Prague/Chapter 8
ENTERTAINMENTS.
In music the Bohemians had achieved world-wide renown. The New Bohemian National Theatre (built 1883) produces dramas, operas and ballets of the principal Bohemian masters: Smetana, Dvořák, Fibich, Kovařovic, Káan.
It is worth a visit to Prague solely to hear the operas of great Bohemian composers Smetana, Dvořák, Fibich produced in the New Bohemian National Theatre.
The Prague conservatory of Music, the first academy of music established in Austria, celebrated this year a centenary of its foundation. The famous violin teacher Ševčík was one of the professors of this institute and Kubelík, Kocián, Fr. Ondříček, Mary Hall were educated here.
To see and watch young Bohemia at play the visitor should ascend to the Letná plain (tramcar No. 3 from Powder Tower and funicular railway close by the Elisabeth bridge.)
Here are tennis courts and football courts, basebail areas with school boys and older athletes engaged in keen carnest.
The great football matches between the British teams and Bohemians always attract enormous crowds of spectators; recently the Bohemian team won the European championship in France.
In 1912 the great Sokol (Bohemian Gymnasts) meeting and Olympic games will take place on the Letná plain. (VI. Všesokolský slet).