Concert hall Rudolfinum in Prague 1. Rudolfinum - the best concert hall in Prague
Rudolfinum was donated to the people of Prague by the Czech Savings Bank. Once upon a time, local bankers were preparing for a luxurious celebration. It was planned to celebrate the anniversary of our native bank. Naturally, the building for the holiday had to be unique, even luxurious. A whole commission was created to decide where exactly the celebration should be held. A competition was announced for the best idea. Leading architects not only of the city, but also of the country took part. Everyone proposed their projects, but the project of Zitek and Schultz was recognized as the best. It took eight years to build the Rudolfinum; in February of the fifty-fifth year of the nineteenth century, its grand opening took place. Since the prince himself was present here, they decided to name the new exhibition hall in his honor.
The main entrance to Rudolfinum from the embankment
Since then, Rudolfinum has been considered a real temple of art. Shows, concerts, festivals and exhibitions take place here.
Events held at Rudolfinum
Almost immediately after the opening, an art gallery settled here. It was called the “Society of Patriots.” Exhibitions of famous artists began to be held. Also in the exhibition hall there was an “Aesthetic Association”, which also organized exhibitions, concerts and other special events. And at the end of the nineteenth century, the Czech Philharmonic began its work.
Unfortunately, when the war began, all cultural events were cancelled. Parliament sessions began to be held here. Rudolfinum was almost completely changed, undergoing complete reconstruction. The most beautiful halls and galleries began to change. In addition, the concert hall was badly damaged. Instead of an organ, there was a platform for speeches by deputies. After the war, the Rudolfinum was restored again and given to the Czech Philharmonic.
Peculiarities
The building has a stunning concert hall. The acoustics are excellent here. The hall was named after Dvorak. This is a great Czech composer. His statue can be seen in front of the entrance. Busts of famous musicians such as Talikh, Kubelik, Stupka are located here.
The small hall of the Rudolfinum has a capacity of two hundred and eleven seats. Concerts, exhibitions, and presentations are held here.
At the end of the thirties of the twentieth century, an interesting incident occurred. Provost Heydrich ordered the destruction of the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy sculpture. Allegedly, the musician did not have Aryan origin. The ordinary soldiers to whom the order was given had no idea what the musician looked like. We thought for a long time and decided which of the sculptures should be destroyed. As a result, the statue of Richard Wagner was confiscated. And this was Hitler's favorite composer.
How to get to Rudolfinum
If you decide to visit Rudolfinum, you need to get to the Staromestska stop. You can get there by tram number eighteen or number seventeen. Or, take the metro. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the Rudolfinum is open from ten in the morning until six in the evening. And on Thursday this famous hall is open until twenty-two zero. Ticket prices range from one hundred to one hundred and fifty crowns. Pensioners and students enjoy discounts and pay half the price. Children under fifteen years of age and disabled people enter free of charge.
Be sure to visit the Rudolfinum, of course, if you are a true connoisseur of art.
This structure, which is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in Prague, was built between 1876 and 1884. as multifunctional cultural center, and was named after Crown Prince Rudolf Rudolfinum. The concert hall is now the hall named after. Dvorak - served the Czech Philharmonic since January 4, 1896, when the Philharmonic performed there for the first time under the direction of the composer and conductor Antonin Dvořák. Rudolfinum fulfilled its cultural mission until 1919, when it was transformed into Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czechoslovak Republic. During World War II, concerts began to be held in the Rudolfinum again. However, the full restoration of the building, especially the premises in which the galleries were located, took place only in 1992, when a major overhaul was carried out under the leadership of the architect Karel Prager, and Rudolfinum became residence of the Czech Philharmonic and the Rudolfinum Gallery.
Publication date:
2012-11-08
(Czech: Rudolfinum) - concert and exhibition hall (gallery) in the center of Prague. It belongs to the Czech Philharmonic and is its main concert venue. Architecturally, the Rudolfinum building is one of the most beautiful sights in Prague in the neo-Renaissance style.
The Rudolfinum was originally conceived as a multi-purpose "house of the muses", which would be used as a concert hall, art gallery and conservatory. The initiative to create it came from the Czech Savings Bank, which thus wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its foundation. He also allocated funds for the construction, and then donated the building to the city and the entire Czech people. The jury of the architectural competition, which consisted of the leading architects of the time, chose the design of Josef Zitek and Josef Schulz from numerous applications submitted by renowned specialists.
Rudolfinum was officially opened February 7, 1885, 10 years after the start of construction. Attended the ceremony Crown Prince Rudolf, in honor of which the building got its name, but the glorious event was spoiled by interethnic contention (most of the guests present spoke German, while very few Czechs were invited). It is worth noting that even at the construction stage, Czech artists and craftsmen refused further participation in protest against the fact that national art was ignored in the design of the building.
In 1896, the Rudolfinum hosted first concert Czech Philharmonic, which forever connected its history with one of the greatest Czech musicians, because Antonin Dvorak rose on stage that evening to perform his own works. Today the main concert hall bears his name.
Between 1918 and 1939 there was no musical activity at the Rudolfinum, as it was used for meetings Parliament of Czechoslovakia. To meet the new purpose, a number of changes were made to the appearance of the building, primarily affecting the interior.
Oddly enough, the restoration of the Rudolfinum as a center of art and music took place during the Second World War, when the German Philharmonic gave concerts there. The architects Bogumir Kozak and Antonin Engel restored the building to the concert venue, while improving the acoustics and creating another small concert hall on the ground floor, later named after the Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk.
According to a well-known legend, Hitler did not like the presence of a statue of the Jew Mendelssohn on the balustrade of the facade, and he ordered to get rid of it. However, soldiers nearly destroyed the statue of the Nazis' beloved Wagner, misled by his prominent nose. Although the mistake was discovered in time by one of the officers, the soldiers were shot for offensive negligence. Taking advantage of the situation, Czech employees selflessly devoted to art, risking their own lives, managed to safely hide the Mendelssohn statue.
In 1946, the Czech Philharmonic returned to the Rudolfinum, which until the Velvet Revolution of 1989 shared it with the Academy of Performing Arts and the Prague Conservatory. And while concerts and other performances took place in the southern part of the building, the northern part was destined to get used to a completely different form of “art” for a while. The magnificent space of the Main Hall was converted into a gymnasium for students of the conservatory.
After the Rudolfinum was declared a national cultural monument, the need for its urgent reconstruction, carried out in 1990–1992 under the leadership of the team of Karel Prager, became obvious. Upon its completion, the building was completely given over to the service of the muses, for which it was originally built. Today, the Rudolfinum is the main concert venue of the Czech Philharmonic, and the renovated halls of the northern part delight visitors with a variety of exhibitions from the gallery of the same name.
Halls of the Rudolfinum
The world-famous concert hall has been the home stage of the Czech Philharmonic since its first public performance at the end of the 19th century. It is ideal for performing symphonies, oratorios and chamber music.
Josef Suk Hall
Intended primarily for chamber performances and associated with a recording studio. Often used as a venue for conferences, auctions and corporate presentations.
Main hall
Designed as the formal entrance to the art gallery on the top floor. The largest space of the Rudolfinum is used for large-scale public events, such as gala evenings, receptions, balls and others.
Hall of Columns
The café in the Hall of Columns is most often used for press conferences, presentations of new music and books, as well as for smaller public events.
Presidential salon
The room with the most sophisticated interior is used for press conferences, presentations and small public events.
Western salon
The elegant lounge overlooking Prague Castle is ideal for intimate meetings and press conferences.
Rudolfinum Gallery
Temporary exhibition “Jurgen Teller: Enjoy life!”, 15. 12. 2016 - 19. 03. 2017
Juergen Teller, one of the most sought-after photographers of our time, successfully works on the border between artistic and commercial photography. He became famous back in 1991, when his quickly became iconic photographs of Kurt Cobain were published in Details magazine.
"Enjoy life!" - a unique author’s project created by the artist himself and combining old photo series, such as “Nuremberg” (2005), and new creativity, for example, “Kanye, Jurgen and Kim” (2015) and “Charlotte Rampling: The Fox and the Plate” (2016). Many works are autobiographical (the “Irene in the Forest” series) and often ironic in nature (the “Sanatorium” series).
The Rudolfinum on Jan Palach Square in Prague is a world-famous concert hall and home stage of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The area of Rudolfinum is 8000 m2. The building has as many as 80 rooms, including two huge concert halls. One of the halls is dedicated to Antonin Dvorak, the leader of the orchestra. Together with the National Theater and Museum, the Rudolfinum forms a unique triad of cultural life in the capital.
NAVIGATION
Story
The Rudolfinum building in the neo-Renaissance style was built in 1876-84, the project was financed by the largest banks. The creators of the project did not intend to limit Rudolfinum to the musical sphere. Initially, the building was planned as a house of art and was also supposed to house the largest art gallery.
The project was named in honor of the heir to the Czech crown, Rudolf.
In Czechoslovakia, until the Nazi occupation began, the building served as the home of the National Assembly of Deputies. During this period, the appearance of Rudolfinum changed noticeably due to technical needs.
The Nazis again made Rudolfinum a concert hall. For the occupiers, his stage became one of the mouthpieces of the propaganda of the Third Reich.
During the reconstruction of the building, it was ordered to dismantle the statue of Mendelssohn. There were no signatures, and workers accidentally sent a statue of Wagner, the composer Hitler loved, to the landfill. In the chaos, members of the resistance managed to save the monument to Mendelssohn.
After the Czech Republic came under the influence of the Soviet Union, Rudolfinum became a House of Artists for a long time. When independence returned to the country, the cultural monument was restored to its true meaning. After World War II, the Rudolfinum hosted the Prague Spring festival for the first time, one of the main events in the world of academic music.
Concert hall
After the Velvet Revolution, the Rudolfinum again became the main concert hall in Prague and the home of the Czech Philharmonic. The sculptures of famous musicians on the façade of the building were restored. The architects added new design elements that corresponded to the original ideas of their colleagues in the 19th century - statues of lions, sphinxes and muses. External lighting was installed, consisting of more than 4,000 lamps.
Now in the Dvojak Hall, more than a thousand spectators can enjoy the concert. The acoustics of the room are at the highest level.
The pride of the modern Rudolfinum is the German organ from 1884.
Gallery
The gallery consists of one large and three small halls. Now there is no permanent fund of exhibits here. Instead, the gallery serves as an exhibition hall. Despite the historical significance of the building, the gallery displays paintings by artists of our time. Also in Rudolfinum you can find a cinema hall and a cafe where you can have a drink or snack after the concert.
Address, opening hours
Rudolfinum is located in Prague at Alšovonábřeží 79/12. You can get there by tram 17 or 18, or by metro. The stop in both cases is Staroměstská.
The gallery's opening hours are from 10-00 to 18-00, on Thursdays - until 20-00. Tickets to the gallery cost 100-150 CZK.
Concerts on weekdays begin at half past eight, on weekends - at twelve o'clock in the afternoon. Ticket prices reach thousands of Czech crowns. Both the gallery and concert halls offer a 50% discount for students and senior citizens. Children under fifteen years of age can enter for free.
Hotels nearby
Classical music lovers can stay in hotels located near Rudolfinum:
- Zatecka N°14. Located in the Josefov quarter, half an hour's drive from Vaclav Havel Airport. Here you will find family rooms and excellent Italian coffee. Couples especially rate the hotel highly;
- Residence U Malvaze. Address – Karlova 10. The best choice for those who come not only to see historical sights, but also to try Czech beer. A variety of beers and snacks are served here. In fine weather, breakfast is served in the hotel garden;
- U Páva, located at U Lužického Semináře 30. A universal option. There are family rooms and a small club for guests on the ground floor. The local wine list will interest even experienced sommeliers;
- Residence Glamor Premium. You will stop at 23 Pařížská. From the balconies of this hotel you will have a beautiful view of old Prague. Each room includes a personal coffee machine.
Hello friends! We bet that you will never pass by one building in the center of Prague. You will definitely notice him, slow down. This is Rudolfinum. This is a real temple of art - the first European multifunctional cultural center. All kinds of concerts, exhibitions, festivals and much, much more are held here.
Administrative district Prague 1. Historical district.
Rudolfinum was donated to the citizens and Prague by the Czech Savings Bank in the 19th century.
The reason for the gift was the bank's anniversary. Yes, usually the hero of the day does not give, but, on the contrary, receives gifts. But bankers are not like everyone else. The Czech Savings Bank then celebrated the anniversary. The bankers approached the celebration in a big way.
They organized a competition for the best design of a building that would combine a concert hall and exhibition halls.
The country's leading architects rushed to take part in the competition. And the winners were Josef Zitek and Josefa Schulz.
Large-scale construction lasted for eight years. It was completed by 1855.
You may be wondering how the name of this center came about. We won't bore you with waiting. The “culprit” is Crown Prince Rudolf of Habsburg, who arrived at the opening ceremony of the cultural center. The cultural center was named after him.
Since its opening, the gallery of the Society of Patriots has been located here, as well as exhibitions dedicated to contemporary art from the Aesthetic Association.
A little later, by 1896, the Czech Philharmonic began its work in the building.
For 13 years, Rudolfinum has delighted citizens, but it is not without reason that the song says: “because you can’t be beautiful like that...” and its words apply not only to people.
In 1919, the Czechoslovak parliament set its sights on the beautiful building. It was ruthlessly reconstructed, much was rebuilt, even the organ was removed, replacing it with a parliamentary tribune.
- Under Hitler, concerts were resumed.
- After the end of the war, parliament returned here.
- The Rudolfinum was given to the Czech Philharmonic only in 1946.
1990 was a time for Rudolfinum to return to its roots. Then work was carried out to restore the external and internal appearance of the building.
The building was reopened to visitors by 1994.
Now Rudolfinum is the best venue for concerts and exhibitions in Prague.
Temple of the Arts
The galleries of the Rudolfinum amaze with their scale and strength of architectural concepts. Glass ceilings are an artists' dream; they allow paintings to be seen in natural light. Special effects are created by dimming systems.
The Dvořákova síň Concert Hall is the best in the country in terms of acoustics.
Small Hall, Sukova síň, named after Dvorak's student, Josef Suk. Chamber concerts are held here.
Rudolfinum is the home of the Czech Philharmonic and also the home of the Prague Spring festival.
Exterior and interior
From an architectural point of view, Rudolfinum is a striking example of the Neo-Renaissance.
The outside of the building is decorated with sculptures of composers and allegories of their works.
Another decoration that reminds us of those without whom this building would not exist is the golden bee, a symbol of the savings bank. She is depicted on the chest of the sphinxes.
There is a monument to Dvorak in front of the building.
The interior of the building combines classical and neo-Renaissance styles.
Curious
There is an interesting story associated with the appearance of the building. It seems that in 1939 it was decided to remove the Mendelssohn statue from the building and destroy it. The soldiers, far from the world of art, encroached on the one whose nose seemed to them the largest, that is, Wegner, Hitler’s favorite composer. The mistake was noticed and the culprits were punished.
But in all this turmoil, someone hid the statue of Mendelssohn, which again took its place after the war.
What to see nearby
It will take you about 2 hours to explore the Rudolfinum. We advise you to look next door to the historical
