Stálé expozice Národního muzea

Expozice

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

his life and work

Prostor: Antonín Dvořák Museum, Ke Karlovu 20, Praha 2

Antonín Dvořák Museum is a part Czech Museum of Music which pertains to the complex of the National Museum. Since it was established in 1932 the Museum of A. Dvořák has had its seat in the baroque pleasure house built at the beginning of the 18th century by architect Kilian Ignac Dienzenhofer. The monographicly oriented institution develops versatile cultural and educational activities with the prevailing stress on the composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904). The Museum focuses on collecting, maintaining and displaying documents concerning the Maestro´s life and work, such as music autographs, correspondence and other written material, pieces of art and period photographs, programmes, posters, personal objects, etc.

The Museum treasures above all the unique collection of manuscripts of sheet music and correspondence. It also holds a large part of the composer´s library, sheet music archive as well as printed matter, which testify to the composer´s achievements during his life and to the rising fame of his work until today. The permanent exposition, open all year round, in detail presents Dvořák´s life, work, his pedagogical activities and concert performances. The study offers access to the sources as well as a number of literature on Dvořák and recordings. A small shop sells souvenirs, printed sheet music and recordings of local and international labels. The Museum is an important centre of research on Dvořák, it takes part in various types of scientific activities, it organizes concerts, lectures, exhibitions. It has extensive local as well as international contacts and is a sought-after target of music loving tourists and admirers of Dvořák´s music but also of specialists from all over the world.

Among the traditional activities of the Museum is the solemn remembrance ceremony by the composer´s grave at the Vyšehrad Cemetery on the eve of Dvořák´s death (1 May 1904) and the matinee on the day before his birth (8 September 1841) known as Dvořák´s Nelahozeves. It takes place in the Antonín Dvořák Memorial in Nelahozeves in the composer´s birth place, which is maintained by the Museum.