French opera into that dignity and sanity from which it had lapsed since the early days of the art. The libretto of Iphigenia was founded on Racine's drama, which itself was in some measure adapted from Euripides.
Wagner admired the work of Gluck and in 1846 he added an ending to the overture to Iphigenia and made it suitable for concert performance. He also retouched the orchestration, bringing it into line with modern requirements.
Smetana's Vltava
Frederick Smetana was, like all natives of Bohemia, an intense patriot and lover of the natural beauties of his country. He wrote a series of six symphonic poems in praise of Bohemia, entitled ' My Country'. The one now to be performed is the first, and its title refers to the River Vltava (or Moldau), Bohemia's most important waterway. The music sets out to describe the course of the river from its rise in a forest spring, through the meadows, past the towns, to the sea. It is obviously the simplest kind of programme music, made up of folk tunes and lilting melodies, but all the more fascinating for its freedom from complications.