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© Lukáš Kadeřábek
Jiří Vodička and David Mareček
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May 2026 | ||||||
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Dvořák’s Romance
The lyrical world of compositions for violin and piano by Antonín Dvořák, whose exquisite music will come to life in the hands of Jiří Vodička, concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic, and David Mareček.
“It adds up to almost one and three-quarter hours of incredibly stylistically varied music […] And so far as I can tell, this complete recording is the first to bring absolutely all of it together in one place, although their album’s greatest worth isn’t its comprehensiveness, but the playing itself,” wrote British magazine Gramophone, describing the album of complete works for violin and piano by Antonín Dvořák, released in 2024 on the Supraphon label by concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic Jiří Vodička and pianist David Mareček. Pieces from this album, which earned the title Editor’s Choice from Gramophone, a Choc de Classica award and a five “tuning fork” rating from Diapason magazine, appear on the programme for the artists’ first joint recital at the Prague Spring. “Antonín Dvořák’s music has always been close to my heart,” states Jiří Vodička. “David Mareček and I endeavour to present his works not merely as exquisite pieces from the concert repertoire, but as part of an integral musical world – with its own dynamic, drama and gentle lyricism. To perform this programme at the Prague Spring is an honour for us and also a great pleasure. We are convinced that, together with the audience, we’ll experience a concert in which the beauty of Dvořák’s simple yet immensely strong musical language will come alive.” Five of the most wonderful chamber compositions that Dvořák ever wrote for violin and piano will resonate in style in the Rudolfinum’s Dvořák Hall.
The concert consists of works which were written gradually from the 1870s to Dvořák’s period in America in the years 1892–1895. We begin with the popular Romantic Pieces from 1887, four short pieces of diverse character, filled with passionate determination and gentle lyricism. This is followed by Sonata for Violin and Piano in F major, Dvořák’s only sonata that has survived to this day. It was written within a mere fifteen days in the spring of 1880 more or less concurrently with Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor. The second half of the concert will open with the joyful Sonatina in G major, which Dvořák wrote in New York in late November and early December 1893. The composition bears the opus number 100 and Dvořák, conscious of the significance of this number, dedicated it to his children Otilie and Antonín, who performed the piece for the first time at a private premiere. Dvořák described the work in a letter to his publisher: “It is meant for young people, but also for adults, let them enjoy it, too, they’ll have fun playing it as well.” The main theme of the second movement supposedly came to the maestro as he observed the Minnehaha waterfall in the state of Minnesota. Later on this part was published independently under various poetic titles, such as Indian Lullaby and Indian Lament. The concert will end with what are possibly two of Dvořák’s most impressive compositions for solo violin: Romance in F minor and the virtuosic Mazurek in E minor. Both were written in the 1870s and both enjoy huge popularity to this day, in the version for violin and orchestra as well as with piano accompaniment. It is interesting to note that Mazurek was premiered by violinist Ferdinand Lachner with composer Zdeněk Fibich at the piano.
Jiří Vodička, concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic, soloist and chamber musician, was already being recognised as a big talent during his childhood, winning a series of competitions, including the Kocian Violin Competition in Ústí nad Orlicí. In 2002 he won first prize in the Beethoven’s Hradec competition and, that same year, he won the award for best participant at the violin masterclass headed by Václav Hudeček, with whom he subsequently gave dozens of concerts all over the Czech Republic. Aged only fourteen he was accepted at Ostrava University’s Institute for Artistic Studies, from where he graduated in 2007 with a master’s degree. He was outright winner of the International Louis Spohr Competition in Weimar and laureate of the world round of the 2008 Young Concert Artists competition in New York. As a soloist he has appeared with the Czech Philharmonic, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Barocco sempre giovane chamber ensemble. On the invitation of violinist Gidon Kremer he took part in the chamber music festival in Lockenhaus, Austria, where he collaborated with musicians such as Vilde Frang and Michael Barenboim.
Program and cast
Programme
Antonín Dvořák: Romantic Pieces Op. 75
Antonín Dvořák: Sonata for Violin and Piano in F major Op. 57
Antonín Dvořák: Sonatina for Violin and Piano in G major, Op. 100
Antonín Dvořák: Romance in F minor Op. 11
Antonín Dvořák: Mazurek in E minor Op. 49
Performers
Jiří Vodička – violin
David Mareček – piano
Rudolfinum
The Rudolfinum, one of the most noteworthy buildings in Prague, was built between 1876 and 1884 according to the designs of architects Josef Zítek and Josef Schulze. Originally intended as a multipurpose cultural building in Prague, the Rudolfinum was inagurated on February 7, 1885. It carried out its mission until 1919, when it was converted to the House of Commons of the Czechoslovak Republic. Concert activity was restored to the Rudolfinum during the German occupation, but full rehabilitation, particularly of the gallery, did not take place until 1992. After a general reconstruction by architect Karel Prager in 1992, the Rudolfinum became the home of the Czech Philharmonic and the Rudolfinum Gallery.
Dvorana – Ceremony Hall
The central space in the gallery portion of the Rudolfinum was designed by Josef Zítek and Josef Schulz as an entrance hall to the art gallery. After 1918, however, this space was converted into a parliamentary cafeteria, and after World War II it served as a gymnasium for the Prague Conservatory. At the end of the 1980s, Ceremony Hall was threatened with reconstruction – but plans to tear down the main staircase to make room for another concert hall did not go through, and the hall retained its original appearance. Of particular interest in Ceremony Hall are 25 empty spaces on its walls, which were originally intended to be filled in with frescos. The majority of the eminent Czech painters, however, boycotted the 1891 fresco competition in protest over the large number of German artists involved in the construction of the Rudolfinum.
Dvořák Hall
The Czech Philharmonic took the stage in this world-famous concert hall in 1896, performing for its first-ever concert under the baton of Antonín Dvořák himself. The hall remained a space for concerts and performances until 1918, at which time it became a boardroom for the new parliament of the Czechoslovak Republic. The stage and the organ loft became a tribunal (garnished with a statue of President T.G. Masaryk), from which parliamentary leaders presided over proceedings. The hall's original character (and purpose) was restored
in 1940–1942 according to a project conceived by Antonín Engel and Bohumír Kozák, and it has remained in this form through to the present. In accordance with Josef Zítek and Josef Schulz's original proposal, the central visual element in the hall is an organ, which was made in Frankfurt, Germany. During the hall's stint as a parliamentary meeting place, the organ was housed in Brno. When it returned to the Rudolfinum in 1940, its register was extended. Dvořák Hall's final update took place in 1992 when the entire Rudolfinum building underwent reconstruction.
When travelling by public transport, get off at the Staroměstská metro station (Line A), tram stop (trams nos. 17, 18 and 53) or bus stop (no. 207).
Parking is available at the underground parking facility on Jan Palach Square. The facility is not part of the Rudolfinum premises.
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