Leo¹ Janáèek

Died: Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, 12 Aug. 1928

Operas

• ©árka (1887; 11.11.1925 Brno [version 4]) [rev. 1888, 1918, 1924]. Opera in 3 Acts by Julius Zeyer.
• Poèatek románu (10.2.1894 Brünn [Brno]). Opera in 1 Act by Jaroslav Tichý (pseudonym of Franti¹ek Rypáèek), after a short story by Gabriela Preissová.
  • The Beginning of a Romance
• Jenùfa - Její pastorkyòa (21.1.1904, Brünn). [rev. 1906, 1911, 1916]. Opera in 3 Acts by LJ, after the drama of Moravian peasant life, Její pastorkyòa, by Gabriela Preissová.
  • Jenufa - Ihre Ziehtochter
  • Jenufa - Her Step-daughter [1]
  • Osud (1904; 18.9.1934 Brno Radio broadcast). Opera in 3 Acts by Fedora Barto¹ová, after an idea by LJ.
    • Destiny (Fate)
  • Výlety pánì Brouèkovy (23.4.1920 Praha). Opera in 2 Parts by Viktor Dyk (Part 1) and Franti¹ek S. Procházka (Part 2), after the novel by Svatopluk Èech. [2]
    • Die Ausflüge des Herrn Brouèek
    • The Excursions of Mr. Brouèek
  • Ká»a Kabanová (23.11.1921 Brno). Opera in 3 Acts by LJ, after the play Groza (The Storm) by Alexander Ostrovsky (translation by Vincenc Èervinka).
  • Pøíhody li¹ky Bystrou¹ky (6.11.1923 Brno). Opera in 3 Acts by LJ, after the story by Rudolf Tìsnohlídek.
    • Das schlaue Füchslein
    • The Cunning Little Vixen [3]
  • Vìc Makropulos (18.12.1926 Brno). Opera in 3 Acts by LJ, after the drama by Karel Èapek.
    • Die Sache Makropulos
    • The Makropulos Case
  • Z mrtvého domu (12.4.1930 Brno). Opera in 3 Acts by LJ, after the novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
    • Aus einem Totenhaus
    • From the House of the Dead

  Unfinished Operas, Sketches

  • Pøíyhody posledního Abencerage (The Adventures of the Last of the Abencerages) (1886). After Chateaubriand.
  • Andìlská sonata (The Angel Sonata) (1903). After J. Merhaut.
  • Honza hrdina (John the Hero) (1905). After Karel Dostál-Lutinov.
  • Gazdina roba (The Farmer's Wench) (1907). After Gabriela Preisssová.
  • Paní Mincmistrová (The Mintmaster's Wife) (1907). After L. Stroupe¾nický.
  • Anna Karenina (1907). After Lev Tolstoy.
  • ®ivá mrtvola (The Living Corpse) (1916). After Lev Tolstoy.
  • Divo¹ka (The Tomboy) (1920). After V. Krylov.
  • Dítì (The Child) (1923). After the drama by F. X. ©alda.

  Other Dramatic Music

  • Smrt (Death) (13.11.1876, Brünn). Melodrama [lost].
  • Vala¹ské tance (Valachian Dances) (1889). Ballet [incomplete].
  • Rákós Rákóczy (24.7.1891, Prague). Ballet.
  • Amarus (2.12.1900, KromÌøí¾). Cantata by Jaroslav Vrchlický.
  • Na Soláni Èarták (Èarták on the Soláò) (23.3.1912, Prostìjov). Cantata by Max Kurt.
  • Vìèné evangelium (The Eternal Gospel) (5.2.1917, Prague). Cantata by Jaroslav Vrchlický.
  • Schluck und Jau (1928; 13.9.1979, Praha). Incidental music to the play by Gerhardt Hauptmann [incomplete].

  Notes

  1. Often translated as Her Foster-Daughter. The word pastorkyna is ambiguous, meaning simply "not a real daughter". The German title of the published score, Jenufa - ihre Ziehtochter, means "foster-daughter". Janáèek argued vigorously (but unsuccessfully) with the publisher in favor of ihre Stieftochter, which does specifically mean step-daughter and accurately describes Jenùfa's relationship to the Kostelnièka.
  2. Originally conceived as an opera on the subject only of Part 1, Výlet pana Brouèka do me¹íce (Mr. Brouèek's Trip to the Moon); Part 2, Výlet pana Brouèka do XV století (Mr. Brouèek's Trip to the Fifteenth Century) was incorporated prior to completion. Concerning the librettists, although Dyk and Procházka are credited on the vocal score, the libretto of Part 1 was a confused tangle of contributions from the composer, Fedora Barto¹ová, Dr. Zikmund Janke, Karel Ma¹ek, Josef Holý, Franti¹ek Gellner, Dyk, Procházka, and Jiøí Mahen.
  3. Sometimes translated as The Adventures of Vixen Sharp-Ears. The fox's name Bystrou¹ka literally means "sharp ears". It has been argued however that its treatment as a three-syllable rather than four-syllable word suggests rather a form of "sharp i.e. clever one", which is the sense of the German title. In any case it appears that the name of the original of the character (who appeared in a newspaper cartoon series) was intended to be Bystrono¾ka ("light-footed"); the name Bystrou¹ka was the result of a typographical error!

  Related Sites

  • www.leosjanacek.co.uk - information about the composer, synopses, discographies, links to related sites

  References:

  • Ewans, Michael: Janáèek's Tragic Operas Faber & Faber, London; 1977
  • Hollander, Hans: Leo¹ Janáèek: His life and work John Calder, London; 1963
  • Horsburgh, Ian: Leo¹ Janáèek: The field that prospered. David & Charles, London; 1981.
  • Vogel, Jaroslav: Leo¹ Janáèek: His Life and Works. Paul Hamlyn, London; 1962. [English translation by Geraldine Thomsen-Muchová]

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