The magnificent cantata by Antonín Dvořák
The Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra’s final program in January is Antonín Dvořák’s cantata The Spectre’s Bride for soloists, choir, and orchestra, Op. 69, which will be performed in an authentic production by Czech conductor Petr Altrichter.
Dvořák’s cantata The Spectre’s Bride was written in 1884 on commission from the Birmingham Music Festival. The composer wrote this romantic work to the text of the ballad of the same name by Karel Jaromír Erben from his collection Kytice (The Bouquet). Its dramatic plot offers a variety of possibilities for contrasting musical depictions of individual scenes and character traits. Dvořák exploited these possibilities with boundless imagination.
The title of the composition refers to an old folk custom, which is also one of the motifs of the literary source material. According to tradition, girls would give their future husbands hand-sewn wedding shirts before the wedding… Before its premiere in England (1885), the work was performed twice in Pilsen. The English premiere took place in March 1885 under the baton of the composer with a large ensemble of artists – a 150-member orchestra and a monumental 400-member choir stood on stage. After its successful English premiere, the work was performed in Edinburgh, London, Glasgow, Boston, and many other cities.
The cantata The Wedding Shirt stands out in the composer’s rich musical legacy, filled with diverse genres in terms of both content and musical arrangement. Large sections consist of choral passages, where the award-winning Slovak Philharmonic Choir, prepared by guest choirmaster Zuzana Kadlčíková, will shine.
Come and listen to Dvořák’s music, which offers us the opportunity to experience Erben’s ballad set to music. The final concerts in January, on January 29 and 30, 2026, will begin at 7:00 p.m.
