his own master

Young Dvořák was extremely short of money during the early stages of his career. For many years – until he got married – he lived with relatives and in rented rooms at various Prague addresses: Initially in his cousin’s flat in Dominikánská street, later with his father’s youngest sister on Karlovo náměstí, for about a year in Václavská street, and during this time he also had lodgings for one or two years on Senovážné náměstí. When he left the organ school he was not yet eighteen years of age and could no longer expect any financial support from his parents, particularly since his father’s business continued to deteriorate. He thus applied for the position of organist at St Henry’s church. He proved to be the best of the six candidates, but he was not accepted due to his lack of experience. Roughly during this same period he decided to accept the post of viola player in the Komzák Ensemble, a small orchestra which performed undemanding programmes at dances, in restaurants and at promenade concerts. When the Provisional Theatre opened in the autumn of 1862 the entire Komzák Ensemble was engaged as the core of the opera orchestra. Thus, for the next nine years or so, Dvořák performed the viola parts of operas by Verdi, Meyerbeer, Donizetti and others on a daily basis, often conducted by Bedřich Smetana. Nevertheless, this influx of music did not suffice and he studied a huge number of scores at home as well. His meagre income would not allow him to purchase any music, and so he generally borrowed scores from his friend, the composer and choirmaster Karel Bendl, whose flat he frequently visited in order to play on the piano.