The Moldau

This is my guitar instrumental arrangement of The Moldau, a symphonic poem by Bohemian composer Bedřich Smetana that evokes the flow of the Vltava River—or, in German, the Moldau—from its source in the mountains of the Bohemian Forest, through the Czech countryside, to the city of Prague. A devoutly patriotic work, The Moldau captures in music Smetana’s love of his homeland. Completed in 1874 and first performed the following year, the piece is the second movement of a six-movement suite, Má vlast (My Country), which premiered in its entirety in Prague on November 5, 1882.

I was inspired to create this after hearing a 1964 guitar-rock recording of this by P.J. and the Galaxies, a surf rock band from the Los Angeles area.