“The Moldau” by Bedrich Smetana
Click the following link http://www.rhapsody.com/bedrichsmetana
Choose the second selection entitled “The Moldau” (This is a river in the Czech Republic. This piece of music is about what you would see if you were traveling down the Moldau River)
Listen and answer the following:
i. What instruments do you hear in the opening moments?
ii. As the stream broadens what instruments are added?
iii. There are two changes of character – can you describe each one and what you think the scene is?
iv. Do you hear the opening theme repeated? If so, where?
v. In the end, what happens to the river?
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10 comments:
1) In the opening moments of this piece I hear clarinets and flutes possibly?
2) As the stream broadens Chellos, violins and violas, are added.
3) The first character change is because the river came to rapids and faster flowing water and mostly because it sounds as if the river has gotten a lot bigger and broader. The second character change is because the river starts slows back down but it still seems to be quite large.
4) Yes you do hear the opening theme repeated after the second character change.
5) The river begins to come to rapids again and a possible waterfall. But it eventually at the end flows into a large body of water possibly the ocean.
i. flutes
ii. clarinet & strings
iii. the first is peaceful and the second is more excited, but still happy.
iv. in the end
v.It floods and then calms down, and ends with two loud notes
i. At the beginning, there are mostly woodwinds such as flutes.
ii. As the stream widens, the brass is added with the strings.
iii. Near the end, the percussion becomes loud. there is a lot of cymbals and bass drum. To me, it sounds like a storm. but I imagine it's that hunt that we talked about in class.
iv. the theme is repeated at the end but it sounds a little faster and brighter
v. at the end, the stream dries up and so does the music.
flute I think. violins. It goes chaotic for a little while, and then it gets light and very pity. Then it gets slow and kind of drawn out (sounds like an old Disney Movie). Going towards the end we hear the intro again. The music gets kind of rough and loud and then calms down some....not so dark but kind of chaotic and then eventually lighter and lighter and then the 2 big last notes - I guess that would explain what happens to the river at the end.
1. Flute
2. There is several instruments that comes in after the flute. Sounds like a violin and then some brass instruments.
3.I'm confused, I guess at one point it gets really relax and quiet then it get excited again.
4. Its kinda repeated about 7mins into the music after the lull in the music.
5.Sounds to me at the end like the stop the music then added another little song to the end of it I dunno what happens to the river as you call it. I don't get the fact that it is a river.
i. Flutes. And plucking of a harp or something.
ii. As the stream brodens some strings are added. Violin, Bass. I hear the triangle every once and a while (I can play the triangle). Then I hear a bass drum... it hink that's what its called. Trunpets and other horns are added as well.
iii. I think of rapid intense river flow, and then free sailing.
iv. It's repeated somewhere at like the second half of the peice.
v. The river pours out into the ocean at the end of the piece.
1. Flutes
2. When it opens up the strings come in.
3.The two characters are A) light, peaceful, and flowing...then it seems to pick up in excitement, maybe in speed also, but still happy sounding. As it picks up, i pictured traveling down a river surrounded by trees and then breaking through the trees to some kind of huge landscape all around you where nature just takes your breath away. The music then got flippy and i pictured someone frolicking through the forest beside the river. B)This one has more of a magical and fantasy feel to it and then it picks up with lots of percussion towards the end. Especially bass drum.
5.I think that the people in the boat get back to shore at the end.
4.the opening them sort of repeats itself towards the end
I.Flutes, and possibly clarinets?
II.When the rest of the orchestra comes in you can hea several different stringed instuments, such as violins and cellos. Also is sounds like some brass instruments.
III. The first is very soft and peiceful, like the rolling of a soft stream on a beautiful day. Here I see someone floating down a stream and seeing deer on the side of the river and then you see a little lepricon playing a flute!haha
The second part is the point in which it is like, Oh goodness, here it comes. It's where the rapids become very, very strong and the stream gets exciting.
IV. It sounds like it is repeated at about the half way point. This could be becaue it was a lull in the rapids possibly.
V. The trip eventually ends though with the music ending, representing the end of the stream or the trip down the stream. I think that the river did not end, but they simply went ashore.
i. flute and i'm not sure on the other.
ii. violins, and other strings are added.
iii. The river get's wider, and then faster so there are more instruments added and then more intensity.
iv. toward the end
v. the river either ends, or the boat flips.
Woah.... You are adding more questions. I liked the three question blogs.
i. I hear flutes in the opening moments.
ii. A violin or other stringed instruments are added.
iii. It seems that at the beginning the river is peaceful then the river speeds up its is more exciting.
iv. Yes around the 5 minute mark the first theme is repeating.
v. The river slows down? Or maybe the boat docks.
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