Leoš Janáček

Leoš Janáček (1854–1928) was a Czech composer who worked primarily in Moravia. At the turning point between late Romanticism and twentieth-century music, he forged a highly individual style shaped by the inflections of spoken Czech and the folk music of Moravia. His sharply changing rhythms, concise and distinctive motifs, and harmonies that are not confined by conventional tonality create music of striking tension and immediacy. He is known for the operas Jenůfa and The Cunning Little Vixen, as well as the orchestral work Sinfonietta, and established an international reputation late in life. Among his piano works, On an Overgrown Path is especially notable for its short movements, poetic atmosphere, and portrayal of shifting inner states. His Piano Sonata “1 October 1905,” inspired by a social and political protest, is another important work, marked by dramatic tension and profound mourning.