The Moldau is the symphonic poem of the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana. The poem illustrates the flow of the Moldau river from its spring in the Bohemian forest to Prague. The Moldau theme is played five times and could be characterized as proud and playful by the character. Such an image is created by the gradual shift from flutes, clarinets, and violins in the introduction to bassoons and oboes. In addition, the melodic line of the central theme is simple if to compare with other sections of the poem. These features contribute to the overall image of the powerfulness and proudness of the Moldau theme.
I suppose that in the scene of rapids, the percussion section is the most important one. Overall, this section sounds chaotic, exhilarating, and immensely impulsive, whereas the scenes of wedding, hunt, and moonlight are less expressive. The importance of percussion lies in the fact that it shows the character and river flow. Percussion allows the listener to imagine how the Moldau river flows over the rocks, rages, and cuts into the banks.
Ultimately, when the river reaches Prague, the music sound very excited and emotional. This effect is achieved by the utilization of trombones, trumpets, and harps. Anyone who listens to the final part of the Moldau symphonic poem will understand how strongly Smetana was proud of Prague, how he admired and loved this place. If, in the very beginning, the poem sounds gentle and soft, by the end, it sounds much more confident. Besides, the Moldau is categorized as national music, and the composer himself belongs to the Nationalist school of Czech composition. Therefore, his works’ main aim is to glorify the fatherland, which is explicitly evident from the Moldau.