in which it flows on in majestic calm toward Prague, welcomed by timehonored Vysehrad, to disappear in far distance from the poet’s gaze.” There is a resemblance between the principal theme of Vltava and of Hatikvah, the national anthem of Israel. This theme does not stem from a Czech folk song - though it more or less became one in consequence of Smetana’s use of it in this work. It happens to be a Swedish folk song, which was used in F. A. Dahlgren’s 1846 play The People of Värmland, Smetana knew the playwright during his years in Sweden (1855-61); in fact, Dahlgren’s sister-in-law, was Semtana’s pupil in Gothenburg. He may not have been acquainted with the collection of folk music in which Dahlgren found the tune, but surely he knew the play and the most famous song in it, “Ack Värmeland, du sköna" (O, Värmland, you lovely). Orly Tal
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