Vltava - Bedřich Smetana










Performance Video
Difficulty: Normal
67 Pages
Key Information
- Instrument 1
- Orchestra
- Pages
- 67
- Difficulty
- Normal
- Type
- Empty
- Instrumentation
- Orchestra
- Lyrics
- Not included
- Chord
- Not included
Vltava (Moldau) – Full Score
📌 Piece Information
Title: Vltava (Moldau) – from Má vlast (My Fatherland), Movement II
Composer: Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884)
Score Pages: 72
Duration: approx. 12'00" (full symphonic poem)
🎼 Instrumentation
This score is transcribed from the original orchestral version. Instrumentation is as follows:
Woodwinds
Piccolo (Picc.)
Flute (Fl.)
Oboe (Ob.)
B♭ Clarinet (B♭ Cl.) – The original uses C clarinet; this edition uses B♭ clarinet for convenience in MuseScore demonstration. From page 58 onward, there is also an A clarinet section.
Bassoon (Bsn.)
Contrabassoon (Cbsn.)
Brass
Horn in D (D Hn.) + Horn in F (F Hn.) – The original uses two horns in C; this edition uses D/F horns for convenience in MuseScore demonstration. Later sections also include transpositions in E♭, E, F, etc.
Trumpet in E (E Tpt.) – The original uses C trumpet.
Trombone (Tbn.)
Bass Trombone (B. Tbn.)
Tuba (Tba.)
Percussion
Timpani (Timp.)
Triangle (Trgl.)
Cymbals (Cym.)
Concert Bass Drum (Con. BD)
Other Instruments
Harp (Hrp.) × 1
Strings
Violins I (Vlns.1)
Violins II (Vlns.2)
Violas (Vlas.)
Cellos I (Vcs.1)
Cellos II (Vcs.2)
Double Basses (Cbs.)
🎵 About the Piece
Vltava (also known as Die Moldau) is the second and most famous movement of Smetana's symphonic cycle Má vlast. The piece paints a vivid musical picture of the river Vltava as it flows through the Bohemian countryside – from its two spring sources, through forests and meadows (with a hunting scene and a village wedding polka), past Vyšehrad Castle, and finally into the city of Prague.
This edition includes performance markings and structural cues (e.g., "Waldjagd" – hunting scene, "St. Johann-Stromschnellen" – St. John's Rapids, "Vyšehrad Motiv" – Vyšehrad motif) as found in the source materials.
📁 File Format
PDF format, Conductor’s Score (Full Orchestral Score)
All parts presented in a single full score – suitable for study, analysis, or conducting practice
⚠️ Important Notice
This score is a personal transcription, not an official published edition. Please note the following:
Transposition Differences: This edition differs from the original (which uses C‑instrument notation) in the following sections:
InstrumentOriginal (Standard Orchestra)This EditionClarinetC ClarinetB♭ Clarinet – with an A clarinet section from page 58 onwardHornC Horn × 2D Horn + F Horn – with additional transpositions (E♭, E, F, etc.) in later sectionsTrumpetC TrumpetE Trumpet
These changes are made primarily to facilitate demonstration using common sound libraries and to accommodate ensembles with non‑standard instrument configurations.
Usage Note: If your ensemble uses the standard symphony orchestra setup (with C clarinet, C horns, and C trumpet notation), please use this score with caution, or refer to an official orchestral edition.
💡 Target Audience
Conductors and members of concert bands / wind ensembles that use B♭ clarinets
Clarinetists accustomed to reading transposed parts
Conducting students for score analysis and conducting practice
Arrangers seeking a reference edition with B♭ clarinet transposition
Music theory students analysing Smetana’s orchestration techniques