Horymír (opera), B441

Rudolf Starek’s libretto Horymir, which tells a story from Czech mythology, was one of the texts Dvorak was considering in the last year of his life as suitable material for his next opera. At the end of August 1903 he wrote a series of thematic ideas in his sketchbook under the collective heading “Motifs for the opera Horymir”. Almost until his death he corresponded with the librettist, expressing his desire to make changes to the text. They had planned a meeting in Prague at the beginning of May 1904 (Starek was abroad at the time), but Dvorak died before the meeting could take place.