Antonín Dvořák: My life and Work

In May 2023, a selected part of the collection of the National Museum–Antonín Dvořák Museum was registered under the name Antonín Dvořák Archive in the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme Register which safeguards the most important documentary heritage of humanity. Following the addition of the Leoš Janáček Archive in 2018, this marks the second instance of a collection from a Czech music composer being included on this prestigious list.

An archive containing Dvořák's musical manuscripts, letters, personal documents, non-musical manuscripts, his personal library, iconographic documents, first editions of Dvořák's compositions, printed documentation, diplomas and honorary memberships has been entried into the Register. A total of 3,500 units were part of the nomination. However, the collection of the Antonín Dvořák Museum contains significantly more objects. As of 2023, the museum oversees a compilation of approximately 9,000 items within its collection.

The aim of the Antonín Dvořák: My life & Work exhibition is to comprehensively showcase the Dvořák collection, taking into account both the chronological progression of the composer's life and the essence of the UNESCO nomination. Over the course of a year, the exceptional exhibition will present 18 Dvořák’s original musical manuscripts. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe each manuscript during a designated month, on the following dates:

• Moravian duets, Op.32 (13 September – 15 October 2023)
• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G minor, Op. 33 (17 October – 15 November 2023)
• Stabat Mater, Op. 58 (16 November – 31 December 2023)
• Slavonic Dances, series II, Op. 72 (2 January – 31 January 2024)
• Saint Ludmila, Op. 71 (1 February – 29 February 2024)
• Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 (1 March – 31 March 2024)
• Piano Trio No. 4 "Dumky", Op. 90 (2 April – 30 April 2024)
• In Nature's Realm, Op. 91 (2 May – 2 June 2024)
• Humoresques, Op. 101 (4 June – 30 June 2024)
• Biblical Songs, Op. 99 (2 July – 31 July 2024)
• The Water Goblin, Op. 107 (1 August – 1 September 2024)
• Armida, Op. 115 (3 September – 30 September 2024)
• Dimitrij, Op. 64, fragment of the opening of the overture of the 2nd act, 1882 (1 October – 31 October 2024)
• King and Collier, Op. 14, sketch of the new version of the 3rd act, 1887 (1 November – 1 December 2025) 
• American sketchbook No. 1, sketch of the overture to the Symphony No. 9 in E minor “From the New World”, Op. 95, 1893 (3 December 2024 – 2 February 2025) 
• The American Flag, Op. 102, sketch, 1892 (4 February – 2 March 2025) 
• Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53, sketch of the 3rd movement, 1879 (4 March – 30 March 2025) 
• Rusalka, Op. 114, sketch, 1900 (1 April  – 27  April 2025)  

Alongside the manuscripts, the exhibition will also feature Dvořák's original personal belongings and reproductions of various documents from the collections of the National Museum–Antonín Dvořák Museum, such as photographs, correspondences, sheet music prints, personal documents, and more.

The autobiographical title of the Antonín Dvořák: My life and Work exhibition refers to interviews the composer gave to international media throughout his lifetime. Fragments of some of them are featured in a comprehensive catalogue that faithfully accompanies the exhibition. The catalogue contains rich visual content, including previously unreleased photographs of select collection items, as well as photographs of Dvořák's showcased original manuscripts, which are hardly ever accessible to the public.

The exhibition is a celebration of an extraordinary occasion that highlights the contribution of Czech musical culture to world cultural heritage.