrasting passages by strings and woodwinds.

Why is it called The Moldau?

The “Moldau” name comes from the German name for the source of the river in the Bohemian mountains. … The Vltava swirls into the St John’s Rapids; then it widens and flows toward Prague, past the Vyšehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the distance, ending at the Labe.

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 period is The Moldau from?

Vltava, 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.

When was The Moldau banned?

In 1941 the Nazis banned all performances of Moldau in Prague to try and break the independent spirit of the Czech people.

Is The Moldau nationalism?

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.

Article first time published on

What is the political significance of The Moldau?

“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.

What is the subject of The Moldau?

The second, Vltava (The Moldau), occupied him from November 20 through December 8—a span of nineteen days (he noted in his diary). Its subject is the Bohemian river that flows north through Prague on its way to join the Elbe, which in turn leads its waters to the North Sea.

What river goes thru Prague?

Flowing through the centre of the city, the Vltava River is the lifeline of Prague and has given rise to some of the city’s most important historical sights, including Charles Bridge.

What was the Moldau inspired by?

Czech composer Bed˘rich Smetana (BED-rick SMET–ah-na) was inspired to write The Moldau by nature, memories of his personal adventures, and a deep love for his country. The work is named after an actual river that runs from a mountainside, through the Czech countryside, and into the city of Prague.

Who was the founder of Czech national music?

Bedřich Smetana, (born March 2, 1824, Leitomischl, Bohemia, Austrian Empire [now Litomyšl, Czech Republic]—died May 12, 1884, Prague), Bohemian composer of operas and symphonic poems, founder of the Czech national school of music.

What is the melody of the Moldau?

The violins then begin to play the main melody of ”The Moldau” that represents the river itself. The first scene the river flows past is a group of hunters. Smetana described it as, ”the merry sounds of a hunt and the notes of the hunter’s horn.

What does The Moldau depicts?

“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.

What instruments are in The Moldau?

• Composed: 1874.
• Length: c. …
• Orchestration: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle), harp, and strings.

What does Vltava mean in English?

Vltava in British English (Czech ˈvltava) noun. a river in the Czech Republic, rising in the Bohemian Forest and flowing generally southeast and then north to the River Elbe near Melnik.

When did the movement in music commonly known as neoclassicism take place?

Composers who returned to the sounds and structures of the classics and used them as a model were called neoclassicists and created a new genre of music often identified as neoclassicism. It is commonly understood that the composer Igor Stravinsky and his contemporaries created this genre of music in the 1920s.

What is a multi movement programmatic work for orchestra?

A multimovement programmatic work for orchestra is called: a program symphony. … A piece of program music for orchestra in one movement that, through several contrasting sections, develops a poetic idea or suggests a scene or mood is called: a symphonic poem.

Was Charles Bridge built with eggs?

Another interesting thing about the Charles Bridge is how it was built. The bridge was built from Bohemian sandstone. It is said that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge – just like adding egg yolks when baking to make the dough hold together better.

Who built Charles University?

When the Bohemian king and holy Roman emperor, born 700 years ago next month, established Charles University in the 1340s, it was the first institution of its kind in the whole of Central Europe. Charles IV established Charles University in 1348, when he was in his early 30s.