# Janacek



## shsherm

Several of the chamber music performances I have recently attended in the LA area have featured works by Leos Janacek. Has anyone noticed a similar trend anywhere else?


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## confuoco

Well, my case is special because I study in Brno, city in Czech republic associated with Janacek and f.e. in the autumn 2008 there was a festival devoted entirely to his works. But I heard that in the recent years there is increased interest in his operas in USA, I don't know if it is true, but it would be nice anyway. Janacek is my favourite Czech composer, only a few composers in the history were so original as he was and I think he still isn't so well worldwide known as he could be/should be.


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## JTech82

I totally agree with what has been said already about Janacek. He was a great composer. Very underrated I think. I just bought a box set called "Janácek: Chamber Music & Orchestral Works," which was a collection released on Decca a few years ago. It contains one of the best performances, which the individual release is sadly out of print now, of "Sinfonietta" I've ever heard by Sir Charles Mackerras and the Vienna Philharmonic.

I haven't heard much by Janacek other than "Sinfonietta," so it will be great hearing these other works. I heard his chamber works are amazing.


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## Tapkaara

I recently attended a performance of the L.A. Philharmonic where Janacek's Sinfonietta opened the program. I had heard it before, but this was the first time I'd seen it live. It's an OK work as far as I'm concerend, but it really doesn't do anything for me, I'm afraid to admit. The multi-brass movements that open and close the work are pretty cool/original, but the stuff in the middle doesn't move me very much.

I have a disc at home of other, lesser known pieces by him and, again, I am sad to say it's not a disc I return to often. I know Janacek is a popular composer, and probably very original, but I have yet to come around and be won over by him.


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## confuoco

JTech82 said:


> I haven't heard much by Janacek other than "Sinfonietta," so it will be great hearing these other works. I heard his chamber works are amazing.


You should hear at least *Taras Bulba* with Mackerras and VP (Mackerras is conductor of choice at Janacek). Especially the first movement is very beautiful, based on contrasts between loud orchestral attacks and meditative solos of woodwinf with organ accompaniment (it has some roots in program of this work of course, but I don't mind)


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## confuoco

Tapkaara said:


> I have a disc at home of other, lesser known pieces by him and, again, I am sad to say it's not a disc I return to often. I know Janacek is a popular composer, and probably very original, but I have yet to come around and be won over by him.


It is necessary to become familliar with his composition style and specificity to understand his music. For example one can be confused by his rough orchestral structure and "block" and "nude" instrumentation. His melodies are also very direct, expressive and rough in some manner. It has origin in Moravian folklore, which was his main inspirational source and also influences of Mussorgsky and Bartok. To people from different music culture can take some time to absorb this kind of melodies and expressivity. And there are some more special specifities in his vocal music. One performance or listening is too little. Janacek is usually not composer of strong first impression, but I red a few testimonies of listeners or musicians, who were confused by his music at the begining, but later he has become their favourite composer (one of this musician is soprano Eva Urbanova).


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## JTech82

Here is what's in the box set of Janacek I have coming:


On the Overgrown Path (Po zarostlém chodnícku), for piano, JW 8/17 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Paul Crossley 

Theme and variations for piano in B flat major ("Zdenciny variace," "Zdenka Variations"), JW 8/6 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Paul Crossley 

In the mists (V Mlhách), pieces (4) for piano, JW 8/22 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Paul Crossley 

Vzpomínka (Reminiscence), for piano, JW 8/32 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Paul Crossley 

String Quartet No. 1 ("Kreutzer"), JW 7/8 
Composed by Leos Janacek 

String Quartet No. 2 ("Listy duverné," "Intimate Letters"), JW 7/13 
Composed by Leos Janacek 

Sonata for violin & piano, JW 7/7 (4 versions) 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Kenneth Sillito, Paul Crossley 

Dumka, for violin & piano, JW 7/4 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Kenneth Sillito, Paul Crossley 

Romance, for violin & piano in E major, JW 7/3 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Kenneth Sillito, Paul Crossley 

Mládí (Youth), suite for wind sextet, JW 7/10 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Antony Pay, Phillip Eastop, Sebastian Bell, Michael Harris, Janet Craxton, Martin Gatt 

Capriccio for piano (left hand), flute & brass ensemble ("Vzdor," "Defiance"), JW 7/12 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Peter Harvey, Sebastian Bell, John Iveson, Philip Jones, Paul Crossley, Eric Crees, David Purser, James Watson 
Conducted by David Atherton 

Concertino for piano, 2 violins, viola, clarinet, horn & bassoon, JW 7/11 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Antony Pay, Phillip Eastop, Joan Atherton, Nona Liddell, Paul Crossley, Brian Wightman, Donald McVay 
Conducted by David Atherton 

Pohádka (Fairy Tale), for cello & piano ("The Story of Tsar Berendyey"), JW 7/5 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Christopher van Kampen, Paul Crossley 

Presto for cello & piano, JW 7/6 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
with Christopher van Kampen, Paul Crossley 

Sinfonietta for orchestra ("Military," "Sokol Festival"), JW 6/18 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra 
Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras 

Taras Bulba, rhapsody for orchestra, JW 6/15 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra 
Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras 

Lachian (Lasské) Dances (6) for orchestra, JW 6/17 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra 
Conducted by Francois Huybrechts 

Suite for string orchestra, JW 6/2 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
Performed by Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra 
Conducted by Neville Marriner 

Ríkadla (Nursery Rhymes) (18) for 9 voices & 10 instruments, JW 5/17 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
Performed by London Sinfonietta Chorus 
with Julian Farrell, Sebastian Bell, Brian Burrowes, Martin Gatt, Judith Pearce, Robin McGee, Antony Pay, Wendy Philips, John Constable, Gregory Knowles 
Conducted by David Atherton 

Mass (Msa glagolskaja) for soloists, double chorus, orchestra & organ ("Glagolitic Mass"), JW 3/9 
Composed by Leos Janacek 
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra 
with Thomas Trotter, Richard Novak, Marta Benackova, Eva Uvbanova, Vladimir Bogachev 
Conducted by Riccardo Chailly


So as you can see that piece "Taras Bulba" is in this collection by the best interpreter of Janacek's work, Sir Charles Mackerras and the Vienna Philharmonic, so I have all the Janacek I need right in this box. I don't care anything about his opera, because I don't like opera.


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## confuoco

Very impressive box set


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## Tapkaara

All very well put, ConFuoco. And perhaps you are right...I need to give him more of a chance. At the very least I can give the disc I have a whirl and maybe I should pick up a good recording of the Sinfonietta...I do like those outer movements.


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## JTech82

Tapkaara:

I do think you dismissed Janacek pretty quickly like so many other people have done before like Confuoco said. You have to give him a chance to grow on you. I didn't like Bruckner when I first heard him, but now he's one of my favorites. Janacek has a very individual style of composing, like Bartok, some of his compositions are downright sinister in tone. Give him another chance.

Listen to "Sinfonietta' by Sir Charles Mackerras and the VPO and you might change your mind. It requires multiple listens to fully understand it.


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## JTech82

Confuoco:

I couldn't resist this box set when I saw it. I got for about $15 + shipping. You can't beat that!


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## Tapkaara

JTech82 said:


> Tapkaara:
> 
> I do think you dismissed Janacek pretty quickly like so many other people have done before like Confuoco said.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think I have dismissed him too quickly. Maybe I really don't like him and never will, regardless of how many times I listen to him.
> 
> And by the way, I am by no means bashing him or insulting him. But I cannot do anything about it if I genuinly do not connect to his sound world.
Click to expand...


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## JTech82

Who said anything about you bashing or insulting him? I certainly didn't. All I said was give him another chance, but if you genuinely just don't like the way he composes then that is your prerogative.

You think people like Stravinsky the first time they heard him? Well I did, but I had a friend who HATED Stravinsky, but I played him Symphony of Psalms under the conducting of none other than Stravinsky himself and he fell in love with his work. He still talks about Symphony of Psalms to this day and this was 15 years ago!

I was introduced to Janacek about 9 or 10 years ago by my Dad, who also loves his orchestral works. My Dad is going to really enjoy this box set.

I love Janacek and I'm glad that Confuoco feels the same way I do.


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## Tapkaara

No one said I was bashing or insulting Janacek. I was just making it clear that I was not.

I liked Le Sacre du Printemps the first time I heard it, but it took me a while to latch on to the Firebird and Petrushka. Now I love those works. Thing is though...I came around from Stravinsky, I still need to come around for Janacek. The same way I need to come around for Bartok. I doubt I'll ever come around for Mozart though, alas.


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## JTech82

I never have liked Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, or Vivalidi. I think they are seriously overrated composers. There's much better composers that came to the forefront during the Romantic Period, which is my favorite period of classical music...hands down.


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## JTech82

Tapkaara:

I understood Janacek the first time I heard him. For me, the hardest composer I had trouble getting into was Bruckner at first, because he had a very different composing style. But now I love his work, in particular his symphonies.

But when I heard Sibelius, a light went off inside of me. I liked him immediately. The same way with Nielsen. I liked him the first time I heard him. Nobody beats Herbert Blomsedt when it comes to Nielsen in my opinion. I could listen to Nielsen all day long and pickup on things that I never even heard before. The same with Sibelius, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Mahler. I never tire of them. Actually, Franck's Symphony In D minor and Chasseur maudit both by Riccard Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra is just amazing.

Man, I could go on and on.....


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## Sid James

In my opinion, Janacek is one of the Twentieth Century's most original and significant composers. It is true that he may not be as readily appreciated and as easy to digest as say his compatriots Smetana, Dvorak or even Martinu. He really came into his own late in life, he had this great surge of creativity and nowhere is this more apparent than in his two string quartets. Passionate, stirring and emotional music, and very direct. I don't really know Beethoven's or Bartok's late quartets but I have heard Schubert's late quartets and his quintet. Janacek's quartets are in that same league, I think, they stir the soul. Nothing superficial or frivolous here, just bare emotions. They just grab me every time I listen to them, and they are never boring. He never just went through the motions when composing. Everything he wrote, that I have heard so far, speaks of a commitment to tell the truth in the way he saw it. Very bold and forthright man he must have been. It comes through in his music.


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## shsherm

The music of Martinu is played much less often than Janacek in my experience. I was specifically referring to his chamber music when I began this topic. I just listened to a performance of the Makropoulos Case on the radio this evening and The Cunning Little Vixen is performed with some frequency these days as is Jenufa. I do not know if Janacek wrote any symphonies- I guess I could have googled to find out.


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## confuoco

JTech82 said:


> I never have liked Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, or Vivalidi. I think they are seriously overrated composers.


Are you serious? I don't think they are overrated. But there is one important thing - one has to distinguish between "bad composer" and "I don't like his music". Maybe you just don't like baroque and classicism style, but it has nothing to do with the fact that Bach was probably the greatest composer ever. If he was born 150 years later, maybe he would be your favourite romantic composer.


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## confuoco

JTech82 said:


> Tapkaara:
> But when I heard Sibelius, a light went off inside of me. I liked him immediately.


A also liked Sibelius immediately. The first his work I heard is Symphony No. 2 and I fell in love with string figure at the beginning then. I still remember my feelings.


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## JTech82

I just never have liked Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, or Vivaldi. I relate more to the Romantic period. There's more depth to be found there. That's just my opinion. Great composers they may be. I never thought their compositions were that interesting, except Mozart's Requiem, that's an exception. That was a brutal piece of work.


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## Tapkaara

I, personally am not a fan of Mozart, but I love Beethoven and I may just be coming around to liking Haydn.

Anyway, I ordered Janacek's Glaglitic Mass and I'll let everyone know what I think.


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## JTech82

I like some of Haydn's compositions. I like his London Symphonies the best. I have the box set conducted by Eugen Jochum with the Berlin Philharmonic. Bavarian Radio Symphony, and London Philharmonic that I've been really enjoying.

Tapkaara it doesn't bother me you don't like Janacek. You love Sibelius, so you're cool in my book! Anyone who likes Sibelius obviously is a very intelligent person and knows good classical when they hear it!


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## Tapkaara

Well, I am trying to like Janacek...I am giving him a chance.

His mass sounds very interesting, thus my ordering it. Once I've given it a go, I'll let y'all know what I think!


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## JAKE WYB

Thing is with Janacek - someone said he doesnt care about his operatic works because they dont like opera - neither id I until I got to know Kata Kabanova and Cunning little vixen - and it was Janacek who successfully convinced me that opera was of interest but after years i havent quite got to love any opera quite as much as Janacek opera even lesser ones like osud - so if you dont like opera - it doesnt mean you wont like Janacek opera 
- but as far as his string quartets go - they are the equal of any - including even the bartok cycle - if janacek had composed what could be judged as a full cycle over his lifes creative developmemt like beethovn or bartok his wpuld be perhaps the greatest - but even the 2 quartets themselves are bloody good


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## bdelykleon

I'm a big fan of Janácek, Jenufa was the first opera I ever bought and I never stopped enjoyed his music ever since I was 12. Last time I was in Prague, I took a train to Olomouc to see the Cunning Little Vixen, and returned the next day to Prague to see Jenufa, and I also bought some 60 cd's of his and later had to explain in the airport all that music of for my own use... Those supraphon recordings are hard to find down here in the south.


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