The different style of his third opera, Dalibor, closer to that of Wagnerian music drama, was not readily understood by the public and was condemned by critics who believed that Czech opera should be based on folk-song.
Hans tredje operas anderledes stil, Dalibor, var tættere på den, man finder i Wagners musikdrama, og blev ikke umiddelbart forstået af offentligheden, men fordømt af kritikere, der mente, at den tjekkiske opera burde tage udgangspunkt i folkemusikkens sange.