Tackling Smetana’s demanding composition of Ma Vlast, the Orchestra of the Canongait produced a stirring performance, capturing the essence of his tribute to home and story-telling. Split into six sections, the harps began the undulating musical and dynamic changes of the first section to recall Vyšehrad rock, representing the glory of Smetana’s Bohemian homeland. Beautiful contrasts of pizzicato on the strings with woodwind parts created a dreamlike composition and a gentle opening for the rest to follow.
The second section contained fantastic flute melodies as the piece gradually moved into a darker minor key to give a haunting interpretation of Bohemian folk music. Smetana’s intricate weaving of clarinet and flute, opening the piece in tribute to the two sources of the Vltava River, was joined by trumpets and ensemble in a repetitive structure depicting the excitement of a peasants’ wedding and the ethereal nature of nymphs at play. The pace quickened as Smetana’s gift for musical story-telling painted the tale of Sarka who, betrayed by her lover, takes revenge on a group of male soldiers with her army of rebellious maidens. The frenzied, melancholic harmonies of the violins were overwhelming until they dissolved into a more romantic tune as Sarka apparently enticed Prince Citrad and his army of men. Comical snoring from soldiers, depicted by the bassoon, added a sense of fun to the intensity of the music until the ensemble joined to become a deafening frenzy as Sarka and her maidens took their revenge.
Following this was a culturally rich score inspired by the beauty of a Bohemian forest. Woven loops of music echoed round the orchestra creating an intensely intricate sound. Changing tone with abrupt silences and discordant harmonies, this piece was not such easy listening, although the skill of the orchestra was able to shine. The final two fragments of this monumental score entertained rousing, traditional melodies representing the fall of the Hussites and their subsequent promise to wait in readiness to defend their country in times of need. Richly textured, the brass dominated over the syncopated rhythms in the strings until calming into a lighter melody with enchanting double bass inserts. These last two pieces of Smetana’s epic had many of the same repetitive structures of the previous ones, becoming a little wearing after such intense playing. Though it is a challenging piece, Conductor Robert Dick led the orchestra calmly through their accomplished performance to provide an enjoyable and cultural evening of music.