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Prague’s imposing National Theatre (Národní Divadlo) was designed by
Josef Zitek and built in 1881, was paid for by public subscription. The
1,500-seat theatre opened with a premiere of Smetana’s Libuse. The
original Národní Divadlo proved to be short-lived, the victim of a fire
only two months after the opening. The theatre reopened in 1883.
The structure of the building survived the fire. Architect Zitek, however, was replaced by his pupil Josef Schulz, who supervised the reconstruction. The theatre stands on an imposing site by the River Vlatva. The main facade has Corinthian pillars over the arched porch, statues of the Muses, and two horse-drawn chariots driven by winged figures on either side of the beautifully decorated top level.
Frantisek Subert served as director for the reconstructed theatre; Adolf Cech was chief conductor. Between 1888 and 1918, Czech composers were prominently featured. While performances by Smetana far outnumbered those of other composers, works by Verdi, Wagner, and Mozart were regularly performed. The National Theatre was the Czech showcase par excellence, and composers provided it with operas commensurate with its international standing. Dvorak’s last operas, Rusalka (1901) and Armida (1904), Janánacek’s The Excursions of Mr. Broucek (1920), and Martin’s Julietta (1938) were all premiered there.