Die Moldau (Smetana) cover version by Accept (with analysis) | The Daily Doug (Episode 196) 

i listened the whole of ma vlast on the czech national holiday in prague, performed by the czech national symphonic orchestra, while i was an exchange student in Prague. I have known this piece basically since I have been born, but I still love it unconditionally. I my mind Smetana achieved something almost divine with it and probably really shape the czech national identity, this piece is just very easy to love

Now this is awesome, as a czech metalhead and also lover of classical music, especially of Bedřich Smetana. Its awesome that you have been to Prague, gorgeous city.

Hi Doug, your Czech subscriber here :) Love Smetana's work and I Accept this cover. Too bad that they did not did it in front of Czech audience, this piece is mostly known here in our region... Anyway thumbs up for spreading this beautiful music to wider audience :) Keep up the good work, sir :)

The political undertones: Since the 16th century, Czech lands were subjected to Germanization under Austrian control. Czech language almost vanished, but from the end of 18th century, scholars and writers revived and modernized the language, reestablished the national identity and triggered a about 50 years of cultural explosion. Smetana was born into the middle of the Revival. A few decades after the Revival was complete, the aging and deaf Smetana wrote "Má Vlast" as a romantic expression of national pride. Sidenote, even English still uses the old German name "Moldau", not "Vltava", this is why. Now, Accept is a German band. We no longer fight, but I am sure that the band is acutely aware of the context.

Gorguts - "The Battle of Chamdo". Chamber music composed by a death metal band! Yes yes, a string ensemble directed by the band's leader, maestro Luc Lemay, a former violist trained at Vincent-d'Indy school & the Montreal Conservatory of Music. You won't hear that very often.

This was lovely! I really appreciate the inclusion of the original piece, as it is a new one for me, the theory breakdown with the piano reduction, and the reaction to the cover. Nicely done, Dr. Doug!

Beautiful piece of music, thanks! Accept are german metal legends… sometimes metal is much more close to classical compositions than pop music! I remember we played Moldau in our school orchestra, 30 years ago, I played french horn… loved it! 👍🤘

Manowar-Heart of steel (with orchestra or not)

Hey Doug, really appreciate you doing this piece of music, it's an absolute classic here in Bohemia. Great video, as always. Greetings from Prague!

Metal Heart by Accept whit Udo Dirkschneider, a suggestion for you. Udo Is a beast

Hey Doug, check out Metal Heart by Accept from 84, I think that song will ring some bells in your classical minds eye😉👍🏼🔥 Wolf has a great depth of Classical music background

I wrote this on an earlier episode, but it fits here again: please, check out the swedish band Therion, on his album "The Miskolc Experience", where they play along with a whole orchestra and choir. There are some versions of classical music on the first part, but I would love to see your reaction to their own songs, like "Rise of Sodom and Gomorra" or "Schwarzalbenheim", played on the second part of the concert!

Ma Vlast was the very first classical orchestral performance I attended...just fantastic...looking forward to this one Doug.. 👍

Another beautiful great rock-metal cover is "Wuthering heights" (originally by Kate Bush), covered by a Brazilian band called Angra, in 1993. It would be really worth listening to it.

Speaking about classical music. La Gazza Ladra's overture is used as the intro for Marillion (The Thieve's Magpie) which features the entire Misplaced Childhood album. You should really react to that Misplaced Childhood. It's a wonderful concept album and it's Marillion at its highest point

Wolf Hoffman is my favorite guitarist of all time. He has release two albums where he plays classical music in "guitar-rock" version. They are awesome. Accept is also one of my favorite bands. You should check out their song Metal Heart because the intro in based on Tchaikovsky's "Slavonic March" and the solo in that song is Beethoven's "Für Elise" on the guitar played by Wolf Hoffman. 🤗

I've been listening to Accept since the 80s and didn't even know there was such a version. I recommend the album Lingua Mortis from the metal band Rage. Band and orchestra (Prague Symphony Orchestra) play together harmoniously, the band almost fades into the background in many passages compared to the bombast of the orchestra. In a nameless time wild be the perfect Song for you.

Would love to see Doug do a complete "The Planets" by Holst.

I agree completely regarding Prague . . . I lived in what was then Czechoslovakia from 1991 to `1994 . . . I have traveled and lived all over Europe, and to date, Prague is my favorite city. Ma Vlast is a brilliant piece, but I am particular to his student Dvorak. Nonetheless, every time I hear the Vltava, or any other movement from Ma Vlast, it brings me back to my years living in that amazing country. Glad I discovered this podcast! Dobrý večer!

Doug, As a classical composer you owe it to yourself and to your listeners to listen to a classical album by the band Camel "The Snow Goose" from 1975 and re-recorded in 2013 no vocals and it's one long song!

I've never been much of a classical music person, but I have always loved "Die Moldau". Learned about it in second grade, loved it ever since.

I like the little window above the door in the middle of the backdrop, a nice nod to their 1985 album 'Metal Heart'

Hey Doug, thanks for being that cool music teacher I never had. Just having someone like you, understand the existence of music other than classical pieces, and acknowledging the power of 'metal' (i have watched your other videos too!), makes me feel good. Thank you for making this channel one of the better places in this vast world of internet. peace.

Greetings from Prague Doug! :-) The basic melody (which goes up the scale C-D-E-F-G-G-H-H-G-H-H-G.....) is a czech kid's song "Kočka leze dírou" (=cat goes through a hole). Btw. the whole The Moldau piece beautifully shows the whole "life of a river", meaning the beginning is a tiny spring running down the mountains, then a small river and then at the end the pretty large (though slower) majestic river as you know it from our beautiful city of Prague. Wolf Hoffmann recorded two albums (Classical and Headbangers Symphony) that are full of these rock covers of classical "hits" like Bolero, Blues for Elise or Air on the G-string. The Moldau is there as well of course.

Hey Doug, amazing video, thanks for this review 🎶🎶

Maybe someday you can listen to ELP's "Pictures At An Exhibition". This is a modern version of Mussorgski's piano cycle of the same name. (The orchestral version by Ravel is better known). That was my second ELP album (around 1973) and I loved it.

Thank you for this very thorough breakdown of a beautiful piece of music as adapted in a modern and metal way!

That was a fun ride. Great to learn more about the original piece and then see the two versions of it.

They did spread their wings, reconstructing a classic. Fine job as always ; Doug.

I remember studying this piece in music class at high school, talking about how it described the rivers progress from source to sea. I've always loved it, and this version is amazing. The very definition of symphonic metal.

For the record, Smetana titled the movement "Vltava". All the movements had Czech names. As a matter of fact, the movements are listed on his grave in the cemetery at Vyšehrad (Upper Castle) in Prague which I've visited. It's around the corner from Dvořák's and Čapek's.

This was very lovely to watch. I always enjoy a good blend of classical music with Heavy Metal. Fits perfectly.

This is AMAZING!

Well, that was wonderful. I'm familiar with this piece and do like Smetana's work. Having an analysis of the original beforehand helps me to appreciate it so much more, even if I don't have the music theory background to understand more than a fraction, (although I am picking bits up having followed your videos for a few months now). I often wonder what the great composers would have come up with if they'd had modern instruments and equipment available to them (Wagner or Beethoven...sheesh!) and believe that many of the musicians in the bands you've covered are composers of that quality - especially after listening to these reactions. I'd also like to thank the people who come up with the suggestions for these videos. I was stuck with more or less the same music for 40 years, and being introduced to all these amazing new stuff is a breath of fresh air. Even so, I would still love to hear your take on Yes's 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'.

This made my day!

This piece is part of the soundtrack of Tree of Life ( a movie that makes me quite emotional) . It was great hearing the piece on its own. It made me reconnect with old memories and emotions.

That was awesome thank you.

one of my favorite classical pieces.

Happy you found and like a band that I've been digging since the early 80s....A selection from "Symphonic Terror" would be cool....'Princess of the Dawn' has always been a favourite of mine. Crowd participation, too.

Woohoo! Been on the Charles Bridge too. Beautiful city!! Die Moldau is a beautiful piece; it was one of the classical pieces that opened up the classical music landscape to me.

Like you just said, simple, but very well crafted.

thank you SO mutsh doug , god bless you

The first time I heard Ma Vlast was from my brother's cassette tape when I was 18 in mid 80's. I totally fell in love with the symphonic poem. It was not until mid 90's that I got a CD by Boston Philharmonic. This whole symphonic poem is so beautiful and brings goosebumps every time I hear it. Nice to see this piece "written in rock" by Accept. My brother's a classical pianist and I'm a rock guitar player - what a pair of brothers!

I love the whole symphonic poem from which this piece comes. It may sound a little weird (it’s not), but I spent a while a few years ago in Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague, where Dvořák is also buried, sitting on a bench in the sunshine opposite Smetana’s grave listening to the whole of Ma Vlast on my iPod. A very special time. Thanks as ever Doug - great job.

Well worth the journey - encore encore

Outstanding! Period.

Hey Doug, this was a great reaction, but I think you'd love Accept's classic and classically inspired Princess of the Dawn which is an Accept live staple and probably my favorite Accept song. Check out the original 1982 version or a live one with Udo Dirkschneider on vocals.

I played Moldau with an orchestra when I was 12 or 13 years old! It was an arrangement for orchestras that dont have the quality for a "full roster", but it had a pretty difficult piano addition and I was the pianist. I had to play the "waves" through the whole piece. It was very intensen :D

Not a classical music fanatic but loved this piece from school when our music teacher explained the concept of a river at its source gradually growing in size and strength. Other favourites - Vorjak’s new world symphony and Beethoven pastoral symphony plus Mussorgsky pictures at an exhibition as introduced to me by Emerson Lake and Palmer

This is like my perfect episode - something new to hear, the visuals of the piano rendition, and the musical analysis. I've heard Ma Vlast once before, but not this version. I just caught the second half of the premiere last night, and watched the full thing this morning. I think the first rock rendition of a classical piece I was ever aware of was Nero and the Gladiators doing "In the Hall of the Mountain King" in the 60s. As for beautiful cities - I am of course biased, but: York, England :)

Jon Lord’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra is where all this kind of stuff started with. Specifically written for group an philharmonic orchestra. I would again suggest to take this three piece to the channel for its epic position in musical history

Superb musical theory lesson Doug. Accept rock it too, Long time fan.

I was interested if someone checked on the Czechs. Wasn't disappointed. Thank you for deciding to listen to some of our music. I remember learning this on flute (I mean the wooden one. I think this is the name for the metal one..?) by hearing it. It actually sounds like the Moldau from my playing skills, haha. I didn't learn the whole piece, tho.

Loved Accept in the 80's. Haven't heard anything since, way different but I like it. Thanks!

I think many people fail to see how much metal music can parallel with classical music. And how well they work together

I didn't know this cover of one of my favourite classical pieces existed and I'm really enjoying it! For more metal adaptations of classical music I would reccomend Rhapsody's The Wizard's Last Rhymes (Dvorak's New world symphony, but with Lyrics!).

Thank you for this reaction. I have always loved Má Vlast. The tone poems really express the identity of a very beautiful people.

Always loved this piece. The whole of Ma Vlast is just wonderful. 👍👍

Awesome Doug, I've not followed accept since the early 80's, so that was quite something. Would love to see you analyse 'Difficult to Cure' by Rainbow (or Deep Purple as it's a Ritchie Blackmore solo, as he kept playing it after he returned to deep purple in the mid 80's)

Still hoping Uli Jon Roth’s version of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons gets on your radar!

Procol Harum's whiter shade of pale done with orchestra live is brilliant.

Omg! What an amazing way to end the week! I hoped you'd review Accept at some point. This is one of my favourite rendition of Die Moldau. How you'll review some more Accept stuff in the future.

it is ur best review since u created ur channel. Best track, great comparison between this rock version and the classical one... i wish ur channel will continue on this way...( there is good rock music everywhere...not only Iron Maiden)

Loved that, not heard it before

I'm really looking forward to this one (since y'know....I suggested it). From the description, it looks like you really enjoyed comparing Hoffmann's adaptation to Smetana's original score. Can't wait to see the video this afternoon and find out.

One of the better metal/rock adaptations of an orchestral piece that I’ve heard. I’m a huge metalhead and I’ve also really enjoyed “classical” music for my whole life (my parents played it a lot since the time I was a baby), but when orchestral pieces are translated into a rock or metal setting they usually feel either sparse (lack of instrumentation) or stiff (from the drumming) to me. This was pretty well done though. Accept is a great band in their own right too and they have many awesome songs! Thanks for the great video as always 🤘🤘

Since the games are on, you should do Olympic by Paul Gilbert

Hello, a Czech guy here. We (I) would be delighted to have you visit Czech Republic again! Thanks for the show of love for Smetana. I love his piano trio even more (though I doubt any metal band took their spin on it). For a cover of (or rather inspiration by) another Czech composer, Dvořák, have a look at Rhapsody of Fire's The wizard's Last Rhymes. Did you consider doing analyses/reviews of classical pieces? No covers or anything, just the original pieces. Or maybe reacting to some you don't know? Although I suppose you have listened to quite a lot of them, considering you background.

That one was fun! Can you do a triple version of this one?: Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C# minor Ekseption - on sunday they will kill the world (1970) (prelude in c# minor) Draconian - on sunday they will kill the world (2006)

Hi, I love classical music, metal and jazz and I'm from Czechia (actually I live just by the Charles bridge :) ) but to be honest - it was good but not great - I might be too "spoiled" by the guitar masters I like ... So sorry for the critique it's caused by my unrealistic expectations ... :) ... And Doug, keep doing what U do - I love your enthusiasm, expertise, and open mind in your videos ...

Wow, nice attempt at pronouncing Bedřich! And thanks for the nice words about my city of origin :-)

Back in the seventies my guitar teacher taught me Bourree in e-minor by J>S> Bach, playing very slowly untill learned and executed correctly. I originally thought I had heard it before but had never listened to Bach or any classical music before starting classical guitar lessons.(I was only 12) When I learned the piece fluently and at a good speed it popped into my head right away. Walla! Bouree by Jethro Tull!

Moldau has the same effect on me as the Bolero and Faure's Pavane. I don't know why but they are all hypnotic to me with the rhythmic repetition despite the changes. Three of my faves.

Yaaah! It came thru!

Nice interpretation while mostly staying with the spirit of the original. I would love to hear your thoughts on "Concerto for Rock Band and Orchestra", Its deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic playing. Its always been a favorite of mine, especially the second movement. Also the expression on the faces of the players is interesting, I think there may be a 50/50 break down between players loving it and hating it.

Ah yes, this brings me over 30 years back to Freshman Year in my Music Theory 101 course where I was introduced to this lovely piece. And when Accept released this a couple years back it once again brought me back. Wolf Hoffman is one of my favorite guitarists ever. So vastly talented yet so tasteful. I could listen to him play all day. Cheers! Oh yeah, MIRACLES OUT OF NOWHERE BY KANSAS!

Prague is a wonderful city, been there a couple of times myself. If you like a bit heavier music, don't miss the Brutal Assault festival in Jaroměř in early August every year. Postponed twice now thanks to Covid, but 2022 me and my friends will be there again for their 25th anniversary!

I love flute's beginning from this piece...

Prague is wonderful (and this comes from somebody living in beautiful Vienna). "Die Moldau" is a beautiful piece. Do I like Accept's take on it? Not necessarily. This music is supposed to flow like a river, and not stomp on like a hulking brute with a beer belly.

Doug, greetings from Czech republic! Great to hear you like Smetana and Prague. And Dream Theater or Iron Maiden music :-) I like your videos! Just continue pls...

If you're looking for the possibly most accomplished fusion of metal and orchestra, then Rage's In Lingua Mortis is what you're dreaming of

Wolf Hoffmann has released 2 classically influenced solo albums as well as his 16 plus Accept albums

If you're interested the folk metal band Turisas have a song called A Portage To The Unknown which has a main melody which seems very inspired by this piece. They even phrase the lyrics around the melody. As to the original piece it always reminds me of the film The Tree Of Life. It was used really effectively in a montage sequence. If you're open to more metal interpretations of classical pieces, the Rhapsody song 'The Wizard's Last Rhymes' is based around the 4th movement of Dvorak's 9th, and much like the Turisas one I mentioned, seems to phrase the lyrics around the main motif of the original piece.

Toccata by Ginestera, adapated and performed by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Check a live version on 1974 (California Jam)

"The man who wrote the Moldau (and this theme)/Bore the unlikely name of Sour Cream." (Josefa Heifetz)

This show and the Wacken show with the Chech National Orchestra is both awesome. You have a lot to reach on there!

Αccept are quite prone doing things like that, i.e during ''Princess Of The Dawn'' they incorporated the main theme of an old popular Romanian classical/folk song! Plus guitarist Wolf Hofmann has released a whole album of classical music written and orchestrated by him.

Wolf Hoffmann did a whole solo record called 'Classical' where he not only covered 'The Moldau' but pieces like 'In the Hall of the Mountain King', 'Bolero', 'For Elise' (in a bluesy version), 'Solveig's Song', 'Pomp & Circumstance' and more. You should check it out.

Doug, One of my favorite pieces of music, especially the full suite. Thanks for turning me on to this. If you want to look into rock interpretations of classical music, check out the recent Liquid Tension Experiment album. They did a cover of Rhapsody in Blue. Also Keith Emerson has done lots of that. Toccata (from Ginastera's 1st Piano Concerto), Fanfare for the Common Man, Pictures at an Exhibition, America (Leonard Bernstein) and Hoedown (Aaron Copeland).

Would be interesting to see your reaction on Therion's performance at the Miskolc opera festival. They performed with a full orchestra. Therion were the first metal band in history of the festival, followed by Epica and Tarja (the former vocalist of Nightwish now leading her own project) in the following years. Therion is a very unusual band. They frequently record with a real orchestra. Their female vocalists are real operatic voices. And also they are semi-occult, which greatly affects the lyrics, but doesn't cancel the great musical value of what they create.

SKY OVERTURE by Uli Jon Roth!!!!!

As others has suggested here, take a listen to the song Metal heart by Accept. The intro is Marche slave by Tchaicovsky and the guitar solo plays manily around To Elise by Beethoven 😊👍 Great song, I personaly prefer the original singer, Udo Dirkschneider, but I am not sure that you will find a live version with him on vocal that has good audio quality

Thanks for bringing this live recording to my attention. The original arrangement by Wolf Hoffmann (the ACCEPT guitarist), released on his first solo album called "Classical" back in 1997, was my wife's and my choice as first dance / wedding waltz for our wedding 17 years ago! The entire album consists of classical pieces arranged for electrical guitar. A good choice to satisfy ALL wedding guests, from grandparents to best friends which are metal heads.🤘 That's why I was a bit irritated reading this would be an arrangement by ACCEPT - even if they claim it themselves, it's not true. It's a warmed up Wolf Hoffmann solo arrangement they just used as an adder to their tracklist due to having the symphonic orchestra available. Anyway, great recording and the addition of the orchestra makes indeed more than sense for this piece. The only negative point is that I was not aware of this tour. How could this happen? I'm sure my wife would have loved to see this piece live - and since we are located in Germany, this was more than possible.

Doug, you had me sold with this kind of comparison / analysis! After your reactions to "Classical" Yngwie Malmsteen, AVANTASIA and now ACCEPT, why not make this successful idea a weekly or twice-a-month feature? ;))) There is a surprising number of instances where famous Classical themes have been adapted, in direct "cover" or in variations, by Rock / Metal bands, and the results are often outstanding. ACCEPT, of course, are German Heavy metal pioneers, one of the most influential bands of its kind (thus the 1M views of their performance). But the various bands in Neo-Classical or Symphonic metal style have done many more (and, due to their stylistic strengths, arguably even more successful) renditions of the Classics. So the well is not running dry anytime soon. :) The supporters will have given suggestions for further listening, but for best "attendance", here are several heavy versions of tunes that almost everyone knows and might be excited to compare: - RHAPSODY "The Wizard's Last Rhymes" (Dvorak Symphony Nr. 9, Allegro con fuoco); - DARK MOOR "Dies Irae (Amadeus)" (Mozart Requiem); - AT VANCE "Beethoven, 5th Symphony" (obviously, their take on the iconic Allegro con brio); - PATHFINDER "Vita Reducta / Pathway to the Moon" and - DRAGONLAND "Beethoven's Nightmare" (both - variations on the virtuoso Presto agitato movement); - SABATON "Hearts of Iron" (Bach Air on G string AND a gratuitous history lesson!). This is just the top of the crop. P. S.: Wolf Hoffman lately looks more and more like a cross between Smeagol and Fantomas. :D

Awesome. Doug, note that other pieces of Accept are fairly different.

Thank you, i knew only Smetana version! Have you heard about the guitarist Patrick Rondat who played his version of Vivaldi fourth season? It is magical!

Wolf is in my top 3 all time greatest guitar players. so expressive on one album he rocked out "pomp and circumstances"

I did a little research to see if there was a reason this melody is similar to the Israeli national anthem, Hatikva, and it turns out that both melodies were modified versions of a 17th century melody by an Italian composer named Gasparo Zanetti. His piece was called La Mantovana, and this melody was used and modified a lot in Eastern Europe throughout the 19th century. The writer of the melody of Hatikva and Smetana were of the same era. The more you know... Enjoyed this one!

I wonder what he'd think of Exmortus' interpretation of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". Maybe a bit heavy but very impressive and shreddy.

Re: the skeleton costumes -- John Entwhistle, bass player of the Who, used (in the early '70s) to wear a similar skeleton costume on stage regularly.