Dawn Over the River Vltava
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Many famous and powerful works of art have been inspired by the vast Vltava river, and the majestic arches of the Charles Bridge. The bridge itself has an air of mystery and intrigue hidden within it’s ancient stones and it is said that the bridge is inherently lucky due to the nature of it’s construction. King Charles IV of the Holy Roman Empire allegedly placed the first stone at precisely 5:31 AM on July 9, 1357 resulting in a chronologically sound 1 3 5 7 9 7 5 3 1 palindrome. Odd numbers were considered extremely lucky during this time period, so it isn’t too surprising that this bridge has stood the test of time. Another urban legend suggests that the mortar was mixed with egg yolks, supposedly to increase the strength of the bond. Whether or not that is true, the Charles Bridge has faced many disasters, and always comes out on top. The most recent of these being the 2002 flooding of the Vltava River. Here is a first hand report of the flood:
“On the morning of August 13th the flood water breached the defences at the low lying areas of Karlin and Liben. With no other serious protection, the water dispersed itself along the length of Sokolovska and Krizikova overcoming each hastily built sandbag defence in it’s path. Photographers recorded the relentless creeping of the Prague flood water, now deep enough to support a row boat in the centre of Karlin, as it moved towards the Florenc area. Police were now moving from block to block forcibly removing people from their apartments while it was still possible to walk in and out. A fleet of ambulances stood outside hospitals at Klimentska and Dvorakovo Nabrezi ferrying patients to safer locations. Basement generators were being flooded and electricity was being cut to prevent other problems. Around Palmovka, people well into their 80’s were arguing with Police that ‘the water had never got this far before’ and they were not moving.” Prague Flood 2002 – A Local’s Account Dawn Over the River Vltava is my personal take on the majesty of the Charles Bridge, and its strength in overcoming the treachery of the 2002 flood. As a tribute to the superstition of King Charles, the form of the piece is a palindrome, or a pseudo-rondo that is represented by four distinct sections arranged in the order shown here: A B C B D B C B A. The A section is a representation of the sun rising through the morning mists, bathing the bridge in a hazy, golden glow. The B section represents the turbulence of the flood waters; the force of the river relentlessly and tirelessly pressing against the bridge with a syncopated, urgent feel. The C section is the theme of the river. Smetana’s famous tone poem: “The Moldau” served as the primary influence for the melodic material here with a strong and broad bass line, a lilting and flowing melody, and folk-inspired duets interspersed. After a brief homage to Karl Husa’s “Music for Prague 1968”, a triumphant and inspiring fanfare begins in the trumpets and horns and spreads to the rest of the ensemble; this is the theme of the bridge itself. The fanfare builds to a dissonant climax as the waters rush to overtake the bridge, but as the chords resolve to the major it is made clear that the bridge has triumphed. The flood waters quickly recede and the waters become calm once more. |
