Mozart for Prague, Prague for Mozart

Mozart was more favoured in Prague than in Vienna. He got a thousand ducats for one performance here, while he would get even a half of it back in Vienna for writing an opera. He was making a heap of money in Prague and sat in clover here. First he stayed in the Three Lions Inn at UhelnĂ˝ trh and later he moved to the house of Family DuĹĄek at Bertramka. People in the streets were singing airs from the Wedding of Figaro, which had been withdrawn from repertoire in Vienna after a single month, and Don Giovanni with its first performance in Prague really raised the roof. Mozart was conducting the opera himself and from the very moment, when he stepped to the pit, all the audience raised a cheer. Such a response must have soothened his heart and compositions were made free-hand. He was flooded with orders he could not even manage to reject. There was a case, when one of his admirers, who had been begging Mozart for one composition for several months, prepared a good dodge. He invited Mozart over for diner to his place, but he asked our composer to come a bit earlier saying the meal would be served early. When the master arrived, he was surprised with an ink holder and a piece of music paper. He looked as if nothing happened and completed nine compositions in one hour.

The people in Prague keep admiring Mozart and have prepared a nifty honour for the 350th anniversary of his birth. The Mozart Prague 2006 project offers you a number of venues from exhibitions, ballet with choreography by Jiří Kylián, to the very concerts and operas. Bertramka, the National Theatre, the Professional Theatre, the Rudolphinum and the Council House – any of these host Mozart nowadays. When he was leaving Prague, he was crying and when he died, there were four thousand people coming to stand in silence in his honour at St. Nicolas in Malá Strana. We wish that this number be at least ten times greater at his birthday anniversary.

Museum of W. A. Mozart and DuĹĄek Family

Address: 169 Mozartova Street, Prague 5 - 150 00
Fax: 257 316 753
Telephone: 257 317 465 (office)
E-mail: mozart@bertramka.cz
www.bertramka.com

National Theatre

Address: 1 OstrovnĂ­ Street, Prague 1 - 112 30
Fax: 224 931 544
Telephone: 224 901 448
E-mail: info@narodni-divadlo.cz
www.narodni-divadlo.cz

Professional Theatre

Address: OvocnĂ˝ trh, Prague 1 - 110 00
Telephone: 224 228 503
E-mail: ntprague@narodni-divadlo.cz
www.narodni-divadlo.cz

Rudolphinum

Address: 12 Alšovo nábřeží, Prague 1 - 110 01
Fax: 227 059 327
Telephone: 227 059 227
E-mail: info@cfmail.cz
www.ceskafilharmonie.cz

The Council House

Address: ObecnĂ­ dĹŻm, a.s., Republic Square 5, Prague 1 - 111 21
Fax: 222 002 100
Telephone: 222 002 101
E-mail: info@obecni-dum.cz
www.obecnidum.cz