Bedřich Smetana's masterpiece My Homeland

My Homeland is a cycle of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879 by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. Each poem is a celebration of Bohemia –its beautiful nature, history, or legends.

Bedřich Smetana|Photo: public domain

The six symphonic poems, conceived as individual works, are often presented and recorded as a single work in six movements. They premiered separately between 1875 and 1880. The complete cycle premiered on November 5, 1882 in Žofín Palace in Prague.

My Homeland combines the symphonic poem form, pioneered by Franz Liszt, with the ideals of nationalistic music of the late 19th century.

Vyšehrad

The first poem, Vyšehrad, was composed in 1874 and premiered in 1875. It describes Vyšehrad Castle in Prague, the seat of the earliest Czech kings.

Jiří Bělohlávek, SOPK - Bedřich Smetana: Má vlast / My Country (Vyšehrad)

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Vltava

Vltava was composed between 1874 and 1875. In this piece Smetana uses tone painting to evoke the sounds of the Vltava River. The composition describes its flow from the two small springs that merge into a single current, the course of the river through woods and meadows, through landscapes where a farmer's wedding is celebrated, where mermaids dance in the moonlight, past castles, palaces and ruins on its way to Prague.

'Šárka'|Source: National Museum - Bedřich Smetana Museum

Šárka

The third poem was finished in 1875 and is named after the female warrior Šárka, a central figure in the ancient Czech legend of The Maidens' War.

From Bohemia's Woods and Fields

Smetana finished composing this piece in October 1875 and it received its first public performance that same year in December. The composition is a depiction of the beauty of the Czech countryside and its people.

Jiří Bělohlávek, SOPK - Bedřich Smetana: Má vlast / My Country (Z českých luhů a hájů)

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Tábor

'Tábor'|Source: National Museum - Bedřich Smetana Museum

This piece, which was finished in 1878 and premiered in 1880, is named after the town of Tábor in South Bohemia which was founded by the Hussites and served as their base during the Hussite Wars. The theme for the piece is taken from the first two lines of the Hussite hymn, "Ktož jsú boží bojovníci" ("Ye Who Are Warriors of God").

Blaník

Blaník was finished in 1879 and premiered in 1880. It is based on the Czech legend about Blaník mountain in which a huge army of knights led by St. Wenceslaus is sleeping. Legend has it that the knights will awake and help the country in its darkest hour.