Antonín Rus (1833–1903)

District court judge in Mirovice, later president of the court in Písek, enthusiastic amateur musician. Dvořák was introduced to Rus in 1884 by the composer’s former classmate from the organ school, Václav Urban. This chance acquaintance gradually grew into a close friendship, testified through their frequent contact and mutual correspondence. The same may be said of Rus’s daughter Marie, who later became Marie Bohdanecká; she was a great admirer of Dvořák’s works and played his four-hand piano pieces with him when he came to visit them. Dvořák dedicated two of his piano works to her, Dumka and Furiant, Op. 12.