King and Charcoal Burner

Dvořák composed the music for the first version of the opera in 1871 to a libretto by Bernard J. Lobeský (pseudonym of Bernard Guldener). In 1871, Dvořák offered the finished opera to the Czech Provisional Theatre in Prague. Bedřich Smetana, then in charge of the company, returned the work to Dvořák, claiming that it was unperformable. Dvořák subsequently wrote entirely new music to the same libretto, without using any of the original material. He completed this new version in 1874. The Provisional Theatre, under different artistic leadership after the departure of Smetana, gave the première on 24 November 1874. The opera received a good critical and audience reception, but was withdrawn after four performances. Dvořák made another substantial revision in 1887, with modifications to the libretto by Václav Juda Novotný. This version received its premiere on 15 June 1887, conducted by Mořic Anger. In 1914, Karel Kovařovic produced a heavily reworked and cut edition of Dvořák's 1887 version. This version was staged in 1915 and in 1956. This edition forms the basis of most currently available recordings. In 1916, the manuscript score of Acts I and III was found in the estate of Josef Aupěka. In 1928, other materials for the original performance were found in the archives of the National Theatre, Prague. From these materials, the first version was reconstructed. On 28 May 1929, this first version was first performed, in an abridged form, at the National Theatre, Prague, under the …

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