A Musical Trip down the Vltava River

The Czech Republic’s Vltava River begins in the Šumava Mountains, ends near Prague, and flows through some of the country’s most beautiful scenery. That’s why it inspired the most famous piece of classical music in Czech culture: the symphonic poem Vltava (you might know its English title, The Moldau), named after the river, and composed by Bedřich Smetana. Smetana’s piece is a paean to the wonders of the Czech landscape. Let’s listen to it together, and take a journey down the river from where it first bubbles up all the way to its magnificent conclusion.

The Vltava River
Image | Holly_graphic

There’s no better way to start the journey than by playing this performance by the Czech Philharmonic from Smetana Hall in Prague. The river begins in the flutes and clarinets, whose twirling melodies represent the “warm” and “cold” springs deep in the Šumava forest. Pizzicato strings accompany the streams as they flow down the mountainside, then the violins bring in the river’s main theme, one of the most beautiful in all of music.

The theme is instantly hummable. You might even recognize it, since it resembles certain Italian and Swedish folk tunes, as well as the Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. Smetana didn’t “borrow” the tune from any of those sources, though, but came up with it on his own. And he described a specific program for what his tone poem was portraying. So when the horns blare, about three minutes in, it represents a hunting party coursing through the Czech forests.

The Šumava Mountains
Image credit: Martin Pilat

Maybe that hunting party was a bunch of aristocrats riding out from one of the most amazing towns in the southern Czech Republic, Český Krumlov. Besides the lovely forests and hills the Vltava passes through, it also wraps itself around some cute little burgs, none more charming than Český Krumlov. This UNESCO World Heritage site has a fairytale old town crowned by one of the most impressive Renaissance-era castles in Central Europe. It’s also a great place to get out and do some boating on the river. You can float for half an hour, or make an afternoon of it as you follow the Vltava down to the ancient abbey of Zlatá Koruna.

Český Krumlov, nestled in a bend of the Vltava
Image credit: Pe_Wu

Once the aristocrats have had their fun, the rhythm changes to a dance. Now it’s the peasants’ turn, as Smetana depicts the river passing by a rustic wedding. Everybody has probably had a bit too much to drink, and they’re dancing a polka. Folk music was a huge inspiration to Smetana, so, of course, he would include some in his tone poem. When night falls, a new dance begins. Listen as the rippling flutes come back, and the strings take on a high, ethereal sound, about six minutes in. These are the water-fairies playing in the moonlight on the river. In this mysterious atmosphere, Smetana wanted listeners to imagine ruined castles looming in the darkness. One of them might have been Zvíkov, an especially romantic example of the Czech Republic’s many castles.

Zvíkov Castle
Image credit: Karelj

The main theme is then restated by the orchestra, but it’s soon rudely interrupted: there’s danger up ahead! The brass, timpani, and cymbals crash like white water, and the tempo speeds up as the river heads towards its most treacherous part. Known as the St. John Rapids, this stretch was feared by raftsmen for centuries until the river was dammed in the 1950s. Nowadays, this is one of the most scenic sections of the Vltava, and you can take a boat there from Prague. I prefer to hoof it though, since it’s a great day hike, and you can admire the beauty from what’s known as “Smetana’s viewpoint.”

Smetana’s viewpoint
Image | Petr1888

Having made it through the white water, our journey is almost at an end: Prague, that “golden city of a hundred spires” is not far away. The main theme sounds again, grander than ever, but then a majestic new tune announces something important coming into view, at about eleven minutes in. It’s the great ruined fortress of Vyšehrad on Prague’s southern edge. According to legend, this was the place where the storied capital was founded, more than a thousand years ago. The trumpets soar as the river passes through the city, and I think everybody, whether you’re Czech or not, feels a sense of awe at this point in the music.

The Vltava, Prague, and Charles Bridge
Image | Ignacio Ferre

Finally, Smetana describes the Vltava disappearing into the distance where it merges with the Elbe River. The two rivers meet at the historic town of Mělník, which rises on its own rock above the broad river plain. The main theme gently glides away in the strings one last time before the music, the river, and our travelogue, reaches the end. Thanks for coming on the journey!

The town of Mělník, where the Vltava and the Elbe meet
Image | Art Anderson