Hello everyone!
My, it's been a looong time since this series was last present on my blog!
I've been through a tough few years and have had multiple intentions to restart this series celebrating classical music in all shapes and sizes...
Then the pandemic hit and changed everything.
Then my dad got sick and changed everything.
Then my priorities changed, as my dad passed away, and I had to step back from blogging for a season.
But here I am, back once again in my journey to 100 episodes...
Ma Vlast (My Fatherland)
I listened to a fascinating documentary last week on BBC Radio 3's Composer of the Week programme all about the life of Czech composer Bedřich Smetana; the so-called father of Czech music. The battles he had with his health and the lengths he would go to in order to treat his deafness were awful yet fascinating and one only has to read his Wikipedia page to see the sort of man he was.
Yet his life's compositions that he would leave behind are a library the likes of which remind me of Edward Elgar in part and even Mozart in part. The documentary was interspersed with portions of music and I was instantly captivated having begun hearing him on Classical MPR over the winter.
Take a listen to Smetana's Ma Vlast (My Fatherland) and see what you think: -
I've managed to find a performance by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Rafael Kubelík from the 9th June 1990.
I have loved classical music now for nearly thirty years and each time I find a new composer it's like cracking open a treasure trove of gems thanks to Spotify's immense back catalogue. If you're on the platform, or a competitor's, make sure you search for this man's music, especially if you like music that seems to swell with each movement yet somehow knows how to let it breathe as well.
Until next week.
Peace out!
===TLP===
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