The operas of Leos Janacek

Book excerpt: The Operas of Leoš Janácek presents the comprehensive analysis of Leoš Janácek's operas. This book presents a concise account of Janácek's extraordinary musical background and development as an operatic composer. Organized into seven chapters, this book begins with an overview of Janácek'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 Janácek'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 Janácek. This book is a valuable resource for musicians, instrumentalists, and composers.