# Smetana's Mighty Ma Vlast



## superhorn

I don't recall seeing a discussion of this monumental Czech masterpiece here.
Ma Vlast(My fatherland) ,is Smetana's orchestral masterpiece, a massive cycle of six 
tone poems which trace the history, legends, folklore and landscape of what we now call the Czech republic, but which used to be known to the world as Bohemia.
You might call Ma Vlast Smetana's valentine to his beloved fatherland.
Of the six parts, the only one which has been frequently performed outside the Czech republic for many,many years has been the second, the Moldau, the German name for the Vltava river which flows through the land. 
In order the sections of the work are : The High Castle . This is the majestic castle which overlooks the Moldau, and the traditional seat of Czech kings. The music evokes the ancient life in the castle, the tournaments, banquets etc . It opens with a flourish for two harps, and the main theme , the notes B flat,E flat,D and B flat, are a motto which is repeated through the cycle.
The Moldau traces a day riding alone the river, and depicts such events as a hunt which can be seen along the horn, night time along the river when water sprites magically appear and sing, a merry wedding ceremony at the riverbank complete with a Polka being danced, a turbulent passage through the rapids, ultimately arriving in Prague, with the high castle in view, and the opening motif repeated.
The third episonde is Sarka(pronounced sharka, there's chevron above the s which indicates that it's pronounced sh) . This retells a legend from pagan times in the Czech republic. Sarka was the leader of a group of Czech women who rebelled against male rule, creating a literal war between the sexes ! 
However, she had a lover amongst the men. The women entice Ctyrad , her beloved after he betrays and his band of men, and after they fall asleep after consuming wine, they fall upon them and massacre the lot !
The fourth section is called "From Bohemia's Meadows and Forests", abnd depicts the beatiful Czech countryside vividly. 
The last two ,Tabor and Blanik, depict the turbulent 15th century in Bohemia, after the execution by burning at the stake of the Czech religious reformer Jan Hus, who anticipated Luther's reforms by a century, but unlike Luther was executed as a heretic. The followers of Hus, the Hussites, rebelled against the Catholic church and the authority of the Holy Roman Empire, of which Bohemia was a part. 
Tabor and Blanik were two camps of the Hussites where major battles were fought.
Smetana makes extensive use of the Hussite hymn "Ye who are warriors of God,",
which is best known hymn tune in the Czech republic. 
Blanik ends exultantly , and the majestic theme of the high castle is combined contrapuntally with the Hussite war hymn. 
A first-rate performance ,live or recorded of the cycle can be a truly inspiring experience. There are many fine recordings ,mostly by such eminent Czech conductors as Vaclav Talich, Karel Ancerl,Rafael Kubelik, Jiri Belohlavek, and others,
most with the Czech Philharmonic on Supraphon, as well as other leading non Czech maestros such as Mackerras, Paavo Berglund, Walter Weller, Antoni Wit and others.
I have the Classic Talich version on Supraphon, and a live digital one on Denon with Jiri Belohlavek ,both with the great Czech Philharmonic, which has the music in its blood. There is a tradition of the orchestra giving a performance of the cycle every Spring in Prage with a different conductor, and the Denon recording is one of these.


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## Tapkaara

I actually listened to Ma Vlast fairly recently. I used to listen to it quite frequently years ago and it had been at least a year since I last took it in. The recording I have is on Naxos with Antoni Wit conducting.

I think it's a fantastic work. Though this is the only Smetana I really know (I have heard the Bartered Bride Overture countless times on the radio as well), I enjoy Smetana's musical voice much more than anything by Dvorak, if I am to reference the one who is perhaps the best-loved Czech composer.

There is so much melody and color in Ma Vlast. The composer's mastery of the orchestra shines through in every moment. One gets the feeling that Smetana was riding a huge wave of inspiration when he wrote it. And the famous Moldau movement just oozes popular appeal but maintains great class.

For me, Ma Vlast is like Pictures at an Exhibition: it's one of those works that is so well executed on every level that you NEVER tire of hearing it. It's fun without being kitsch and substantial without being pretentious.


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## Ukko

Preferred recording: Kubelik/CPO - on the occasion of Kubelik's return to Prague. Things get emotional, but both orchestra and conductor knew the work in their hearts. They make _'uplifting'_ music; the kind that, for the duration of the performance and for a short time after, make you feel greater than you are.


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## elgar's ghost

It was certainly a good idea to bring them together as one work but I can't help thinking that apart from Vltava none would have been central to the repertoire had they been issued separately - he wrote other symphonic poems in isolation which by and large have gone under the radar despite the fact they are very good. Richard III, Wallenstein's Camp and Hakon Jarl are gathered on a Supraphon disc with a few shorter works - cat. no. SU 0198-2011 which make a fine companion disc to whatever Ma Vlast you may have.


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## superhorn

Taapkara, I couldn't disagree more about Dvorak. He wrote so many wonderful orchestral works, and so much more. Not only are there the nine symphonies, but a wealth of other orchestral works such as the "Hussite" overture (using the same Czech hymn tune) , 
the "Othello" overture, Carneval overture, the Slavonic dances, the "My Home" overture, In Nature's Realm, the symphonic poems "The Water Goblin", The Wood Dove", 
"Midday Witch", Golden Spinning Wheel", Heroic song etc, the concertos for cello, violin and piano, the great and sadly neglected Requiem, the Stabat mater, "The oratorio "The Spectre's Bride", the string quartets, the operas, and so much more. 
Unfortunately, much of Dvorak's output is rarely performed outside of the Czech republic.
I love the music of both composers. We should just be glad we have both of them !


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## itywltmt

Hilltroll72 said:


> Preferred recording: Kubelik/CPO - on the occasion of Kubelik's return to Prague. Things get emotional, but both orchestra and conductor knew the work in their hearts. They make _'uplifting'_ music; the kind that, for the duration of the performance and for a short time after, make you feel greater than you are.


Kubelik has *four *memorable recordings: Chicago (1952), Vienna (1959), Boston (1974, I believe) and Czech Phil (1990, I believe). All four are very good, and all four can be found on the Internet if you make an effort. You would be surprised, BTW, just how great even the 1952 MONO recording with The Chicago Symphony actuakly is! And there;'s the video performance (avaiulable on DVD) with the Bavarian RSO.

Talish + Czech Philharmonic, the standard for so many years, is also worth a liosten.

I also own Paavo Berglund + Staatskapelle Dresde (Digitally remastered, on vinyl). I quite like it too!


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## Tapkaara

superhorn said:


> Taapkara, I couldn't disagree more about Dvorak. He wrote so many wonderful orchestral works, and so much more. Not only are there the nine symphonies, but a wealth of other orchestral works such as the "Hussite" overture (using the same Czech hymn tune) ,
> the "Othello" overture, Carneval overture, the Slavonic dances, the "My Home" overture, In Nature's Realm, the symphonic poems "The Water Goblin", The Wood Dove",
> "Midday Witch", Golden Spinning Wheel", Heroic song etc, the concertos for cello, violin and piano, the great and sadly neglected Requiem, the Stabat mater, "The oratorio "The Spectre's Bride", the string quartets, the operas, and so much more.
> Unfortunately, much of Dvorak's output is rarely performed outside of the Czech republic.
> I love the music of both composers. We should just be glad we have both of them !


I did not say that Smetana was somehow a better composer than Dvorak, I simply said I like Smetana much more than Dvorak. It's a simple case of me liking one more than the other, so I really don;t see how you can "disagree" with that.

There are a few works by Dvorak that I enjoy. I just like Ma Vlast much more than anything I have ever heard from Dvroak, plain and simple.


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## GoneBaroque

This post reminded me that I have not heard this magnificent composition in some time, must remedy that. The only portion many music listeners know is The Moldau but the entire piece is among the great experiences in Music. I have Berglund on LP and a Telarc CD with the Milwaukee Symphony conducted by Zdenek Macal. Not one of the big names but he delivers a fine performace in my opinion.


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## joen_cph

Some discussion here also:
http://www.talkclassical.com/9115-ma-vlast.html

A very fine lesser known recording is* Susskind*´s on Turnabout, adding a lot of melodic sweetness to "Vltava"; an eccentric "Vltava" is *Scherchen*´s, unusually slow in the beginning but then becoming rather uninteresting, not one of his best recordings.





Found *Furtwängler*´s on you-t also, but am not aquainted with it yet:


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## starthrower

I need a good recording of this work. Maybe the Antoni Wit version on Naxos?


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## Tapkaara

starthrower said:


> I need a good recording of this work. Maybe the Antoni Wit version on Naxos?


That's the version I have. It works for me and it has gotten good reviews.


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## Rangstrom

The gold standard is Kubelik/CSO--a single microphone mono recording with impeccable balance (but some tape hiss).


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## jdavid

I am glad to read this post. I do not have a recording of _Ma Vlast_ but do have some of the Symphonic Poems, Richard III, Hakon Jarl on a disc which includes Janacek's Sinfonietta - I have put it at the top of my wish list and will probably go with Rafael Kubelik, as I've never heard him conduct anything that wasn't extremely vivid.


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## GoneBaroque

jdavid, you will not regret your choice. Kubelik was an excellent conductor and this music shows him at his best.


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## Bill H.

Over the years I've been sort of "accumulating" Ma Vlasts. 

Kubelik also did a CD recording with the Bavarian Radio orchestra in the early 80s, I have it but don't recall the label. I enjoy his Boston one from the 70s, as well as the CSO from the 50s and of course the 1990 Prague Spring Festival recording. 

There is a brand new release of Talich's 1939 live performance with the Czech Phil on Supraphon--done after the Nazi takeover, it crackles with energy as the audience applauds wildly after every movement, in a gesture of defiance--followed by a spontaneous singing of the Czechoslovak national anthem by the audience. The sound is not good, and the first few measures of "Bohemias' Woods and Meadows" are missing. That this performance was ever preserved is something of a miracle, only because it was recorded on optical media by Radio Oslo, one of the cities that had the simulcast feed (many of the other cities also broadcasting the performance fell to the Nazis in the next few years). The second disk has a subsequent broadcast by the same forces playing the Dvorak Slavonic Dances, with similar audience reception. This is one performance that demonstrates how a work can be the vessel for a nation's consciousness, this one being the foremost example. 

Other great ones: the 1943 Jeremias with the Prague Radio orchestra, CPO Ancerl (the studio one from the 60s, and including another one he did at the 1968 Prague Spring Festival, before the Warsaw Pact invaded later that year); Krumbholc with the Prague Symphony (?), the Wit on Naxos. Kuchar and the Janacek Philharmonic have one as part of their integral set of all Smetana's orchestral music, on Brilliant Classics. 

There is a nice one newly released, in state of the art sound on the BIS label, with Klaus Peter Flor and the Malaysian(!) Philharmonic. You can buy it as a lossless download on eclassical.com. I really like this one, and it shows that any orchestra can play this work well, not just Czech ones.


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## itywltmt

My blog features FIVE versions by *Rafael Kubelik*:
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/703-some-our-christmas-favourites-next.html


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## CDs

Any body heard Belohlavek's recording of Ma Vlast? Is it any good?

https://www.amazon.com/Smetana-Czech-Philharmonic-Jiri-Belohlavek/dp/B077FB2YHF


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## JayBee

I heard the Moldau portion of his recording on the radio yesterday, and I quite liked it. I am indebted to my grade 10 high school music teacher for introducing me to the Moldau. (I am nearly 60 now.) Within a year, I could hear the whole piece in my head, so i could play it at will, which I continued to do for years afterwards. I don't know the whole symphony as well as I would like to, but plan to listen to it in the near future. I currently have a few versions, mostly Kubelik.


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## CnC Bartok

CDs said:


> Any body heard Belohlavek's recording of Ma Vlast? Is it any good?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Smetana-Czech-Philharmonic-Jiri-Belohlavek/dp/B077FB2YHF


Yes, Belohlavek is great in this, it's a cleaner and more powerful recording than his earlier Supraphon one.

Nobody can beat the live Kubelik from 1990, though.


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## Highwayman

Interestingly, I just saw this thread while I listen to Kubelík/CPO rendition of this great masterpiece. Since I don`t listen to this work frequently and this thread doesn`t seem like a popular one, I tend to interprete this coincidence as a divine intervention of some kind and will listen to it more frequently from now on... :angel:


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## wkasimer

CDs said:


> Any body heard Belohlavek's recording of Ma Vlast? Is it any good?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Smetana-Czech-Philharmonic-Jiri-Belohlavek/dp/B077FB2YHF


It's superb - probably the only version that most people need. But even those who are fans of Talich, Ancerl, and Sejna need to hear the Belohlavek.


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## CDs

wkasimer said:


> It's superb - probably the only version that most people need. But even those who are fans of Talich, Ancerl, and Sejna need to hear the Belohlavek.


Its not like I need another recording but I'm gonna get it anyways.


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## realdealblues

Ma Vlast is a wonderful work and a real pleasure to listen to. I have probably 30 different recordings of it.

My favorite recording is still this one:







Rafael Kubelik/Boston Symphony Orchestra

The Boston Symphony's playing on this recording is simply outstanding with great warm sound and with Kubelik at the helm it just edges everyone else out for me.


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## Joachim Raff

Love this version. It has a dramatic spacious feeling like no other.


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## mbhaub

Did you find that on CD or is it a download/streaming only? I love this music and need to get a newer recording.


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## Rogerx

mbhaub said:


> Did you find that on CD or is it a download/streaming only? I love this music and need to get a newer recording.


Try this one, it's stunning.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8390892--smetana-ma-vlast
or any other shop.


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## adriesba

mbhaub said:


> Did you find that on CD or is it a download/streaming only? I love this music and need to get a newer recording.


Looks like this is an obscure recording. This is what I found: https://www.amazon.com/Má-vlast-Prague-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B004RCM2NK

It's also on streaming services like here for one: https://play.primephonic.com/album/8594162070008?q=smetana netopil


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## adriesba

This is what I have:

View attachment 134797


I've also heard some of this:

View attachment 134798


Both of those have good performances of _Vltava_. I can't remember what the sound is like on the DG one, but the sound is good on the Decca one. I haven't really listened to much other than _Vltava_. I should really explore the rest more.


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## Merl

As others have pointed out the Belohlavek is great but my gold standard is still Kubelik. Can't believe I picked this one up for the equivalent of 70p from a box of old classical discs on Facebay. Bargain of the year.


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## Ekim the Insubordinate

Merl said:


> As others have pointed out the Belohlavek is great but my gold standard is still Kubelik. Can't believe I picked this one up for the equivalent of 70p from a box of old classical discs on Facebay. Bargain of the year.
> 
> View attachment 134799


I've been looking for that one - I buy almost exclusively through iTunes, and sometimes it is hard to find something: this one may not even be in there.


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## Rogerx

Ekim the Insubordinate said:


> I've been looking for that one - I buy almost exclusively through iTunes, and sometimes it is hard to find something: this one may not even be in there.


https://www.amazon.com/Ma-Vlast-Bedrich-Smetana/dp/B00000DFMX
How about this one?


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## Allegro Con Brio

Merl said:


> As others have pointed out the Belohlavek is great but my gold standard is still Kubelik. Can't believe I picked this one up for the equivalent of 70p from a box of old classical discs on Facebay. Bargain of the year.
> 
> View attachment 134799


I really need to hear this one, but Supraphon and streaming services don't go together. As of right now his early '50's one in Chicago is currently my favorite, really good "Mercury Living Presence" mono sound. For the Czech Phil sound, I can recommend the more recent Belohlavek. For me, Czech conductors have the real authority with this music (as for Dvorak too) and one can instantly tell their idiomatic understanding of the music as opposed to others who just can't seem to catch that infectiously joyful, soulful Slavic spirit.


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## Brahmsian Colors

The paring down of my lp collection over the past several years has left me with two preferred versions of this very satisfying work:
Ancerl/Czech Philharmonic and Kubelik/Vienna Philharmonic.







View attachment 134823


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## wkasimer

Rogerx said:


> Try this one, it's stunning.
> 
> https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8390892--smetana-ma-vlast
> or any other shop.


I agree - this was one of Belohlavek's last recordings, and one of his best.


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## Enthusiast

I like many of the same ones mentioned - Kubelik's (the live Czech Philharmonic one and also the Chicago one), Ancerl's, Belohlavek's and an excellent one by Hrusa.


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## Ekim the Insubordinate

I have the Ancerl recording with the CPO on Supraphon and love it. Supraphon recordings for the Czech masters are wonderful. 

I would love to buy the Kubelik CD, but I don't even have a CD player before. I converted all my existing CDs to digital, and then about 6 months ago my computer CD/DVD drive crapped out, and I haven't replaced it. So I just buy digital everything, and I have an Apple Music account - but this recording hasn't made it into their catalog.


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## CnC Bartok

Merl said:


> As others have pointed out the Belohlavek is great but my gold standard is still Kubelik. Can't believe I picked this one up for the equivalent of 70p from a box of old classical discs on Facebay. Bargain of the year.
> 
> View attachment 134799


Yes, Merl!! That one is THE Ma Vlast. Ignore its historical and cultural importance to both Czechs and other Europeans, it's the most rousing and impassioned performance I have ever heard (even ahead of Talich's live 1939 version), and yet it manages to avoid any bombast whatsoever. Perfect. The CD also looks like this, btw:


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## Allegro Con Brio

For those like me who use streaming and thus do not have access to Supraphon recordings, the famous Kubelik Ma Vlast is on YouTube!


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## MarkW

Interesting sidelight: In 1968, Decca had recorded and was about to issue a performance by the Leipsig Gewandhaus Orch (I think under Vaclav Neumann), when suddenly the Soviets invaded to put an end to the Prague Spring. At least in this country, the cover of the London double-album featured a photo of tanks lumbering through the streets of Prague.


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## CnC Bartok

^^^^ You mean this Mark?


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## MarkW

CnC Bartok said:


> ^^^^ You mean this Mark?
> 
> View attachment 134886


You got it!


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## wkasimer

CnC Bartok said:


> ^^^^ You mean this Mark?
> 
> View attachment 134886


Has this ever been reissued on CD? I'd love to hear the GOL play this.


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## DaddyGeorge

wkasimer said:


> Has this ever been reissued on CD? I'd love to hear the GOL play this.


CD (apparently) exists. I'm not sure if it's the same recording.
*Smetana/Neumann*


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## CnC Bartok

According to Discogs, it's the same 1966 recording. Some second hand CDs out there!


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