Create your personalised cultural itinerary

Step 1

Choose your destination

Step 2

Leave it to us or hand pick from map

Step 3

Create and fine tune your itinerary


 

Libuše

Libuše is a '"festival opera" in three acts, with music by Bedřich Smetana. The libretto was originally written in German by Josef Wenzig, and was then translated into Czech by Ervin Špindler. In Czech historical myth, Libuše, the title character, prophesied the founding of Prague. The opera was composed in 1871-1872 for the coronation of Franz Josef as Czech king. This didn't happen and Smetana saved Libuše for the opening of the National Theatre inPrague, which took place nine years later on 11 June 1881. After the destruction of the National Theatre in a fire, the same opera opened the reconstructed theatre in 1883. The first US performance was reported to have occurred March 1986, in a concert version at Carnegie Hall with Eve Queler and the Opera Orchestra of New York.