Welcome to this digital edition of Phillip Huscher's Program Notes for upcoming concerts by the CSO May 18-20. The Moldau, Smetana's much-loved portrayal of Bohemia's mighty river, is one of six tone poems in the composer's musical portrait of his homeland. Rarely performed in its entirety, Ma vlast (My Fatherland) is an extraordinary cycle that traces the history of the Czech people and evokes the rich natural beauties of the countryside.