How should we feel about avowedly “national” music? Remember, if you value “patriotism”, for instance, as all the presidential candidates are required to avow every hour, on the hour, you must respect patriotism in nations other than your own. Otherwise it’s not patriotism per se you value, but some kind of hegemony, cultural or political.

Apr 19
Apr 19 Greatest Tone Poem? Don't Forget to Consider Smetana's "From Bohemia's Woods and Valleys"

John Gibbons

Smetana’s Ma Vlast constitutes the greatest orchestral score between Berlioz and Brahms. I don’t raise an eyebrow if you would like to correct that to “between Beethoven and Mahler”. And the jewel in the crown is “From Bohemia’s Woods and Valleys”.

Apr 14
Apr 14 Smetana and Deafness

John Gibbons

Smetana composed his greatest work, the orchestral cycle Ma Vlast while being stone deaf. I am frequently asked how a composer can compose when he is deaf. It isn’t alchemy, it’s training.

Apr 7
Apr 7 Two More Worthy Works of Smetana and Dvorak

John Gibbons

I do not anticipate having time in class to discuss Smetana’s Trio in g minor or Dvorak’s late folk/fairy tale opera “The Devil and Kate” but I’d like to recommend these fine pieces to my class, and of course my general readership as well.

Apr 2
Apr 2 Smetana: Date Revisions and Slight change for Wk. 1

John Gibbons

Graham School News

Mar 27
Mar 27 A Note on Smetana's Macbeth

John Gibbons

The orchestral version of “Macbeth and the Witches’ is, according to Brian Large, made by somebody named Otakar Jeremias. David’s research is correct, unsurprisingly! The orchestration is brilliant in the extreme. Nevertheless, the novelty of the piece is not primarily due to the orchestration.

Mar 27
Mar 27 A Splendid CD

John Gibbons

Smetana: Macbeth and the Witches; Dvorak: Prelude to Spectre’s Bride, The Water Goblin, and The Hussites, Prague Symp.With Smetacek, Czech Phil with Chalarala, on Urania.

Blog Posts By

Apr 28
Apr 28 The National and the Confessional in Smetana and Dvorak

Apr 19
Apr 19 Greatest Tone Poem? Don't Forget to Consider Smetana's "From Bohemia's Woods and Valleys"

Apr 14
Apr 14 Smetana and Deafness

Apr 7
Apr 7 Two More Worthy Works of Smetana and Dvorak

Apr 2
Apr 2 Smetana: Date Revisions and Slight change for Wk. 1

Mar 27
Mar 27 A Note on Smetana's Macbeth

Mar 27
Mar 27 A Splendid CD

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Blog Posts By

Apr 28 Apr 28 The National and the Confessional in Smetana and Dvorak

Apr 19 Apr 19 Greatest Tone Poem? Don't Forget to Consider Smetana's "From Bohemia's Woods and Valleys"

Apr 14 Apr 14 Smetana and Deafness

Apr 7 Apr 7 Two More Worthy Works of Smetana and Dvorak

Apr 2 Apr 2 Smetana: Date Revisions and Slight change for Wk. 1

Mar 27 Mar 27 A Note on Smetana's Macbeth

Mar 27 Mar 27 A Splendid CD

Follow Us

In the Chicago area?

Apr 28
Apr 28 The National and the Confessional in Smetana and Dvorak

Apr 19
Apr 19 Greatest Tone Poem? Don't Forget to Consider Smetana's "From Bohemia's Woods and Valleys"

Apr 14
Apr 14 Smetana and Deafness

Apr 7
Apr 7 Two More Worthy Works of Smetana and Dvorak

Apr 2
Apr 2 Smetana: Date Revisions and Slight change for Wk. 1

Mar 27
Mar 27 A Note on Smetana's Macbeth

Mar 27
Mar 27 A Splendid CD