Dvořák at the Turkey River

Rudolfinum — Suk Hall 1 hour 30 minutes Price 250 CZK

This concert is commented in Czech language. In addition to a selection of Dvořák's music written in Spillville, USA, there will also be spoken word. Petr Kadlec and our musicians will take you through Dvořák's Quintet in E flat major and the even more famous "American" Quartet.

Programme

Antonín Dvořák
String Quintet in E flat major, Op. 97

— Intermission —

String Quartet in F major, Op. 96 "American"

Performers

members of the Czech Youth Philharmonic and guests

Magdaléna Mašlaňová artistic supervisor

Pavel Ciprys viola
Zdeňka Hájková viola
Matyáš Keller cello
Petr Mašlaň cello
Matěj Polášek violin
Magda Routová violin

Petr Kadlec host

Subscription series KK | Education programs
From 12 years
Photo illustrating the event Dvořák at the Turkey River

Individual tickets for all public dress rehearsals will go on sale on 10 September 2025 at 10 a.m.

Customer Service of Czech Philharmonic

Tel.: +420 227 059 227
E-mail: info@czechphilharmonic.cz

Customer service is available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. In July and August from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

The program is based on a musical part but also on a spoken word that will be given in Czech language only. The program will not be supplied with English subtitles.

 

Antonín Dvořák composed his String Quartet in F major during his summer visit to the American town Spillville, where he was spending his summer holiday during his tenure at the conservatoire in New York. He wrote the entire draft of the quartet at a miraculous pace in just 72 hours, and the score was finished in 12 days.

 

“One day in the American town Spillville where we spent the summer of 1893, my dad said after lunch: ‘Ota, bring your friend, get the fishing poles, and let's go to Turkey River. I’ll lie down in the grass and listen to the birds, and you can go fishing.’ So we went. We got there, dad lay down in the grass, and we got the bait ready that some fish would go for. It took a while to do all of that, naturally. Then we cast our lines into the water, and just a moment later dad came and said: ‘Boys, pack it all up. We’re going home.’ And I answered: ‘Why, dad? We just got here, and you already want to leave?’ And dad answered tersely, you know, very tersely, the way he talked sometimes: ‘My cuff is already full of notes, so there’s nowhere for me to write.’ That meant that he had sketched out so much of the Quartet in F major, which he was writing at the time, that the cuffs of his white shirt were covered with music, and he had nowhere left to write.”

From the memoirs of the composer’s son Otakar

 

The partner of the concerts of the Czech Youth Philharmonic is the VZP.