National Theatre, Opera house in New Town, Prague, Czech Republic
The National Theatre (Národní divadlo) is a Neo-Renaissance building by Josef Zítek at the corner of Národní třída and Masarykovo nábřeží, its pale tan facade rising above a stone embankment. Arched openings and a balcony with statues sit below rows of windows between engaged columns, and the dark curved roof carries a gold railing, gold roundels and thin spires, with a green patinated three-horse chariot group on the left corner.
The cornerstone was laid on 16 May 1868, and Smetana's Dalibor premiered for the occasion; the theatre opened on 11 June 1881 with his Libuše. A fire on 12 August 1881 destroyed the copper dome, auditorium and stage, and a collection raised a million florins in 47 days. Josef Schulz rebuilt it, reopening on 18 November 1883.
The theatre's opening in 1881 and its reopening in 1883 both featured Smetana's Libuše, an opera written for the occasion. The three ensembles—opera, ballet and drama—perform in the historic building, the Estates Theatre, the State Opera and the Kolowrat Theatre, mixing classical and modern works.
Tickets can be purchased up to six months in advance through the online system, and performances feature multilingual surtitles for international audiences. A visit is possible year-round, with evening performances available most regularly.
The green patinated bronze chariot group on the left corner of the roofline is a triga with three horses, made by Bohuslav Schnirch, who also supplied ten exterior allegorical sculptures; Antonín Pavel Wagner added ten more. The interior pediment group over the proscenium arch is Schnirch's work as well.
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