# Leos Janacek



## Habib

A big innovator in early C20th music even though he was born in the middle of the C19th. While some composers who reached their 60's don't compose much of consequence, Janacek's late works are his greatest, including several operas, the mighty Glagothic Mass, and the passionate String Quartets. The Sinfonietta (innacurately named as it is scored for a huge orchestra) and the earlier symphonic rhapsody Taras Bulba are also worthy of mention.

He definitely did not compromise in his music, and wrote what he felt. Some criticised him for this, saying he was negating the music of his friend and compatriot Dvorak or the earlier Smetana. In some ways, he had a quite wierd and idiosyncratic way of composing (eg. writing down in musical notation some passionate conversation he overheard, or the clucking of hens). He was a different drummer playing his own tune, but this fact just enhances my appreciation of his unique style. One of my favourite composers and, although he was of an earlier generation, his works can seem just as startling and bold as Stravinsky, Bartok or Hindemith.

What do people think?


----------



## Weston

I think his String Quartet No. 1 "Kruetzer" is the first string quartet I actually sat down and paid attention to so that I finally "got" string quartets and other chamber works. Before that I was mainly interested in big symphonic pieces and compared chamber works, especially string quartets, to boring black and white pencil drawings as opposed to full blown paintings.

Maybe I was just ready and some other string quartet would have done as well, but I'll always remember this work as the first chamber piece that caught my ear with it's brilliant sonorities and odd colorings for just the four instruments. Not yet really enjoying chamber works, I was not familiar with Beethoven's Kruetzer sonata which this is supposed to quote or emulate somewhere -- though I have yet to find where.

Anyway, I like black and white pencil drawings too now.


----------



## PostMinimalist

And his orchestral works are fun to play too! I did Taras Bulba with the BBCSSO years ago and I remember the last few pages which are just magical for the bass section. More recently I played another piece for small string orchestra which had some very tough stuff but Janacek is definitely one of these composers whose work repay a bit of serious practice. His orchestration in also particularly bold and some orchesral managers cringe when they see Sinfonietta come up on the program because they know they then have to find a whole army of trumpets in all shapes and sizes! I personally find bits of the 'Glag' almost metaphysical. As you said he wrote what he wanted and the rest be damned!
GO Janacek


----------



## andruini

Janácek is one of my all time favorites.. I just wet myself in rapture everytime I get to hear the Sinfonietta or the Glagolitic Mass or Taras Bulba.. I also really love From The House of the Dead.. but some of my favorite Janácek works are his choral pieces, like the Songs of Hradcany, The Wolf's Trial, Kaspar Rucký.. I've also got a soft spot for his Lachian Dances and the Cunning Little Vixen Suite.. 
One of the most fascinating figures to me in European music..


----------



## handlebar

I admire the piano works and,of course, Taras Bulba.

Jim


----------



## Lisztfreak

Without exaggeration, I haven't heard a work by Janáček I didn't like. I started with the two string quartets, of which the second is among my favourite compositions ever (as I wrote in the 10 classical favourites thread), then moved on to orchestral, and in the end got acquainted with the piano works and the chamber concertos (btw, those are my least favourite pieces of his). All of his orchestral pieces are originally and inimitably orchestrated. 

Taras Bulba and the Glagolitic Mass are metaphysical indeed. 

Milan Kundera said something about Janáček's music being so special because it expresses unexpressible emotions. I think he's close to a perfect description.


----------



## Mirror Image

I like Janacek a lot. "Taras Bulba," "Sinfonietta," "Glagolitic Mass," "The Cunning Little Vixen," "Lachian Dances," and "Suite for String Orchestra." I wish he would have composed more orchestral music.


----------



## Sid James

I've just re-acquainted myself with Janacek's mighty _*Glagolitic Mass*_, after hearing it years ago on radio (& I was as impressed then as I am now). This is a very monumental work, as some people have said, it's metaphysical, connected to the composer's 'pantheistic' view of nature, as the cd notes say.

Another late work, on the same Kubelik disc, is _*The diary of the one who disappeared*_. It's a song-cycle for tenor, contralto, female chorus and piano. Is it just me, or is it a bit wierd to hear a work in German by a Czech composer? Anyway, I have really enjoyed listening to Janacek's music, I also have some of his orchestral works & the string quartets, and I look forward to getting some of his piano works...


----------



## Lukecash12

I loooove Janacek.... But I guess I feel that way for every other composer too.


----------



## Gangsta Tweety Bird

i like his piano music. v mlhách (in the mists), sonata 1.x.1905 and po zarostlém chodníčku (on an overgrown path) i and ii are all great


----------



## emiellucifuge

Sinfonietta was one of my first loves in classical music.

And the first opera i went to was Janaceks Makropolous Case at the dutch opera with Cheryl Barker.
Amazing


----------



## Lukecash12

I'm a pretty big fan of short pieces, and his book "On An Overgrown Path" really delivers.


----------



## Sid James

Yes, his piano works are great, as I have found out for myself recently. I just got the DG 2 CD set which contain most of his works for this instrument, as interpreted by Rudolf Firkusny, who was actually taught by Janacek as a young boy.

These works, although written in the first quarter of the C20th, are so modern (even by today's standards), that they could have been written decades later. They are also very unique, not copying the usual Romantic or Impressionist styles. There's a certain directness, but also much warmth and intimacy. Of particular note is the _Sonata 1.X.1905 "From the street," _which was written in memory of a worker who was killed by Austrian troops when a demonstration in Janacek's home city of Brno was brutally supressed. There's much emotion & pathos here, but it's not heart-on-your-sleeve, it's more understated. The work we hear today is incomplete, lacking a final movement, as the composer burnt that (which shows his impulsive and self-critical character). Luckily, the two remaining portions of the manuscript were secretly saved by a pianist, which were later allowed to be published when Janacek changed his mind.

Another interesting work on this set is the _Concertino for piano & chamber orchestra_. It is oddly scored, with seperate instruments accompanying the soloist in each movement. It is exactly this quirkiness & offbeat quality that draws me to Janacek, because I am somewhat tired of the usual classical cliches. What you get here is something that still sounds fresh, challenging and new, even after all these decades have passed.

It's interesting how Janacek really came into his own when he was in his fifties. Then in his sixties, he met Kamila Stosslova, who was to become not only a good (platonic) friend, but also his muse. Then a flood of these very original and memorable works began flowing from his pen. One would never think this listening to early works, like the _Suite for Strings_, which has traces of Dvorak, Haydn & Tchaikovsky. He was a late bloomer and we can all be thankful for that, perhaps this accounts for the depth and maturity of his greatest works.


----------



## Tapkaara

I admire Janacek. He is a composer with a very unique sound. He composed exactly what he heard in his head and what he heard was truly unique.

The Glagolitic Mass is incredible. The music sounds ancient and modern at the same time. It very well could be his orchestral masterpiece.

After Dvorak, Janacek should be considered the most important Czech composer, and he should certainly be counted as one of the most unique composers of his time. A visionary, even.


----------



## Oskaar

Janacec`s string quartets ar fantastic! The "kreutzer" is both named as piano trio and string quartet....


----------



## elgar's ghost

He just seemed to get better and better - the works of his last 20 or so years were very distinctive and had the benefit of sounding new and fresh but not gratuitously novel.


----------



## Vaneyes

Habib said:


> A big innovator in early C20th music even though he was born in the middle of the C19th. While some composers who reached their 60's don't compose much of consequence, Janacek's late works are his greatest, including several operas, the mighty Glagothic Mass, and the passionate String Quartets. The Sinfonietta (innacurately named as it is scored for a huge orchestra) and the earlier symphonic rhapsody Taras Bulba are also worthy of mention.
> 
> He definitely did not compromise in his music, and wrote what he felt. Some criticised him for this, saying he was negating the music of his friend and compatriot Dvorak or the earlier Smetana. In some ways, he had a quite wierd and idiosyncratic way of composing (eg. writing down in musical notation some passionate conversation he overheard, or the clucking of hens). He was a different drummer playing his own tune, but this fact just enhances my appreciation of his unique style. One of my favourite composers and, although he was of an earlier generation, his works can seem just as startling and bold as Stravinsky, Bartok or Hindemith.
> 
> What do people think?


Yes indeed, for his genius. I consider him the father of Modern.


----------



## Oskaar

I love Janacek!

*Leoš Janácek*

Work 
*Janácek: Pohadka JW 7/5*

Artists	
Gilbert Kalish Joel Krosnick




http://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Janác...7T0I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320328339&sr=8-1

Very delicate and evocative work.
Presentation are nice and subtle. The interplay between piano and strings is very good, and the sound is excellent.










Work 
*Janácek: Srting Quartet No 1 JW 7/8*

Artists
Smetana Quartet




http://www.amazon.com/Janacek-Strin...WNSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320332831&sr=8-1

Excellent performance and sound of this fine quartet!










Work 
*Janácek: String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters" JW 7/13*

Artists
Skampa Quartet




http://www.amazon.com/Janacek-Strin...NU9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320332763&sr=8-1

The second string quartet is also excellent!
Unbelievably great nerve in this performance. Interplay is great, and sounds very good.


----------



## Ukko

Nice selection, _oskaar_. There are several excellent recordings of the string quartets. I'm not sure that any technically competent ensemble could destroy that music though.


----------



## Krisena

I loved Janáček from the first moment I heard him on a concert with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra playing an arrangement of his 2nd string quartet. His tonal language just hits home with me. As someone in a youtube comment once said: "Janáček skips the ears and goes straight to the heart."


----------



## asplund

I love Janacek´s music since I heard the Glagolitic Mass… In my opinion is a very special composer, he gets many surprising effects of modernity with a relatively traditional materials. Moreover, their music is a strange and curious mixture of violence and tenderness. The way he use to he build the music is far removed from the classical European tradition in the organical development sense. He reminds me a little of Mussorgsky.
Besides the works mentioned, I like very much the Concertino for piano, two violins, clarinet and horn:


----------



## Jeremy Marchant

Habib said:


> The Sinfonietta (innacurately named as it is scored for a huge orchestra)


Correctly named. The diminutive doesn't refer to the forces required, it refers to the intellectual level of the content. Sibelius 5 it ain't - admirable a work though it is.


----------



## mtmailey

Well i like his lone symphony which sounds great.


----------



## Il_Penseroso




----------



## Mephistopheles

I've just been listening to Janacek's String Quartets and have been bowled over by them - wonderful music. I think, though, that Hilltroll was wrong to say, "I'm not sure that any technically competent ensemble could destroy that music." They certainly can't destroy it, but very few recordings I have sampled seem to come anywhere _close_ to the tremendous angst of the first quartet as achieved by the above suggestion of the Hagen Quartet and this live performance by the Alban Berg Quartet:










Listen to these, especially the 3rd movement of the 1st, and it will be like you're hearing totally different music compared to most recordings. There's no going back once you have.


----------



## classicabaoveall

I would like to draw your attention to a new CD-release with piano works of Leoš Janáček. The performer, Mrs. Danae Doerken, is an exceptional young German/Greek pianist, who has chosen the works of Leoš Janáček for her Debut-CD.
It is a very interesting CD to listen to. 
Here is the link to the trailer:


----------



## Vaneyes

*Sinfonietta* is distinguished this week. For a rec. I like SWRSO/Neumann.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2014/may/20/symphony-guide-janacek-sinfonietta


----------



## Steve Kirby

Habib said:


> A big innovator in early C20th music even though he was born in the middle of the C19th. While some composers who reached their 60's don't compose much of consequence, Janacek's late works are his greatest, including several operas, the mighty Glagothic Mass, and the passionate String Quartets. The Sinfonietta (innacurately named as it is scored for a huge orchestra) and the earlier symphonic rhapsody Taras Bulba are also worthy of mention.
> 
> He definitely did not compromise in his music, and wrote what he felt. Some criticised him for this, saying he was negating the music of his friend and compatriot Dvorak or the earlier Smetana. In some ways, he had a quite wierd and idiosyncratic way of composing (eg. writing down in musical notation some passionate conversation he overheard, or the clucking of hens). He was a different drummer playing his own tune, but this fact just enhances my appreciation of his unique style. One of my favourite composers and, although he was of an earlier generation, his works can seem just as startling and bold as Stravinsky, Bartok or Hindemith.
> 
> What do people think?


Janacek was a real maverick i.e. unclassifiable either as Romantic or Modernist. in fact, his music is deeply Romantic and heartfelt & deeply Modernist and innovative at the same time. For example, his unusual vocal rhythms and melodies are not artificial and "intellectual" in any way. Their rhythms and tunes all derive from the natural rhythms and intonations of the Czech language. A good example is the exciting Glagolitic Mass.

In fact, I am a member ** of the London Philharmonic Choir (London, England). We are singing Glagolitic Mass on 25th April (7.30 p.m.) in the Royal Festival Hall (London).

** 2nd Bass !


----------



## Adam Weber

Janáček's music sounds stranger every time I listen. A deep, sort of otherworldly sound, like stepping within a forest--sometimes autumn, sometimes there is fog, sometimes rain, sometimes bright sun... I don't get this effect so much with any other composer. It's like his music crawled inside my mind once and has been fermenting ever since. First time I heard it, I thought: "Very good, but I don't get it." I listened more and more. The sour harmonies and stinging orchestration began hitting me; then the rhythms--finally it all came into focus. Here was a composer unlike any other. Completely accessible yet boundlessly deep. What else can you say? Genius.


----------



## Johnnie Burgess

Yes, he did right two very good string quartets.


----------



## Pugg

Pavel Haas Quartet all the way .


----------



## Adam Weber

Adam Weber said:


> Janáček's music sounds stranger every time I listen. A deep, sort of otherworldly sound, like stepping within a forest--sometimes autumn, sometimes there is fog, sometimes rain, sometimes bright sun... I don't get this effect so much with any other composer. It's like his music crawled inside my mind once and has been fermenting ever since. First time I heard it, I thought: "Very good, but I don't get it." I listened more and more. The sour harmonies and stinging orchestration began hitting me; then the rhythms--finally it all came into focus. Here was a composer unlike any other. Completely accessible yet boundlessly deep. What else can you say? Genius.


Wait, I wrote that? I guess I agree with the sentiment, but... "Crawled inside my mind"? Teaches me to post at 2:00 in the morning.

"Genius" is right though. Janacek still doesn't get enough love. Thankfully the situation's getting better.


----------



## Adam Weber

Janacek wrote utterly strange music, and consequent listenings don't dispel that impression. If "strange" isn't the right word (and it seldom is), "unique" should suffice, or "piquant," though either without the other does not communicate the full extent of Janacek's work. His harmonies, though clearly Bohemian, take on a sharper edge than his compatriots' Dvorak and Smetana, and his rhythms strike me as both stiffer and more motoric. The ostinato plays a vital role in Janacek's music; transitions are often fast and brutal. The instruments, likewise, never quite "come together." Individual sounds, often acrid (though in the best possible sense) protrude from the orchestral fabric, and woodwinds often take the melodic role while brass instruments (and sometimes a fair amount of drums) pulse and pound in the background. Naturally the general palette isn't dark, but the striking harmonies dispel most impressions of "lightness" in the music, and, once again opposed to Dvorak's music, Janacek's music feels "earthier" and, like I said before, "fermented." Perhaps the best thing about Janacek, however, is that although my descriptions might evoke Stravinskyan thunder, his music really is primarily charming, humorous, and full of life.


----------



## starthrower

He wrote some great operas!


----------



## Pugg

starthrower said:


> He wrote some great operas!


Nine hours for only €30.00

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4756872


----------



## starthrower

I have that box. Has a great Sinfonietta too!


----------



## Becca

You mentioned Janacek's compatriots, Dvorak and Smetana, but you should also look into Josef Suk who was the link between Dvorak and Janacek. In particular try his _A Summer's Tale_. The one thing about some of Suk's music is that it was strongly impacted by the emotional impact of the death of Dvorak and of Suk's wife (Dvorak's daughter) within a few months of each other (e.g. the _Asrael Symphony_).


----------



## LarryShone

I don't have any Janacek as yet, tho I have a few works on my wish list.


----------



## Merl

Becca said:


> You mentioned Janacek's compatriots, Dvorak and Smetana, but you should also look into Josef Suk who was the link between Dvorak and Janacek. In particular try his _A Summer's Tale_. The one thing about some of Suk's music is that it was strongly impacted by the emotional impact of the death of Dvorak and of Suk's wife (Dvorak's daughter) within a few months of each other (e.g. the _Asrael Symphony_).


Suk's Asrael is a very dark and depressing piece of music. It was the first Supraphon album I got (and still own). I have to be in the right mood to listen to it (like Joy Division's 'Closer' album). It's not an easy listen and I know people who hate it.


----------



## Vaneyes




----------



## shadowdancer

Vaneyes said:


>


Allow me to endorse Rudolf Firkušný recording?
IMHO, the Piano Sonata 1.X.1905 is a Masterpiece...


----------



## Adam Weber

Becca said:


> You mentioned Janacek's compatriots, Dvorak and Smetana, but you should also look into Josef Suk who was the link between Dvorak and Janacek. In particular try his _A Summer's Tale_. The one thing about some of Suk's music is that it was strongly impacted by the emotional impact of the death of Dvorak and of Suk's wife (Dvorak's daughter) within a few months of each other (e.g. the _Asrael Symphony_).


That's right, Suk, I always forget about Suk. I really should look into (er, listen into) his music. I'll try A Summer's Tale tonight.


----------



## Janspe

Listening to _Věc Makropulos_ tonight. What an impressive score! I'm not terribly familiar with Janáček's operas yet but so far I've enjoyed all of the ones I've heard. I happen to _adore_ the sound of the Czech language, so these operas are quite a treasure trove.

For me, Janáček is one the greatest composers ever. His music moves me in completely unique ways - the piano sonata, the string quartets, the sinfonietta, the violin sonata... Works of stunning originality, beauty and inventiveness.


----------



## elgar's ghost

The _Glagolitic Mass_ overshadows Janáček's other choral works in terms of popularity but his output in this category is a treasure trove in itself.


----------



## CnC Bartok

^^^ Indeed, especially - I'd say - his a capella works. I don't sing myself, but from what I understand, they are very demanding. The male choruses are something of a specialty for Janacek, and there are some good recordings out there.

There are some other choral works with orchestra, or something like that. Amarus is an early work, but strong, and some of his religious pieces are well worth hearing, despite his own misgivings about The Church. Říkadla (Nursery Rhymes) is insanely weird, but thoroughly enjoyable, and in it's way echt-Janacek. But if anyone says the Glagolitic Mass trumps the whole lot, they're not wrong!

Oh, and then there are the songs.......

On the male choruses, this one's very good indeed:









This one's only available as a download, dated sound, but about as authentic as it gets!


----------



## elgar's ghost

CnC Bartok said:


> ^^^ Indeed, especially - I'd say - his a capella works. I don't sing myself, but from what I understand, they are very demanding. The male choruses are something of a specialty for Janacek, and there are some good recordings out there.
> 
> _There are some other choral works with orchestra, or something like that_. Amarus is an early work, but strong, and some of his religious pieces are well worth hearing, despite his own misgivings about The Church. Říkadla (Nursery Rhymes) is insanely weird, but thoroughly enjoyable, and in it's way echt-Janacek. But if anyone says the Glagolitic Mass trumps the whole lot, they're not wrong!
> 
> Oh, and then there are the songs.......
> 
> On the male choruses, this one's very good indeed:
> 
> View attachment 124863
> 
> 
> This one's only available as a download, dated sound, but about as authentic as it gets!
> 
> View attachment 124864


The orchestral ones on here are worth hearing but I like all the works on this. The elegy is heartbreaking but a lovely piece nonetheless.


----------



## Littlephrase

It’s wonderful to see some activity in this Janáček guestbook. He is one of my very favorite composers.

Regarding his choral works, The Eternal Gospel is indeed a fine piece that is overlooked in comparison to the Glagolitic Mass. Like much of Janáček, it deserves better.


----------



## MusicSybarite

I echo the Amarus recommendation. I love it. It's a must-hear for every fan of this unique composer.


----------



## Tero

When I was about 16 I saw some film on TV that had interesting music. I watched it to the end credits to see it was the Mladi wind instruments work. The local store actually had it on an LP. The other side had I think Concertino. It took a few years to hear Sinfonietta from a library LP. I have none of the LPs left, I have the pieces on CD. Who knew a teenager would listen to chamber music?


----------



## Enthusiast

I love the operas - along with lots else that he composed - and have many of them in performances by Mackerras. But I wonder if any know of genuine Czech recordings that are recommendable? I have found that in other Janacek (and indeed Czech more generally) repertoire I can usually find better than Mackerras.


----------



## CnC Bartok

Of the operas?

I have to confess that Mackerras reigns supreme in these, but there are some excellent recordings on Supraphon as well.

Mackerras never recorded Mr. Brouček commercially, so you might want to listen to either Neumann, Jílek or Bělohlávek, the latter on DGG. I like Jílek best here, he's savagely bitter at times!


----------



## philoctetes

My fave, I prefer this over Firkusny


----------



## Rogerx

July 3th 1854 Leoš Janáček


----------



## sstucky

He was one of the greatest composers of opera of the 20th century. I remember listening to Makropoulos in law school almost 50 years ago. I had never heard anything like it.


----------



## CnC Bartok

sstucky said:


> He was one of the greatest composers of opera of the 20th century. I remember listening to Makropoulos in law school almost 50 years ago. I had never heard anything like it.


So was Věc Makropulos part of the law syllabus then?! Impressively imaginative law school, yours, and remarkably appropriate!

I started thinking you would have been lucky to hear this work 50 years ago, but Mackerras' recording with Elisabeth Soderstrom is over 40 years old already, how time flies. Of the mature operas, I find Makropulos the hardest to grasp, it's very wordy, the plot is convoluted, and I am not really sure whether or not Emilia as the main character is nice or nasty, it takes a while to feel any empathy for her. Maybe that's part of what makes it a great opera? I feel the Vixen and the House of the Dead - the former is perfect imho - are better works, but not by much. I've seen it live, in Prague, and that was a very memorable experience. I hope the Welsh National/Tomas Hanus/David Poutney have it in the pipeline, as they come to out pert of the world on tour every autumn, and their Vixen and their House of the Dead were both excellent.

There is Indeed nothing quite like Janacek!


----------



## MarkW

A note on Vec Makropulos: If you find yourself getting into the opera, you should find and read the Capek play it was written from, which is more explanatory, philosophical and prosaic. It makes one appreciate another aspect of Janacek's genius: the extraordinary job he did adapting the play -- which he shortened and mildly rearranged into a libretto that itself is a work of genius. there is a Prague Natl. Theatre production, probably on Supraphon, that was briefly available on Columbia's Epic sub-label around 1970 which has wonderfully idiomatic performances -- just not the VPO or Soderstrom.

As for Elenia, she's a tragic heroine, a woman who realized only at the end that longevity had robbed her of her humanity.


----------



## Heliogabo

What a great composer!!


----------



## Sid James

*A Janacek diary - recent listening* (part 1 of 2)

*Glagolitic Mass *(1926)

"I want to show people how to talk to God," said Janacek of his *Glagolitic Mass.* This is an extraordinary mass because there is no intermediary between God and humanity, no division between nature and the spirit. Janacek said this mass was written to be celebrated under the open sky, with tall trees being like the candles at a giant altar. It is at turns solemn and monumental, but never humble or submissive.

Between the fanfares at either end, a life force flows through this work, and it displays Janacek's dynamic variation method to full effect. The *Credo* is the high point of the work, and it is unified by the simplest of means. The sombre theme, initially heard on low strings, forms the movement's main driving melody which is interspersed by the choir gently singing "Veruju" ("I believe"). A gentle orchestral interlude is like a clearing in the forest. High drama follows, with an organ solo setting the scene for the climactic crucifixion. The _Amen_ features Janacek's trademark repetitive patterns.

Video: The _Credo_ was featured in the biographical movie, _Lion with the White Mane (Lev s bílou hřívou)_ (1987, dir. Jaromil Jires), which is where I first heard this piece.*






*String Quartet #2 "Intimate Letters" *(1928)

_"Today I have written down my sweetest longings…Today, I have succeeded in writing a piece in which the earth begins to tremble. This will be my best…Here, I can find a place for my most beautiful melodies."_ (Janacek, in a letter to his muse Kamila Stoesslova)

Like a letter written in music, *String Quartet #2* can be seen as the sum of all of Janacek's pieces inspired by his muse, Kamila. Here, his unique way of creating form through repetition, variation and contrast of melodies has fully matured. The work is unified by the two main ideas of the initial movement being carried through to the end, and the prominence of the viola throughout. It is played _sul ponticello_ (on the bridge) to replicate the gentle, nasal, vibrating sound of the viola d'amore.

The sense of tragic passion in this music comes across as the musical equivalent of Michelangelo's captives, struggling to break out of their forms. Whether the mood is frenzied, earthy or elegant, it is always conversational. Stark contrasts, such as the outburst in the lullaby-like third movement, are directly expressive and draw the listener right in.

The final movement brings everything together. The initial Russian dance is vigorous but on its own banal, until the second violin leads a break out theme which is searching, vague and struggling to find focus. This second idea goes through many changes, from the sweetest to the harshest of sounds, alternating with the dance before the conclusion.

Video: another scene from _Lion with the White Mane_, showing rehearsal and performance of the quartet.






The recordings which I listened to:

Mass - Bavarian/Kubelik (DGG 463 672-2)
1.	



2.	



3.	



4.	



5.	



6.	



7.	



8.	




Quartet - Alban Berg Quartet (EMI 2 08121 2)

















*Complete film in Czech (no subtitles)


----------



## Sid James

*A Janacek diary - recent listening* (part 2 of 2)

*In the Mists* (1912)

Janacek's piano style combines classical tradition with romantic mood painting. His poetic and expressive outlook was influenced by Schumann and Mussorgsky. Janacek had studied in the Conservatoire at Leipzig, which was set up by the former. Janacek attended recitals by the prominent Russian pianist Anton Rubinstein, whose interpretations made a deep impression on him.

*In the Mists* is a set of four miniatures. Janacek's personal experiences and impressions where the usual inspiration behind his piano music. Here, there is no explicit program, so the only clue is in the title. Trademarks of the composer's piano music - short melodies, abrupt contrasts and rhythmic irregularity - are ever present.

The opening _Andante_ establishes the nostalgic mood of the set, with a build-up of tension which releases only a bit of pressure. In the _Molto adagio_ which follows, a forceful contrapuntal passage throws the initial salon-like melody into sharp relief. The third movement _Andantino _blends folk and march-like elements. The concluding _Presto_ is the most lively of the set. A questioning motif dominates and it is offset by dramatic rippling effects, suggesting drops or reflections on a lake.

Video: _The Unbearable Lightness of Being_ (1988, dir. Philip Kaufman) gave some exposure to Janacek's piano music since it was featured extensively in the score.






*Mladi (Youth) for Woodwind Sextet* (1924)

_"I like these festivals of modern music. There are twenty-eight composers, and as many compositions, and none of them all alike. The will to compose was more in evidence than real, explosive invention...A lot of energy was wasted on comic music…Believe me, if you do not already know it, that music by itself cannot express love or hate, sadness or gaiety. Music can laugh, but her laughter cannot compel laughter. In music, there is neither merriment nor irony, neither satire nor humour nor joviality, neither burlesque nor persiflage, neither travesty nor masquerade. Yet, these days, people are longing for gay music." _(Janacek, in an article about the Venice Music Festival, 1925)

During the 1920's, Janacek attended congresses of the International Society of Contemporary Music. He may have also attended concerts of the wind ensemble "Societe moderne des instruments a vent." *Youth*, and other late chamber works, reflect these experiences. This period also sees Janacek going back to his roots, and Hans Hollander calls it a "second classicism." His lifelong interests in contrapuntal music, honed as an organist and particularly as a student in Leipzig, and his studies of Moravian folk music come together in these works.

_Youth_ offers an odd combination of high spirits and contemplation in equal measure. Janacek was seventy, and looking back on his student years at the convent in Brno. The work presents a patchwork of folk derived themes, and the jaunty _Blue Boys March_ makes an appearance in the third movement. The tune is attributed to his teacher Pavel Krizkovsky. The students at Old Brno Abbey wore blue tunics.

Scored for flute (piccolo), oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and bass-clarinet, the sextet has four movements which follow Janacek's usual pattern of contrasting ideas with rhythmic variation. Flowing, meditative and vigorous, _Youth_ is like a bright mosaic. It makes me think of Matisse's late collages. The work is united by the theme of the first movement being literally quoted in the final movement. Snatches of earlier motifs appear there, too.

Video: brief footage of Janacek in Prague during one of the meetings of ISCM.






The recordings which I listened to:

Mists - Radoslav Kvapil, piano (Alto ALC 1127)

















Youth - Michael Thompson Wind Quintet with Michael Harris, bass clarinet (Naxos 8.553851)





Research (both posts):

Hollander, H., _Janacek, his life and work_ (trans. Paul Hamburger), John Calder Publishing, London, 1963.

I came across some interesting information about the author of this book. Hans Hollander's personal acquaintance with Janacek contributed to saving his family in 1938. With the help of the BBC, they where able to leave Czechoslovakia just before the German takeover. His grandchildren, Julia and Tom Hollander, investigate the crucial role of a letter which arrived just in time. Julia is a writer, director and singer and I know Tom from his work as an actor in _The Soloist_ and _Bohemian Rhapsody_.

Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0002rv6

Article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5tDSTqRDXlNHgkCQHsNCFmw/saving-the-hollanders


----------



## Janspe

I know I only ever talk in superlatives and hyperbolic statements but...is there a greater piece of music than Janáček's _Sinfonietta_? A piece more capable of piercing your heart, filling you with such immense joy? I just revisited this masterpiece and once again I'm completely floored by this music. Janáček is such a great composer, I don't think I've heard anything by him that I don't find at least extremely interesting; the vast majority of his music also moves me in such a way that is hard to describe.


----------

