Vyšehrad (The High Citadel)
The first movement in this work pictures the castle in Prague which was the seat of the earliest Czech kings: “the half-legendary rock towering above the Vltava, awakening in the poet’s mind dreams of its glory and final fall as the original seat of Bohemia’s rulers and kings, the harp of the bard Lumir echoing within the halls of the castle.” Smetana introduced motifs that are heard again in at the end of “Vltava” and once more at the end of “Blaník”. The overall mood is one of heroism and nobility. The music rises in splendor to evoke a bygone bustle of activity, gleaming armor, war cries and celebrations of victory.
In the score two harps are required to perform the opening arpeggios.
Closer to the end the opening harp material is heard again and the music reminds again of the beauty of the castle, now in ruins. The music ends quietly, depicting the Vltava river flowing below the castle.
In the score two harps are required to perform the opening arpeggios.
Closer to the end the opening harp material is heard again and the music reminds again of the beauty of the castle, now in ruins. The music ends quietly, depicting the Vltava river flowing below the castle.