Information AboutLeos Janacek |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT LEOš JANáčEK | |
| 20th century classical composers | |
| janacek, leos | |
| opera composers | |
| romantic composers | |
| czech composers | |
| 1854 births | |
| 1928 deaths | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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Leoš Janáček ( July 3 , 1854 in Hukvaldy , Moravia – August 12 , 1928 in Ostrava ) was a Czech Composer . He is particularly remembered for his Orchestra l piece '' Sinfonietta '' and for his Opera s, and is thought of as one of the greatest Czech composers of the early 20th Century . LIFE AND WORK Janáček, the son of a schoolmaster, sang as a boy in the Choir of the Monastery in Brno . He later went to Prague to study Music and made a living as a music teacher. He also Conducted various amateur Choir s. In 1881 he moved back to Brno, and founded the Organ School there, which was later to become the Brno Conservatory. As a young man Janáček became friends with Antonín Dvořák , and began composing in a relatively traditional Romantic style, but after his opera '' Šárka '' ( 1881 ), his style began to change. He made a study of Moravia n and Slovak Folk Music and used elements of it in his own music. He especially focused on studying and reproducing the Rhythm and the Pitch contour and inflections of normal Czech speech, which helped in creating the very distinctive vocal Melodies in his opera '' Jenůfa '' ( 1904 ). Going much farther than Modest Mussorgsky and anticipating the later work of Béla Bartók in such styles, this became a distinguishing feature of his vocal writing (Samson 1977). When ''Jenůfa'' was given in Prague in 1916 it was a great success, and brought Janáček real acclaim for the first time. He was 62 at the time and began to compose the pieces he is now best known for, what many consider his, belatedly, mature style. A year later he met Kamila Stösslová , a young woman who was a profound inspiration to him for the remaining years of his life. Much of Janáček's work is marked by a great originality and individuality. His work is . Atonality abolishes definite key, and thus tonal Modulation ....Folksong knows of no atonality." (Hollander 1963) He uses Accompaniment figures and patterns prominently, with, according to Jim Samson, "the on-going movement of his music...similarly achieved by unorthodox means—often a discourse of short, 'unfinished' Phrases comprising constant repetitions of short Motives which gather momentum in a cumulative manner." (Samson 1977) The operas '' Káťa Kabanová '' ( 1921 ), '' The Cunning Little Vixen '' ( 1924 ), '' The Makropulos Affair '' ( 1926 ) and '' From The House Of The Dead '' (after a Novel By Dostoevsky , premiered in 1930 , after his death) are regarded by many commentators as his finest works. The Conductor Sir Charles Mackerras has become particularly closely associated with them. Other well known pieces by Janáček include the ''Sinfonietta'', the '' Glagolitic Mass '' (the text written in Old Church Slavonic ), Lachian Dances and his two String Quartet s. These pieces and the above mentioned four late operas were all written in the last decade of Janáček's life. JANáčEK'S MUSIC IN FILM A film that draws extensively from Janáček's (mostly non-vocal) music is '' The Unbearable Lightness Of Being '' ( 1988 , after a novel by Milan Kundera ), amongst others:
More on Janáček's music in film: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0418443/ INFLUENCE ON OTHER MUSICAL GENRES Janáček's music has also had an influence on other genres outside classical music: the Progressive Rock band Emerson, Lake And Palmer recorded a song based on the opening theme from ''Sinfonietta''. Entitled "Knife-Edge," the song (for which Janáček is co-credited as composer) appeared on their 1970 debut LP '' Emerson Lake & Palmer ''. MEDIA SEE ALSO
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