Conductor, P. S. G. O'Donnell
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.