Forgotten sound of Antonín Dvořák’s pipe organ rediscovered in Czech Radio archives

Antonín Dvořák, one of the most celebrated composers of the 19th century, is not only associated with his birthplace Nelahozeves but also with Vysoká u Příbrami, where he spent many summers. During these stays, he was a regular visitor to the nearby church in Třebsko, attending morning mass. In 1894, Dvořák donated a set of organ pipes to the church, but unfortunately, these were destroyed in a devastating fire in 1953. Now, a rare recording of the organ's sound has been uncovered in the archives of Czech Radio.

Antonín Dvořák with his family and friends in Vysoká|Photo: J. V. Sládek, e-Sbírky, National Museum, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED

“Antonín Dvořák bought this pipe organ for the church here. Unfortunately, they were lost in the fire, leaving behind only the bench on which he sat to play,” says Jan Bondra, a native of Třebsko and the local organist and tuner.

On September 8, 1894, the organ was consecrated and officially put into use. "There’s even a handwritten note by Dvořák stating, 'I played the organ in Třebsko on September 8, 1894,’” reads Vojtěch Poláček, director of the Antonín Dvořák Memorial in Vysoká. This date also coincides with the composer’s birthday.

Bondra adds: “Dvořák played here regularly during his stays at Vysoká. His favorite hymn was Tisíckrát Pozdravujeme Tebe (A Thousand Times We Greet You), which can be heard on the recording Czech Radio discovered.”

Antonín Dvořák Memorial in Vysoká|Photo: Chmee2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Dvořák was an exceptional organist known for his improvisations. His donation of the organ to the church was a significant gesture, especially considering its cost. At the time, Dvořák was living in the United States, earning what today would be the equivalent of a million Czech crowns per month. The organ’s price, estimated at 800 to 1,000 guilders, represented the equivalent of half the cost of a house or several years’ rent for a Prague apartment.

The recording, which features excerpts of Dvořák’s New World Symphony and the Marian hymn Tisíckrát Pozdravujeme Tebe, was discovered by Czech Radio archivist Miroslav Turek. “I was going through audio reels and records containing sound effects like airplane engines or heartbeats, and I found several reels labeled ‘Bells,’” Turek explains. “On one of them, I found the sound of an organ – Dvořák’s organ in Třebsko.”

The first page of the autograph score of Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, in E minor, “From the New World”|Photo: Burghauser, Jarmil: Antonín Dvořák/Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The recording was part of the Bells of My Country project, conducted by Czech Radio in 1941 and 1942. The project documented the sounds of church bells and organ music in rural churches across the country.

While the original organ no longer exists, Třebsko’s church now houses a valuable Baroque organ, originally from Kostelec nad Orlicí, which continues to fill the space with music.

This rediscovered recording offers a rare glimpse into the soundscape of Antonín Dvořák’s time, preserving the legacy of the composer’s connection to Třebsko and his remarkable gift to its church.