大象传媒

Donald Macleod assesses Jan谩膷ek鈥檚 compulsive need for his muse of later years, Kamila St枚sslova, with excerpts from Kat鈥檃 Kabanova and the Diary of one who disappeared.

One of the most original voices of the twentieth century, Leo拧 Jan谩膷ek was a composer, musical theorist, folklorist and teacher. Born in 1854 in the Moravian village of Hukvaldy, which was then part of the Austrian Empire, in his youth German was the language of government, education and social influence. Having returned from studies in Germany, Jan谩膷ek made detailed studies of native folk song and spent years annotating the natural rhythms of the Czech language. He was to write all his works for stage in his native language. The range of his professional activities gave him a range of outlets to voice what quickly became a life-long commitment to Czech culture.

Jan谩膷ek was a contradictory man, who spent much of his life feeling at odds with his circumstances. Through five of his closest relationships, Donald Macleod builds a picture of how his inner tensions found expression in his music. The longest and most fractured of his associations was with his German-speaking wife Zdenka. After a shaky start, he grew very close to his daughter Olga, with whom he shared his love of Russian literature. His friendship with the literary collaborator Max Brod proved to be the turning point in his quest for professional standing, while his muse Kamila St枚sslova became the joy and agony of his later, creatively enriched years. As a young man Jan谩膷ek turned to Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k. They shared an interest in folk music, and the older composer proved to be a loyal friend and mentor.

By the time he was in his sixties Jan谩膷ek鈥檚 life was already littered with flirtations and affairs, but the deep passion the young, married woman of twenty-six, Kamila St枚sslova roused in him triggered his musical imagination.

Kat鈥檃 Kabanova 鈥� Act 3 excerpt
Elisabeth S枚derstr枚m, soprano, Kat臅rina
Jaroslav Sou膷ek, baritone, Kuligin
Petr Dvorsk媒, tenor, Boris
Vienna Philharmonic
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Charles Mackerras, conductor

The diary of one who disappeared (excerpt)
Nicky Spence, tenor
V谩clava Houskov谩, mezzo-soprano
Victoria Couper, Clemmie Franks, Emily Burn, voices
Julius Drake, piano

Quartet for strings no. 2: Intimate Letters
4th movement : Allegro
Belcea Quartet

Glagolitic Mass 鈥� Credo
Tom谩拧 Juh谩s, tenor
Ale拧 B谩rta, organ
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
Tom谩拧 Netopil, conductor