Dolní Lukavice - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dolní Lukavice is a village and municipality (obec
Obec
Obec is the Czech and Slovak word for a municipality . The literal meaning of the word is "commune" or "community". It is the smallest administrative unit that is governed by elected representatives. Cities are also municipalities...

) in Plzeň-South District

Plzen-South District

Plzeň-South District is a district within Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Pilsen.- Complete list of municipalities :Blovice -Bolkov -Borovno -Borovy -Buková -Chlum -Chlumčany -Chlumy -Chocenice -Chotěšov -...

in the Plzeň Region

Plzen Region

Plzeň Region is an administrative unit in the western part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is named after its capital Plzeň .- Communes :...

of the Czech Republic.

The municipality covers an area of 18.73 square kilometres (7.2 sq mi), and has a population of 815 (as at 28 August 2006).

Dolní Lukavice lies approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) south of Plzeň and 95 km (59 mi) south-west of Prague

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...

The Morzin family

The village was the seat of the aristocratic Morzin family, headed by a count; see Count Morzin

Count Morzin

Count Morzin was an aristocrat of the Austrian Empire during the 18th century. He is remembered today as the first person to employ the composer Joseph Haydn as his Kapellmeister, or music director...

. The handsome Morzin palace survives but is not in good condition. In 1988 it was reported as being used as a mental hospital; at present it is empty. The current owners have begun restoration work and seek addition funding to accelerate the process.

For an image of the palace consult the link below.

Haydn

During the mid-18th century the family was very musical, and in 1759 (by some sources, 1757) they hired the young composer Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...

to serve as their Kapellmeister

Kapellmeister

Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...

(music director), leading the family's small orchestra. Haydn followed the Morzins back and forth in their annual migrations: summers in Dolní Lukavice (referred to as "Lukavec" in most Haydn biographies), and winters in the imperial capital of Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

. It was Haydn's first professional position, and as Kapellmeister he composed and premiered his first 15 or so symphonies. Financial trouble forced the Morzins to disband their musical establishment in 1761, and Haydn changed jobs to work for the (far wealthier) Esterházy family.

External links

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