Word: janacek
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Czechs lovingly launch a yearlong Janacek revival...
...could be a commanding commissar but who, in Brno at least, is more venerated than any socialist leader: Czech Composer Leoš Janáček. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its composer's death and the 125th of his birth, Brno has opened a yearlong Janacek celebration, beginning with 27 musical events in a two-week-long gala festival. Students, soldiers and scores of foreign scholars jammed six concert halls for the performances, including fully staged productions of all nine Janáček operas. Workmen bawled the great man's songs in local bars. Interpreters...
...impressive display for a composer whose first memorable work was completed at age 48 and whose musical merit was debated for years. An ardent nationalist and legendary eccentric, Janacek composed music full of short, abrupt but harmonically lovely melodies that built from one another into a driving whole. His symphonic works called for more brass and slashing power than many an orchestra could muster. Because Czech consonant clusters are so prickly, his operas were considered hopeless tongue twisters by singers outside his country. The subjects-time warps, prison-camp life, child murder-left audiences pining for the heraldic posturing more...
...Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven. "Music for Viennese Fortepiano," on Friday, January 20, includes Mozart's Piano Sonata K. 281 and Beethoven's Sonata in C sharp minor Op. 27, no. 2. In a more modern vein, the New England Woodwind Quintet performs works of Villa-Lobos, Barber and Janacek, as well as Haydn, on Wednesday, January 25, at Longy. The Cambridge Chamber Players features guest violinst Joseph Silverstein and guest pianist Andrew Wolf on January 27. This should be a very worth-while concert, and includes Ravel's Trio in A minor...
...writing bobs and weaves, rises and falls to the natural conversational flow of the Russian words. Boris' realistic-in a sense unoperatic-style of recitative is perhaps Mussorgsky's greatest innovation and contribution to future operatic composers. Says Conductor Schippers: "Boris influenced so many composers-Puccini, Stravinsky, Janacek, even Gian Carlo Menotti. Without it we might not have had a Pelleas et Melisande. That's how important I think Boris is." -William Bender