The Looming Noon Witch

“By the bench there stood an infant…” This famous opening verse of Czech poet and folklorist Karel Jaromír Erben’s poem Polednice (“The Noon Witch”) inspired Antonín Dvořák to create his own symphonic rendition. This program invites you to discover the words that united these two celebrated figures from Czech history who shared a passion for folklore. For the theoretical portion of the program, students will listen to different parts of the symphonic poem and identify individual instruments which represent its featured stories and characters. For the practical portion, they will be tasked with using the music as inspiration to reenact and interpret the poem. These theatrical interpretations will be photographed as a memento and visual accompaniment to the poem.

Reserve

Details

Age Group: 15–13 years old (elementary and middle school students)

Program Duration: 90 minutes

Capacity: 20 + 2 teachers/guardians free (please contact us for larger group requests)

Admission: 90 CZK per student 

Learning Outcomes: Students will become familiar with the work of Erben and Dvořák, apply their listening and comprehension skills, and deepen their creative exploration of poetry and music to inspire their own artistic interpretation—just like Dvořák. 

Subjects: Literature, Poetry, Music, Art and Culture 

Location: Antonín Dvořák Birth House  

Prerequisites/Notes: This program was developed in cooperation with Blanka Dragounová and Edita Roberts from Velvary Primary School and Michaela Kuptíková from Kralupy nad Vltavou Primary School. The program does not include a tour of the museum.

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The Looming Noon Witch

“By the bench there stood an infant…” This famous opening verse of Czech poet and folklorist Karel Jaromír Erben’s poem Polednice (“The Noon Witch”) inspired Antonín Dvořák to create his own symphonic rendition. This program invites you to discover the words that united these two celebrated figures from Czech history who shared a passion for folklore.

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