Celebrate Mozart in Prague – A Walking Tour
The name ‘Mozart’ is indelibly linked with Vienna, and rightly so. He visited Prague too and his itinerary is well documented:
- In January 1787, he debuted his Symphony #38 in D major in Prague.
- In October 1787, he debuted his Don Giovanni in Prague to great acclaim.
- In 1789, he stopped twice in Prague – once en route to Berlin and once on his way back to Vienna.
- In 1791, he debuted his “La Clemenza di Tito” in Prague.
The places he lived in, visited and worked in are still around today. Follow in his footsteps with this handy walking guide to Mozart’s Prague.
01 – The Prague Symphony
Our walk starts in the delightful Malá Strana (The Lesser Quarter) which nestles underneath the Prague Castle. We start in Thunovska Street, a narrow winding lane that takes you from the castle down to Malostranské náměstí (The Lesser Town Square).
Horror buffs will recognise this neighbourhood as the place where the flaming skeleton of Prague rides a coach on Friday evenings. You can read all about my research into this legend.
On 11 January 1787, Mozart visited Prague for the first time staying at #12 Thun Palace on this street1. The building is now the British Embassy and it still has a letter from Mozart thanking his hosts for their hospitality.
On 19 January, Mozart organised a concert where he presented his first performance of the Symphony #38 in D major1. This is referred to as the Prague Symphony because it premiered here. Historians are still debating whether it was composed specifically for Prague or not. We know that Mozart was invited to Prague because of the huge success of his ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ but it is not clear if he was invited before or after he composed this symphony. The wind players of Bohemia were renowned at the time and given the lavish use of wind instruments in this symphony, it is certainly possible that he wrote it for Prague.
He left Prague in the second week of February1, declaring that the 19 January was “one of the happiest [days] of [my] life.”
02 – Meeting Casanova
Walk down Thunovska, turn into and cross Malostranské náměstí. Duck into the passage that leads to Tržiště street. Turn left and walk your way to Sporkova Street.
The Italian Cultural Institute is at #14 and it is rumoured that Casanova met the young composer here. Casanova was employed as a librarian to the Wallenstein family in Bohemia and visited Prague many times. He was also a close friend of Lorenzo da Ponte who was Mozart’s librettist. Da Ponte worked on Don Giovanni which has a story similar to Casanova’s life2. There is no documentation proving that the two met but Casanova’s papers show that he had a hand in writing key scenes in Don Giovanni2 3. The Italian Cultural Institute was considered the epicentre of cultural life in Prague at the time, so Mozart and Casanova certainly met here – perhaps their first encounter was at one of the many balls the Institute threw.
03 – Malta Square
Walk down towards Malostranské náměstí and follow the signs towards the Charles Bridge. Before taking the bridge, turn right into Maltézské Náměsti (Malta Square)
On April 10 1789, Mozart stopped in Prague on his way to Berlin. This was his third recorded stay in the city and it is said that he stayed at U Zlatého Jednorožce (“The Golden Unicorn”) near Maltézské Náměsti1. Strangely there is a plaque in the area mentioning Beethoven but not Mozart, so I wonder if he really stayed here or not.
04 – The Estates Theatre
Walk back to the Charles Bridge and cross it. Imagine Mozart walking across this bridge on his way to the Estates Theatre just as you are. Follow the signs to the Old Town Square. From there, head to the Estates Theatre. This is the only theatre that Mozart performed in which is still around today.
On 04 October 1787, Mozart returned to Prague for the second time to conduct the first performance of his opera Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre. This premiered on 29 October1. It had been commissioned specifically because of the huge success he had in January so Prague was a logical choice for the premiere.
He left on the 12 or 13 November and it took him until May of the following year before he premiered it in Vienna.
Mozart’s fifth and last visit was the longest he ever spent in Prague. He arrived on 28 April 1791 to work on his “La Clemenza di Tito” for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia. It debuted on 6 September4 at the Estates’ Theatre. Mozart left the city in the third week of September allegedly stating that he felt he would never return.
05 – The Market or the Affair?
Walk away from the theatre to 420 Uhelný trh. This is not far from the Old Town Square and a stone’s throw away from the Church of St Martin in the Wall.
This is where Mozart stayed, as the plaque on the wall describes1. Some claim he stayed at the Bertramka instead, on the outskirts of Prague. At the time this was owned by the Duschek family and there are plenty of rumours that Josepha Duschek had an affair with Mozart but this is likely to be gossip than actual fact.
06 – Live Concerts
Walk north away from the Estates Theatre back to the Old Town Square. Take the north-eastern corner and meander towards Dušní Street. Head towards the river for a few blocks until you reach the Church of St Simon and St Jude.
A plaque on the church walls clearly states that Mozart played the organ here. The church organ had been installed relatively recently and was considered to produce one of the finest sounds in Prague at the time. It no longer is a church but is used as a venue for classical music concerts run by the Prague Symphony Orchestra5.
All but one of Mozart’s visits are covered by the walk above. His fourth visit was a brief stop when he returned to Vienna from Berlin on May 31, 1789 and stayed till June 21. There is no record of where he stayed in Prague this time.
Have you visited any places that Mozart performed in? Leave a comment about it!
References
- Prague TV Following Mozart Through Prague (Jul 2016) [↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Smithsonian Magazine When Casanova Met Mozart (March 2012) [↩][↩]
- New York Times Did Casanova lend a helping hand? (November 1985) [↩]
- La clemenza di Tito – Mozart’s operatic failure?; Early Music World; (Archived 2018-07-08) [↩]
- Prague Symphony Orchestra Church of St Simon and St Jude (2013) [↩]