Music for the Royal Crown
The dramaturgy of the next edition of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival turns to one of the defining moments of Czech history: the 500th anniversary of the coronation of Ferdinand I as King of Bohemia. The year 1527 was not merely a ceremonial occasion in Prague Cathedral; it also marked the moment when the Bohemian Lands became more closely linked with Vienna, Lower Austria, and the wider Habsburg Monarchy.
We wish to commemorate this anniversary not as an isolated political turning point, but as part of a much longer dynastic memory. The Přemyslid, Luxembourg, Jagiellonian, and Habsburg dynasties were never separate chapters of history. They were interconnected through a network of family ties, often transmitted through the female line. A key figure in this continuity was Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, wife of Ferdinand I of Habsburg. Through her ancestry, the Jagiellonian legacy was united with Luxembourg blood and the earlier Přemyslid line of Bohemian kings. It was through Anna that this dynastic memory became part of the House of Habsburg.
For us, the year 1527 therefore represents not only the beginning of the Habsburg era, but also a solemn affirmation of the deeper continuity of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Within the historic settings of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, we aim to bring to life the music of the Habsburg court—the music that once resounded through the Hofburg, Schönbrunn Palace, and other imperial residences. We also hope to underscore this historical connection with a symbolic concert in Vienna.
The programme will present works by Habsburg court composers as well as by masters whose names have long remained overshadowed by more celebrated figures. Alongside a fresh perspective on Antonio Salieri, audiences will hear music by Bertali, Fux, Caldara, Bonno, and Eybler. Some of these works have been preserved in the collections of Valtice, Kroměříž, and Rajhrad and are expected to receive modern-day premiere performances.
The festival will encompass chamber, sacred, and staged productions, alongside major orchestral concerts. Performing ensembles will include the Brno Philharmonic, the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, and distinguished Czech and Austrian artists. The festival finale will carry a special symbolic meaning: just as the Te Deum accompanied coronation ceremonies in the past, it will conclude our festival as well—this time in the monumental setting of Anton Bruckner’s masterpiece.
I believe that next year’s festival will offer audiences not only the beauty of the music of the Habsburg court, but also a broader story of cultural memory, where history, art, and the living present once again come together.
MgA. Jiří Partyka
Koruna česká – olejomalba: Veronika Remak Molatová; foto: Bela Remak