Sigma Alpha Iota

Winter 2020 18 PAN PIPES By Jayne I. Hanlin In 1985, Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), like other famous composers before and aerward, had a Mercurial crater named for him. On Earth, however, he did not get much acclaim as a composer until he was 62 years old — aer the Prague production of his third opera, Jenůfa ("Her Stepdaughter"). Born in Hukvaldy, Moravia (part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Leoš was the ninth of thirteen children. When he was eleven, his father, a parish schoolmaster, sent him to be a choirboy and study music at the Augustinian Abbey of St. omas in Brno. Janáček virtually spent his entire life in this city (now the second largest in Czech Republic). He was a teacher, folksong collector, choirmaster, editor, writer, founder and director of an organ school, champion of the works of Dvořák, conductor, and composer. Here his major works premiered. Today it is the site of the annual Leoš Janáček International Competition and the biennial Janáček Brno Opera and Music Festival. To get to Brno from Vienna or Prague is an inexpensive two-hour train ride. Travelers could easily spend an entire day in this city of modernist architecture while learning about Janáček. In the evening, they might even attend a performance on one of the three stages at the impressive National eatre, the first European theatre building with electric lighting, which, incidentally, was designed by omas Edison himself! During the day, those who like to walk might enjoy following the composer's footsteps in town. Visit leosjanacek.eu/en/trail for detailed information. I walked to one of the trail's sixteen stops — the vegetable market at Dominican Square — one of the places Janáček came to write his speech melodies. Using musical notes, he recorded small extracts of the marketers' dialogue in order to study the psychological and melodic aspects of human speech. is study influenced his unique musical language. At home in 1903, however, he wrote a speech melody for his personal use only: "I do not want to die; I want to live." ese were the final words of Olga, his beloved daughter. His son, Vladimir, had died about a decade earlier. Janáček founded the Organ School (later the Conservatory), and in 1910 in its garden, his home (now the Leoš Janáček Memorial House) was built. at is where he and his wife Zdenka lived for the rest of his life. Fortunately, the residence sustained no permanent damage during World War II or the Communist occupancy. In the former sitting room are cases filled with fascinating memorabilia, including facsimiles of his autographs (original manuscripts) composed there, objects the composer used daily, and dioramas of operas. Despite an unhappy marriage, the couple stayed together and led separate lives within the house. In one of the glass cases is a photo of and written correspondence with Kamila Stösslová, a married woman who inspired three leading roles in his operas. Because the display labels are in Czech, it is helpful English descriptions are available. A World of Music Leoš Janáček Brno's Greatest Composer Janáček Archive, Moravian Museum Brno

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