Music and beauty for a Saturday morning
by David Atkins
Take a break from the hair-raising Randism of the rightwing this morning and enjoy the most famous Czech composition and one the greatest pieces of music of all time, Smetana’s Moldau from Ma Vlast, performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic. It’s a Romantic-era symphonic poem evoking the Moldava river, and an intentional act of Czech musical patriotism during the wonderful period of nationalistic character breaking free from the unifying conventions of the Classical era.
I’ve never been to Prague, and my heart aches to see the pictures. I have a strong aversion to being the “ugly American” when traveling overseas, and usually refrain from visiting countries whose language I can’t do at least a mediocre job of getting by in. But one day soon I’ll either have to learn some Czech or bite the bullet and be the ugly American in Prague. Life’s too short not to visit a city so beautiful, assuming I can afford to go.
When one concentrates too much on the ugliness of the world, it’s important to be reminded of the extraordinary beauty that lies within it as well.
.