The second, and most famous, of Smetana’s Má vlast cycle follows the river Vltava as it passes through Czech lands, while the equally famous overture to his comic opera Prodaná nevěsta [known in English as The Bartered Bride] is a hyperactive, virtuoso romp of a piece that’s a carved stand-alone place for itself in the orchestral repertoire.

Dvořák’s second symphony was written not long after the completion of his first – both were composed in 1865 – but, unlike that dramatic c-minor work, the second is in a much more relaxed B-flat major and an almost pastoral mood. The composer revised the work in 1887.

 Vltava

Score

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Overture: Prodaná nevěsta

Score

Second Symphony

00:00 Allegro con moto (B-flat)
16:32 Poco adagio (g)
30:41 Scherzo: Allegro con brio (B-flat- A)
43:17 Finale: Allegro con fuoco (B-flat )

Score

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