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Leoš Janáček

Born: Hukvaldy, Moravia, Austrian Empire, 3 July 1854

Died: Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, 12 Aug. 1928

Operas

(The dates and locations are those of the premieres; when there was a substantial delay, the year of completion is also given. Where appropriate the German titles of the operas as published and also common English titles are given.)

Unfinished Operas, Sketches

Other Dramatic Music

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". Janáček argued vigorously (but unsuccessfully) with the publisher in favor of ihre Stieftochter, which does specifically mean step-daughter and accurately describes Jenůfa's relationship to the Kostelnička.
  2. Originally conceived as an opera on the subject only of Part 1, Výlet pana Broučka do mešíce (Mr. Brouček's Trip to the Moon); Part 2, Výlet pana Broučka do XV století (Mr. Brouček'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 Bartošová, Dr. Zikmund Janke, Karel Mašek, Josef Holý, František Gellner, Dyk, Procházka, and Jiří Mahen.
  3. Sometimes translated as The Adventures of Vixen Sharp-Ears. The fox's name Bystrouška 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 Bystronožka ("light-footed"); the name Bystrouška was the result of a typographical error!

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References:


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Monday, 08-Dec-2003 21:45:45 PST