Antonín Dvorák Museum
Encyclopedia
The Antonín Dvořák Museum in Prague
is a museum
dedicated to the great Czech
composer Antonín Dvořák
(1841-1904).
It is part of the Czech Museum of Music which in turn is part of the complex of the National Museum
. It is housed in a baroque
building which was designed by the famous architect
Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer at the beginning of the 18th century. Although the house itself has no particular link with the composer the Antonín Dvořák museum has been housed there since 1932. It is situated in the north part of the New Town, about 15 minutes walk from the city centre.
The museum displays photographs, newspaper cuttings, programmes and personal objects relating to the composer, including his viola
and his piano. The building houses a unique collection of his manuscripts and correspondence, thus providing an important centre for research into Antonín Dvořák. Concerts are held there regularly, as well as seminars, lectures and exhibitions.
The museum also organize an annual ceremony on the eve of the day of his death (1 May) at his grave in the Vyšehrad cemetery
just south of the New Town district. There is also a matinee celebration on his birthday at his birthplace in Nelahozeves
. The museum also takes care of the village house of his son-in-law, Josef Suk
. There are also commemorative centres connected with Dvořák at other locations: there is a permanent exhibition at his country estate in Vysoká near Příbram
, one in Zlonice
and a memorial hall in Sychroy Castle near Turnov
.
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
is a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
dedicated to the great Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
composer Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
(1841-1904).
It is part of the Czech Museum of Music which in turn is part of the complex of the National Museum
National Museum (Prague)
The National museum is a Czech museum institution intended to systematically establish, prepare and publicly exhibit natural scientific and historical collections. It was founded 1818 in Prague by Kašpar Maria Šternberg...
. It is housed in a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
building which was designed by the famous architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer at the beginning of the 18th century. Although the house itself has no particular link with the composer the Antonín Dvořák museum has been housed there since 1932. It is situated in the north part of the New Town, about 15 minutes walk from the city centre.
The museum displays photographs, newspaper cuttings, programmes and personal objects relating to the composer, including his viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and his piano. The building houses a unique collection of his manuscripts and correspondence, thus providing an important centre for research into Antonín Dvořák. Concerts are held there regularly, as well as seminars, lectures and exhibitions.
The museum also organize an annual ceremony on the eve of the day of his death (1 May) at his grave in the Vyšehrad cemetery
Vyšehrad cemetery
Established in 1869 on the grounds of Vyšehrad Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, the Vyšehrad cemetery is the final resting place of many composers, artists, sculptors, writers, and those from the world of science and politics...
just south of the New Town district. There is also a matinee celebration on his birthday at his birthplace in Nelahozeves
Nelahozeves
Nelahozeves is a village on left bank of the Vltava river, 25 km north of Prague, Czech Republic. Population is 1,375 .The oldest surviving written document of Nelahozeves' existence dates back to 1352. The village has a three-winged Renaissance château of Italian castello type with arcades in...
. The museum also takes care of the village house of his son-in-law, Josef Suk
Josef Suk
Josef Suk may refer to:*Josef Suk *Josef Suk , the elder composer's grandson...
. There are also commemorative centres connected with Dvořák at other locations: there is a permanent exhibition at his country estate in Vysoká near Příbram
Príbram
Příbram is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 35,147. The city is located on the Litavka river and the foothills of Brdy, 60 kilometers south-west of Prague, the country's capital...
, one in Zlonice
Zlonice
Zlonice is a market town in Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It is located 6 km north of Slaný and has a population of 2,279 ....
and a memorial hall in Sychroy Castle near Turnov
Turnov
Turnov is a town on the Jizera river in the northern Czech Republic. It has about 14,500 inhabitants and lies in the southern part of Liberec Region. It is a traditional center for gemstone polishing, glass craftmanship and arts....
.