A musical monument: Smetana's Má Vlast in the Festspielhaus Bregenz

A musical monument: Smetana's Má Vlast in the Festspielhaus Bregenz

The Vorarlberg Symphony Orchestra faces an exciting concert that will take place on November 23 and 24. Under the direction of chief conductor Leo Mcfall, the orchestra Bedřich Smetana's masterpiece "Má Vlast" presents in the Montforthaus Feldkirch and in the Festspielhaus Bregenz. This cycle of famous symphonic poems, which embodies Czech identity, is accompanied by the emotional diversity of the second movement "Die Moldau", which is very popular worldwide.

Smetana, born in 1824, provided a sounding monument to his Bohemian homeland with “Má Vlast”. Chief conductor Leo Mcfall, who takes over the conducting reins of the two subscription concerts, emphasizes that it is important to him to present the entire cycle as a uniform work. In his view, "Má Vlast" contains a high -contrast but harmonious combination of different symphonic seals that together result in an extremely impressive performance.

The program and the meaning

The cycle "Má Vlast" consists of six parts that represent a musical journey through the Czech landscape and history. The story begins with the old Felsburg Vyšehrad, an important symbol of Czech history, and leads through scenes of myths and fights to the main groove of the national spirit. The second sentence, "Die Moldau", is particularly famous because it is portrayed the river from the source to the bend into the Elbe and brilliantly depicted in episodic form. Smetana created this part as a program music, which musically visualizes the course of the river and captures in characteristic motifs.

"The Moldova" is an example of national music. In his melody, the composer used a sound sequence that is known to many peoples and can even be found in the Israeli national anthem. This connection to culture and identity still makes Smetana's music relevant and important today. Last but not least, Mcfall emphasizes that he has the passion to convey the music in its whole depth, because the concert is performed without a break and takes around 80 minutes.

Smetana, who was completely deaf during the composition of "Má Vlast", left a significant musical heritage. Despite the personal challenges he experienced through fate, he contributed to the Czech's cultural identity. The composer and pianist Franz Liszt once congratulated Smetana on his art and emphasized that his name is firmly anchored in Czech history.

The upcoming concert will take place on Saturday, November 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Montforthaus Feldkirch and on Sunday, November 24th, at 5:00 p.m. in the Bregenz Festival House. Tickets are available via Bregenz Tourism, Feldkirch Tourism and the Advance Office of Events-vorarlberg.at. There is an attractive offer, especially for visitors under the age of 27. Accompanied by a subscriber, you only pay 10 euros per card.

For more information and details on the concert as well as an interview with the new managing director Gerald Mair, the new episode of the "SoV for listening" podcast can be visited, finding on the website of the Vorarlberg Symphony Orchestra and with common streaming services.