Return to Europe and last years[edit]

Portrait of Dvok's son-in-law, the composerJosef Suk, with dedication:"Drah miss Otilce Dvokov" ("To dear
miss Otilka Dvokov"), 1894
Dvok, his wife and Otakar returned from the United States on April 27, 1895, and he was
careful to avoid spreading the news about his return.
[74]
However, after a performance of Dimitrijat
the National Theater on May 19, Dvok fled to Vysok. Dvok's first love and later sister-in-law,
Josefina Kaunitzov, ne ermkov, died in May 1895. He and she had maintained friendly
relations over the years. After her death he revised the coda of his Cello Concerto in her
memory.
[75]
During Dvok's final years, he concentrated on composing opera and chamber
music. In October 1895, he resumed his professorship at the Prague Conservatory.
[76]
Between
1895 to 1897, he completed his string quartets in A-flat major and G major, and also worked on
the cycle of symphonic poems inspired by the collection Kytice by Karel Jaromr Erben. His
chamber works directly influenced the establishment of the Czech Quartet(1891).
[77]
As seen from
Burghauser (1960), in 1896 Dvok wrote his five Symphonic Poems, but after that completed
few works per year, mainly operas: Jakobn in 1896, nothing in 1897, only The Devil and Kate in
1898/99, Rusalka in 1900, two songs and "Recitatives" in 1900/01, and finally the
opera Armida in 1902/3. Rusalka became the most popular of all Dvok's ten operas and gained
an international reputation (below under Works, Operas).
In 1896 he visited London for the last time to conduct the premiere of his Cello Concerto in B
minor by the London Philharmonic.
[68]
Also in 1896, Brahms tried to persuade Dvok, who had
several children, to move to Vienna. Brahms said he himself had no dependents and "If you need
anything, my fortune is at your disposal".
[78]
Clapham writes "Dvok was deeply moved and tears
came to his wife's eyes, but it was quite impossible for him, a Czech, to contemplate leaving
Bohemia."
[78]



Dvok's funeral on May 5, 1904 was an event of national significance
[79]

In 1897 Dvok's daughter Otilie married his student, the composer Josef Suk. In the same year,
Dvok was appointed a member of the jury for the Viennese Artists' Stipendium, and was later
honored with a medal.
[80]
In April 1901, he became a member of the Austro-Hungarian House of
Lords, along with the leading Czech poet Jaroslav Vrchlick.
[81]
He also succeeded Antonn
Bennewitz as director of the Prague Conservatory from November 1901 until his
death.
[82]
Dvok's 60th birthday was celebrated as a national event, with concerts and a banquet
organized in his honor.
[83]
His final performance as conductor with the Czech Philharmonic took
place on April 4, 1900.
[84]
Due to illness, he missed the performances of his oratorio Saint
Ludmila, the violin concerto (solo part played by Frantiek Ondek), and the New World
Symphony at the 'First Czech Music Festival' held in April 1904 in Prague.
[85]

Dvok died on May 1, 1904, of an undiagnosed cause,
[86]
following five weeks of illness, at the
age of 62, leaving many unfinished works. His funeral service was held on May 5,
[87]
and his
ashes were interred in the Vyehrad cemetery in Prague, beneath a bust by Czech
sculptor Ladislav aloun.