Tourism in Prague - Bertramka Museum

Bertramka Museum
Museum of W. A. Mozart and Dusek Couple

Mozartova St. 169 150 00 Prague 5 Czech Republic	(+42 02) 57 31 74 65 (+42 02) 57 31 84 61 Tel / Fax (+42 02) 57 31 67 53
E-mail: mozart@bertramka.cz	Official Site: www.bertramka.cz

The Villa Bertramka is the most significant Prague place connected with the name of one of the greatest world composers - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A former vineyard manor house from the turn of the 17th century became in 1784 the property of the singer Josefina Duskova and the pianist, pedagogue and composer Frantisek Xaver Dusek. They, most probably, deserve credit for staging of Mozart’s operas Die Entfuehrung

aus dem Serail and The Marriage of Figaro in Prague and for inviting the author to Prague. Here in the idyllic environment of Bertramka Mozart finished the score of Don Giovanni shortly before its memorable first night on October 29, 1787. At Bertramka Mozart also composed the concert aria Bella mia fiamma, addio and dedicated it to Mrs. Duskova. Mozart called his stays at Bertramka the most beautiful moments of his short and eventful life. In 1956 the Museum of Mozart and the Duseks was opened on the Bertramka premises, bearing witness to the history of the place and Mozart’s visits. All available memorabilia of W. A. Mozart and the Duseks, namely personal keepsakes, musical instruments, manuscripts, letters, period pictures, engravings, prints and other documents testifying to Mozart’s close relationship to Prague and to distinguished personalities of the then affluent Czech culture, have been gathered in this exhibition. The exhibition occupies what was then residential floor with seven rooms of which the salon, where Mozart allegedly used to stay and the bedroom, where original painted wooden ceiling has been successfully restored, are the most impressive. The music salon with period decoration that would be used for music purposes already at the time of Mozart’s visits, now hosts regular chamber music concerts sought by all music-lovers visiting Prague because of constant high standard of artistic quality. In the summer months concerts are held in the Bertramka garden, as its amphitheatre-like terrain not only provides ideal acoustic conditions for music productions, but also transforms the whole place into an enclosed oasis of peace, tranquility and memories.