The Bridegroom's Arrival (a liturgical drama), B437

In 1897, when Dvorak frequently met up with Julius Zeyer at musical soirees in the home of Josef Hlavka and his wife, the composer was shown Zeyer’s new work – the liturgical drama The Bridegroom’s Arrival. In the spirit of Symbolism, Zeyer’s poetry examines the theme of the Last Judgement. At the time, Dvorak wrote a theme in his sketchbook in the key of F minor and also noted down the first verse of Zeyer’s work. He didn’t get any further with this composition, and the work – supposedly an oratorio – was ultimately never realised.