7 Surprising Facts About Bedřich Smetana’s Symphonic Poem Cycle, My Country

1. How did the cycle My Country come into being?

Bedřich Smetana’s major work, My Country, was created between 1874 and 1879. In the sheet music for the first piece, Vyšehrad, Smetana included a poignant note, “In a state of ear disease”. This was in late September 1874, and by October, he lost his hearing entirely. His condition forced him to step down from his position at the Provisional Theatre, which might have actually given him more time for his compositions. After finishing Vyšehrad in mid-November 1874, he moved on to create Vltava.

When Vyšehrad premiered on 14 March 1875, Smetana was unable to hear it at all. Despite this challenge, he composed additional pieces that same year, including Šárka and From the Czech Meadows and Groves. A few years later, he completed Tábor and Blaník. When these works were performed on January 4, 1880, at a special concert celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Bedřich Smetana’s first public performance, the entire collection was officially named. Thus, My Homeland was completed.

2. The year 1882 and the premiere of the cycle My Country at Žofín

In 1881, Smetana’s opera Libuše premiered, and the following autumn saw the production of Devil’s Wall. On November 5, 1882, there was a ground-breaking performance featuring all six of the symphonic poems from the My Country cycle. This concert took place at Slovanský ostrov in a classical building that the island’s owner, Václav Antonín Novotný, had constructed in 1835. The venue was later named Žofín in honor of Archduchess Sophie, who was the mother of the future Emperor Franz Joseph I..

Unfortunately, Smetana’s health worsened considerably toward the end of 1882, and he passed away less than two years later, on May 12, 1884, at the age of sixty. However, the Žofín was on the verge of a bright future. In 1884, the city acquired the entire island and transformed the simple classical building into the grand Neo-Renaissance Žofín Palace, which is now known for its elegantly decorated and impressive interiors. This palace has been one of the leading cultural and social centers in Prague and the entire country ever since. Along with Žofín, the island also features the Šítkovská water tower, the Mánes Society of Artists building, a restaurant, a park adorned with a monument to Božena Němcová, a children’s playground, and a boat and pedal boat rental office called Slovanka, operating only during the peak summer season.

3. Má vlast, Czech Philharmonic and concert in the brewery

At the time of the premiere of My Country, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra hadn’t yet been formed. Its inaugural concert took place on January 4, 1896, at the Rudolfinum, featuring the works of Antonín Dvořák. Ironically, the Czech Philharmonic performed Smetana’s My Country in its entirety for the first time during a concert held on December 8, 1901, at the Smíchov brewery.

Interestingly, the cycle had a notable first in 1925, when Václav Talich, a leading Czech conductor of the 20th century and chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 1919 to 1941, conducted the first concert of the Philharmonic Orchestra that was broadcast live on radio. Furthermore, five years later, My Fatherland became the first piece the Czech Philharmonic recorded on a gramophone.

4. My country as a fighter for freedom and democracy

When My Country was created, it stood as one of the most significant artistic achievements of the national revival. However, during the 20th century, it evolved into a powerful symbol of resilience and hope for the nation in challenging times. During the Nazi occupation, in a show of defiance, when Joseph Goebbels asked the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra to perform in Berlin and Dresden, Talich included My Homeland in the concert program. The same piece was even featured in a “Thanksgiving concert” conducted by Rafael Kubelík in 1945 for the newly liberated Czechoslovakia. And, decades later, it was selected again by Kubelík for the concert celebrating the first free elections in Czechoslovakia.

In November 2020, Chief Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov led the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in performing the entire cycle to honor the 30th anniversary of this pivotal moment in history, establishing an annual tradition called the Concert for Freedom and Democracy, which pays tribute to the legacy of the Velvet Revolution. In 2021, Jakub Hrůša conducted the performance, in 2022 Simon Rattle took the helm, and in 2023 Antonio Pappano conducted the event. The upcoming Year of Czech Music 2024, directed by the Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov, will feature a series of concerts with purely Czech programs at one of the most prestigious venues in the world, New York’s Carnegie Hall.

5. My Country, Prague Spring and Czech Statehood Day

A gem of national culture and a crucial part of the world’s musical heritage, Smetana’s My Country cycle continues to be a cornerstone in the 21st century. However, it remains relatively unknown to international organizers. According to the General Director of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, David Mareček, locals often have to fight hard to promote it. That My Fatherland has been welcomed by venues like the Musikverein in Vienna, the Berlin Philharmonic, Hamburg, Essen, and the Barbican in London is a promising indicator for Czech music and a deserved recognition of Smetana’s impact.

Annually, My Country is performed on May 12, marking Smetana’s death anniversary, as the opening work of the Prague Spring Festival.

6. Lumír’s harp from Vyšehrad: the oldest radio jingle

The symphonic poem Vyšehrad honors the founding of the Czech state, with Vyšehrad being recognized as the ancient seat of Czech rulers. Smetana integrated the sounds of Lumír’s harp, a medieval bard, into the introduction of My Country on three occasions: first in Vyšehrad, then near the end of the Vltava (as Vyšehrad appears above the river), and once more in Blaník alongside the final Hussite chorale.

Lumír’s Harp also holds the title of the oldest Czech radio jingle and is possibly one of the earliest radio jingles worldwide. As reported by Czech Radio, it aired for the first time on the Prague station during the national holiday on October 28, 1933, and continued being broadcast during significant historical events such as WWII, 1948, and 1968. Additionally, you can see a sculptural representation of the mythical singer Lumír and his symbolic Song at Vyšehrad, created by the sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek.

7. Symphonic poem Vltava: The cat is crawling through the hole and the Israeli anthem

The second poem in the My Country cycle, Vltava, is arguably the most renowned. It musically guides listeners along the Vltava River from its origins in Šumava, through Prague, and to where it meets the Elbe River. However, the central musical theme is coupled with intriguing narratives: some people insist they distinctly hear a folk song about A cat climbing through a hole, while others think it echoes a folk song from Sweden (where Smetana spent time), or from Moldova. There are also those who notice similarities between the Vltava and the Israeli anthem Hatikvah, composed by Samuel Cohen, leading many to believe it was inspired by Smetana’s work. The soothing melodies of Vltava welcomed travelers to Prague aboard Czech Airlines. Regardless of interpretations, this Smetana masterpiece remains timeless.

Vltava premiered on March 14, 1875. Since then, it has inspired various iconic artworks created by prominent Czech landscape painters, including Antonín Slavíček, Josef Mánes, and Julius Mařák, alongside important figures in European modern art like Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka, all of whom had connections to the Vltava River in Český Krumlov and Prague. You can also see Vltava in a niche in the garden wall of the Clam-Gallas Palace in Old Town Prague, even though the sculpture by Václav Prachner is popularly referred to as Terezka.