Vltava Flashcards
Composer
Bedrich Smetana
Czech Republic
Nationalism, Tone Poem, Program Music
- Adoption of native language
- Storylines based on national legends
- Folk tunes- use of modal melodies, harmonies and dance rhythms- like polkas
- Piece of orchestral music which depicts or evokes a story, poem, painting, landscape or a non-musical source
- Single movement, non-traditional forms giving the creator more freedom of expression
- Instrumental music which is narrative or descriptive, telling a story or depicting an extra-musical idea
Era of the time and its elements
Romantic Period 1820-1900s
Rhythms & Tempo
- Greater rhythmic complexity, more variety of rhythmic patterns and meters
- Fluctuating tempi with sudden pauses
- Subtle variation/ changes of pace (Rit. + Accel.)
Melody
- Very lyrical and expressive
- Phrases are longer, greater tonal range with a wider range of notes
- Chromatic notes are used to add colour and create tension (expression)
- Folk songs were incorporated (feature of Nationalism)
Harmony
- Chromaticism in chords
- Rapid modulation, dissonant/ unstable chords
- Vii* (7th dim) chord was favoured- create tension and help with modulation
Timbre
- Orchestra was much larger- expanded range of notes
- Because of instruments like the piccolo, cor anglais, bass clarinet, double bassoon, trombone, tuba, expanded percussion
- Woodwind, brass and percussion had a more active role
- Piano became the most popular single instrument- more accessible, wider range and more powerful tone, dynamic variation
Dynamics
- Wide range of dynamics, extreme ends
- Sudden + sharp contrast
Form & Genre
- Forms of the classical period but were expanded
- Non-traditional forms were used- freedom for expression
- New genre- “tone poem”, lieder, single movements for piano
- Program music- gave an extra- musical idea
- Nationalism, focus of nature and the supernatural
Form and instrumentation of piece
Non-traditional form, relates to program music
Intro, A, B, C, D, A, E, A’, F, Coda
Instrumentation
- Piccolo
- 2x flutes
- 2x oboes
- 2x clarinets in C (changes to Bb)
- 2x Bassoons
- 4x Horns in C (sounds P5 up)
- 2x trumpets in C
- 2x Trombones
- 3rd trombone + Tuba (same line)
- Timpani
- Triangle
- Bass Drum + cymbals
- Harp (or piano)
- 1st, 2nd violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Double bass
Story/Narrative
- Two springs of the Maldau descend from the mountain and combine
- the river Vltava flows through the bohemian forest
- Suddenly arrives at a forest hunt, returns to a river then
- Passing a peasant wedding, celebrated with song and dance- “polka”, guests dancing, instruments slowly drop out leading to stillness of night, quiet
- Moonlight: dance of the water Nymphs, big contrast, less dramatic
- It builds back to the river theme, the wide, flowing, majestic river
Sections and descriptions
Intro-Source of river
- 6/8, ‘fast & lively’, E min, Pizz. In harp and violins- water, melody started with 1 flute before 2- steady stream of notes and then adding clarinet- the second stream, the lines interlace creating ‘ripples’ and waves, pitch gets lower as stream descends from mountain, the running motive is passed to 2nd violins, violas, cellos
A- River theme
- E min, folk song, rhythm- slower, broader, even and repetitive, ta ti gives a sense of motion, timbre- multiple instruments play melody- rich, full sound, repeated rhythm in strings gives swaying effect, running notes continuing in strings- represents water, repeats 55-79, river theme was modulating, changes to E Maj for 2 bars then back to minor multiple times- common practice
B- Forest hunt
- C Major, Loud- excitement and drama, Repeated note + dotted rhythm- ‘fanfare’, horn was a traditional instrument used in hunts to sound a warning, contrasts in texture, tonality, motive and timbre, uses rhythms in brass form river theme with hunting call pitches, running quavers in strings- continuity, climax with pedal note before starting to quieten, reduces to only river idea, subdivision changes as approaching the 2/4 section
C- Peasant wedding
- G Major, 2/4, even, tuneful, balanced melody, “polka” dance- wedding music, homophonic texture- idea of guests dancing synchronized, strings are predominant, ‘polka’ theme builds- harmonizing in 3rds, full instrumentation- strong, theme starts to quieten, syncopated rhythms in flutes, instruments gradually dropping out and leading to quiet- stillness of night
D- Moonlight: dance of water nymphs
- Ab Major, 4/4, quiet dynamics, change orchestration, Bb clarinet <-BIG contrast, running quavers- flutes/clarinet- reintroduction of river/water, sustained notes- moonlight above the water, shimmering effect from muting, bright- serene, less dramatic than river sections- legato melody, briefly in C minor- atmosphere darkens, lower strings + brass joins delicately, brass- gentle staccato chords- sense of movement and direction, builds more in movement and dynamics, flute and clarinet become more chromatic- leading to the return of the river theme, section is very gentle and serene compared to river- which is more vigorous and chromatic, texture thins and returns to woodwinds only
How is the narrative expressed?
- Intro- running quavers= running water, pulsing feel- like small waves, violin + harp pizz. - droplets, stream becomes wider-addition of clarinets
- The river- overall sound thickens- rest of orchestra joins in- like stream thickening to river, fast pace- rushing water, triangle- droplets of water
- Forest hunt- brass- hunting instrument, very loud/ very strong to suit theme, string are muted to extend brass, more in focus, grand sounding - represents hunters
- Peasant wedding- dance-like music, extreme dynamics- emphasize moods, change of time signature- 2/4- waltz, E min- G Maj, polka music
- Moonlight- no brass- more delicate, minor key- spooky, pulsing, violins play long sustained notes
Score terms and symbols
- Dolce- sweetly
- Sempre ondeggiante- always swaying/undulating
- Rfz- rinforzando- sudden and short-lasting crescendo
- Squiggly line- mordent- repetition between note and tone below
- Piu- more softly
- Muta to B- change to Bb instrument
- a2- two players
