The Moldau-Bedrich Smetana - Little Einsteins

[mmadden28]

I heard a snippet of a piece on Little Einsteins (Yes, I watch LE and quite often-two young boys) called Ma Vlast (My Fatherland) and/or Vltava , Maybe even called The Moldau. I think Little Einsteins only called it The Moldau; composed by Bedrich Smetana.

It was performed with a slower pace(?) then what I have been finding on the net in orchestral performances. The snippet on LE was solo Violin for the part they chose to present. The way it was done on the show, it sounded very "emotional" to me. I loved it-There is just something about the emotion of a violin with some peices....well anyway I spent hours searching for it. I love discovering new music (well new to me). But I can't get the same feeling from some of the orchestral pieces performing the same notes that I found so far.
Anybody know of a mostly violin version of that piece? Or otherwise interesting version?

Thanks

[John K.]

MM, the complete Ma Vlast, which has six sections, is one of my favorite works; I have seven recordings and have listened to about 9-10 others. As far as a transcription for violin of the Moldau section, although this has been done it doesn't appear that there're any present recordings available which might satisfy you. Nathan Milstein has a Pearl CD of performances from about 60 years ago which includes a violin transcription with piano accompaniment of the Moldau; I haven't heard it, but it's highly likely that the sound quality is quite poor with considerable background noise.

If you give a complete(and repeated)listening to all of Ma Vlast, you might find that you like it very much. Of the recordings that I have I'll specifically suggest a terrific bargain in the performance by Berglund with the Dresden State Orchestra(which many consider to be the finest in Europe). I got this about six years ago after reading a couple of professional reviews which praised it highly for both performance and sound quality. This proved to be the case and in my view both performance and sound are at least as good as any that I've heard, regardless of price(this is one of the audio areas where there's little or no correlation between price and quality). It's available for around $5-$7 from the usual sources, including Amazon and Tower.

[mmadden28]

Thanks John, good information!
The other day I ordered (waiting now) Smetana: Ma Vlast / Harnoncourt, Vienna Philharmonic, which is apparently a different style of performance of this work than usual (according to some reviews). I didn't find any samples of the section I am interested in, but figured enough reviews pushed me to get it anyway.

I also ordered Smetana: Má Vlast Piano 4 hands Version / I. & R. Ardasev, which is another not so standard take on the works.

Both CDs had good reviews and were at least considered as should or must have in a collection.
After I give these a good listening to, I'll check out the one you suggested. Or maybe I'll try it sooner since both of the CDs I ordered are backordered :(
Do you have this one conducted by Kubelik in your collection? It's gotten good reviews-Your thoughts?

[John K.]

The Harnoncourt performance is one of those that I listened to(borrowed from the library)but didn't seriously consider adding to my collection since my view was that it lacked the excitement of several that I had and that the sound was somewhat lacking in clarity.

One personal note on the Kubelik performance that you also link is that we happened to be in Prague during a tour of eastern Europe just two weeks following that performance(I hadn't been aware that it was scheduled or I certainly would have attempted to change our schedule so that we might attend). Our tour guide described the emotion of the event (with tears flowing copiously)to us in detail, with Kubelik returning home after being forced out by communist oppression 40 years previously, and despite being in poor health conducting this highly emotional music. I've also listened to this on CD, and although it's very good, didn't buy it , mostly because I already had Kubelik's performance with the Boston Symphony when he was in good health almost 20 years earlier and which is a bit more vigorous(probably my overall second choice after the Berglund CD). Certainly at least one of Kubelik's performances should be in a collection.

[mmadden28]

Well, so far really only had a chance to listen to the Kubelik performace, and so far only Vltava (the one that caught my ear to begin with), and I found it quite enjoyable. I listened all the way through in my car before finally going in to work. It actually was an awesome experience. I mean I got lost in the music-I don't know whether it was the music or the performance, but it definately took me somewhere-That's awesome. Now I can't wait to listen to the rest and other variations.
None of my other CDs have come in yet-apparently on backorder :( Oh well it'll give me a chance to better listen to the the one(s) I have. I always found that happens, especially with video games-If I have one or two I'll play the heck out of them, but if I have 10 games, then each only gets played a little-so I prefer to hold back sometimes for that reason.