December 21,1834: First public rendition of the song that was to become the Czech national anthem
"Where my home is" - the future Czech national anthem - was first performed at the Estates Theatre in Prague on 21 December 1834, in a play called Fidlovačka. The text by Josef Kajetán Tyl and the melody by František Škroup formed a harmonious whole and the song quickly gained popularity.
When Josef Kajetán Tyl wrote his new comedy Fidlovačka (or No Anger, No Brawl), he had high hopes of success. The reality exceeded his wildest expectations. One of the songs in the play, extolling the beauty of his homeland was to become part of Czechoslovakia’s national anthem in 1920. (For their part of the combined anthem the Slovaks chose Nad Tatrou sa blýska.)
Paradoxically, the author of the melody, František Škroup, did not receive recognition in Bohemia. For thirty years he was conductor at the Estates Theatre, but after disagreements with the directorate he was dismissed and went to the opera in Rotterdam as a Kapellmeister. Kde domov muj (Where my home is) was played on the trumpet at his funeral.
Reflections on the length and melody
The anthem has been arranged in many different ways over the years, and many variations have been preserved in the Czech Radio archives. One of the oldest recordings is the German version of the Czechoslovak anthem. It was sung in German by a male choir sometime in the 1930s. The quality of the performance is not good and the melody is not quite right. Probably the longest version of the Czechoslovak anthem was recorded in 1933 or 1934. It is very slow, plodding and lasts for nearly two minutes.
Individuals and organizations have tried various new adaptations. Most recently, in 2018, the Czech Olympic Committee complained that the Czech anthem is one of the shortest in the world and athletes don’t get enough time in the limelight during medal awarding ceremonies. They approached composer Miloš Bok, who created several adaptations.
Apart from creating a short-lived media uproar, his adaptations, like all previous ones, ended up in the archives as a curiosity. 190 years on, František Škroup's melody and lyrics by Josef Kajetán Tyl remain unchanged.
English translation:
Where my home is, where my home is,
Streams are rushing through the meadows,
Midst the rocks sigh fragrant pine groves,
Orchards decked in spring's array,
Scenes of Paradise portray.
And this land of wondrous beauty,
Is the Czech land, home of mine!
Where my home is, where my home is,
If in heavenly land thou hast met
Slender souls in spry bodies,
Of clear mind, vigorous and prosperous,
And with strength ruining all defiance,
This glorious nation of Czechs
Is of the Czechs, home of mine!
