The operas of Leos Janacek

The Commonwealth and International Library: Music Division

Erik Chisholm, K. A. Wright

• Publisher: Pergamon
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9780080128542
• eBook ISBN:
  9781483149851
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music

The Operas of Leoš Janá?ek presents the comprehensive analysis of Leoš Janá?ek's operas. This book presents a concise account of Janá?ek's extraordinary musical background and development as an operatic composer. Organized into seven chapters, this book begins with an overview of Janá?ek's visit to the London Zoo in 1926, which profoundly influenced his very personal compositional style when he recorded the different cries and sounds of animals in musical notation. This text then describes the nature of Janá?ek's last two operas, which are characterized by emotional stresses, psychological conflicts, and the turbulence of text and music. Other chapters describe pastoral symphony of the opera The Cunning Little Vixen, which is a touching and sincere tribute to the basic unity of all living creatures of nature. This book discusses as well the characteristic explosive musical prose writing of Janá?ek. This book is a valuable resource for musicians, instrumentalists, and composers.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• The Operas of Leoš Janáček
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Editorial Note
• Acknowledgement
• Extract
• Erik Chisholm: A Tribute
• Introduction
• Chapter 1. The House of the Dead
• Chapter 2. The Makropulos Case
• Chapter 3. Sharp-Ears—The Cunning Little Vixen
• Chapter 4. Kátja Kabanová
• Chapter 5. The Excursions of Mr. Brouček
• Chapter 6. Jenůfa
• Chapter 7. Other Operas of Janáček
• APPENDIX: Detailed Thematic Analysis of Šiškov's Monologue (The House of the Dead, Act III)