The opera Die Burgfrau (Brno 1832) is based on the local folk tale of the White Lady, a friendly ghost, who once used to reside in the castle of Pernštejn. In the first half of the nineteenth century pieces as such were shown on stage of the City Theatre at the Zelný trh in Brno, often of Singspiel quality. The opera of the White Lady surpasses all of them in structure and thorough elaboration. In spite of their young age, the authors represented first-class among contemporary artists in Moravia. The author of the libretto Antonín Boček (1802–1847) was a known Moravian historian, whose premature death prevented him to finish his life-work. When composing the opera, the composer Antonín Emil Titl (1809–1882) was double-bass player in the Brno theatre; later, he went on to become bandmaster in Vienna. The opera combines elements of the tale with historical events. In part, it presents historical figures, and even gives the date of 1545. The ghost of the White Lady interferes in the events, in which love wins over hatred, and evil is punished. The opera met with warm welcome when first performed in Brno, and was later shown in Olomouc as well. However, it did not make it to the Vienna stage.
Among the operas including the subject of the Bohemian royal legend, is Eduard Lannoy’s Libussa (Brno 1819), an isolated case. From the late 17th century, Libu‰e, a Bohemian Queen (sic!), became a leading character of several German baroque operas. In the early 18th century, she appeared in the Italian opera seria, also in Prague. The author of the first German 19th century Libu‰e (Konradin Kreutzer’s Libussa was given its premiere in Vienna only at the end of 1822) treated this work as a serious singspiel, interspersed by comic episodes. The libretto, probably also written by the composer, stresses liberalism in the traditional legend elements. The form of the opera is traditional, vocal numbers are bound together by spoken dialogues. The vocal and instrumental setting is mature, but the work lacks originality of invention.
The pastoral blowing of Christmas Eve belongs to the most remarkable Christmas traditions in Bohemian lands. The pastoral tuba (tuba pastoritia) was made by the shepherds themselves from wood, later it was made in a craftsman manner from brass. The records of the time corroborate the outstanding musical skills of some shepherds. Their signals on the pasture followed up with military or fireman tunes. On Christmas Eve the shepherds and night watchmen made walk-abouts with singing and blowing. In the frontier regions the costume of rounding up the sheep to Bethlehem had been preserved. The shepherd cracked the whip and blew the tuba and before him were running boys with collars and bells. Still at the end of the twentieth century Josef Svejkovský recorded in the regions of Rokycany and Zbiroh remarkable pastoral tunes that were played on the pasture as well as on Christmas Eve. A unique chapter of the pastoral blowing represents its use in church during Christmas ceremonies. Pastorales composed by Bohemian and Moravian schoolmasters required the pastoral tuba and later the trumpet. Some parts indicate a virtuoso artistic production of the interpreters. The tuba pastoralis had been used in two ways, either during the whole composition or later only in the overture and in the intermezzos, rather as a curiosity. This popular instrument entered the festival Christmas intrades and also the instrumental pastorales. Unique „Symphonia pastoralis“ from Dřevohostice (1788) is a small concerto grosso with solo violin and tuba pastoralis. On midnight mess sometimes two shepherds blew, each of them in a different part of the church. The chordal motives that are characteristic for the pastoral tuba were often imitated in pastorales for other instruments, usually for violines and also pastoral organ preludes. Rare are pastorales for cemballo that in the eighteenth century probably served as a home Christmas music.