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Exhibition

Openning in less than hour, at 10:00, closing at 17:00

1. 3. 2024 – 28. 2. 2025

The renewed beauty of the theatre costumes of Smetana's operas

Take a peek into the magical world of opera costumes and the secrets of restoration work!

E-mail: mbs@nm.cz Phone: +420 222 220 082

The exhibition presents original historical costumes of the composer's operas from the collection of the Bedřich Smetana Museum. At the same time, it provides a glimpse of the restoration work that allows the costumes to be seen again as they were seen by the audience in the second half of the 19th century at the Provisional and National Theatre.

In 1934, the National Theatre in Prague handed over a collection of 54 historical costumes from the late 19th century operas The Bartered Bride, Dalibor, Libuše and Hubička to the Smetana Museum's collections. One of the main components of the care of the collections provided by the Bedřich Smetana Museum is restoration work, which began systematically in the early 1990s.

To date, 14 costumes have made their way from the depository to the restoration workshop and back. The exhibition presents four of them: the coat and hat from the costume of Kecal (The Bartered Bride), the cut from the costume of Chrudoš (Libuše), Milada's mourning dress from Act I (Dalibor) and Milada's shirt from Act II (Dalibor).

The most historically valuable are the lace headdress from the premiere of The Bartered Bride, which took place in 1866 at the Provisional Theatre, and the brass headdress from the costume of Libuše from the 1883–1894 production of the opera of the same name at the National Theatre.

The costumes are accompanied by photographs and stage designs for contemporary productions.

Opening hours

Monday 10:00 - 17:00

Tuesday closed

Wednesday 10:00 - 17:00

Thursday 10:00 - 17:00

Friday 10:00 - 17:00

Saturday 10:00 - 17:00

Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

Adjusting the opening hours

1. 5. 2024 10:00 - 17:00

8. 5. 2024 10:00 - 17:00

Entrance fees

Tickets can be purchased on-line or at the box office.

Whole building

Adult 50 CZK

Reduced Reduced:
– senior citizens over the age of 65
– juveniles 15–18 years old
– holders of ISIC or ITIC cards
– high school and university students upon presentation of a student identity card (up to 26 years) 30 CZK

School excursions 15–26 years School excursions (15–26 years):
– organized school groups with pedagogical support
– 3 members of the teaching staff free of charge
– it is not possible to reserve a visit time, tickets only at the ticket office 30 CZK/PERSON

Children up to 15 years Only accompanied by an adult FREE ADMISSION

The e-ticket is valid for 30 days from the day of purchase for a one time entry.

Free admission (tickets only available at the box office): children from children’s homes or SOS children’s villages; holders of disability cards and people accompanying them; holders of cards: ICOM, Slovak National Museum, Benefit card of the European GNSS Agency – the Ministry of Transport, Prague Card, CoolPass

Additional information about tickets

Photography and filming for non-commercial purposes and without the use of flash and tripod included in the ticket price.

Please bring tickets purchased on-line (valid for 30 days from the date of purchase for a one time entry) printed or stored on your mobile phone.

The ticket must be kept for the duration of the entire visit.

Purchased tickets cannot be returned or changed.

Photoalbum

The Bartered Bride, coat and hat from the costume of Kecal, National Theatre, 1888

Vilém Heš as Kecal. Photo by Josef Fiedler, Prague, [1885–1891]

Dalibor, mourning costume of Milada from Act I of the opera, National Theatre, [around 1900]

Costume design for the character of Milada from Act I, Karel Štapfer, National Theatre, 1900, coloured drawing

Růžena Maturová sang Milada at the National Theatre in 1894–1909. Photo by J. F. Langhans, Prague, [after 1900]

Dalibor, shirt from the costume of Milada from Act 2 of the opera, National Theatre, 1900

Costume design for the character Milada from Act 2 of the opera Dalibor, National Theatre, 1900, coloured drawing

Růžena Maturová as Milada, Act 2 of Dalibor. Photo by J. F. Langhans, Prague, [after 1900]

Headdress from the costume of Libuše, National Theatre, [1883–1894]

Anna Slavíková first sang Libuše at the National Theatre in 1908 in an alternation with Růžena Maturová. Photo by Jan Schumpeter, Prague, [1908–1914]

Ema Destinnová made nine guest appearances at the National Theatre in the role of Libuše. Photo by Langhans, Prague, 1913

View into the exhibition