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Leos Janacek (1854-1928)
Suite for String Orchestra
Janacek was influential in the development of early 20th century music, although he experienced limited fame as a composer. He identified himself strongly with the Czech folk music idiom. As an ethnographer in 1888 he began actively collecting folk songs. Janacek explored the northern regions of Moravia (Valachia and Lachia) which were in and around his birthplace. Using musical dictation, he recorded peasant songs including the lyrics. In his documentation he was specific in indicating the accompanying instruments, for example, the cimbalom and bagpipes. Also, Janacek was aware of the various types of peasant dance steps used in Moravian dances. As a result, he incorporated excerpts from his collected folk songs into his own compositions.
The six movement Suite for String Orchestra was first performed with Janacek conducting in the city of Brno in December 1877. It was well received both by critics and public alike. The movement titles were originally taken from old dance suites or sonata movements, but Janacek later changed the titles. The first movement, originally entitled Prelude is similar to a concerto grosso. The movement opens with a commanding theme characterized by energetic grace notes which preceed unison octaves. The first violins play a chromatic octave divisi passage that is reminiscent of Wagner's Lohengrin; at this time, excepts of this opera were often performed in the city of Brno. In the first movement the use of the dotted rhythm followed by two eighth notes is a Czech musical signature; this motive is heard in the cello and bass.
The second movement, Adagio, was originally titled Allemande. Following the initial eight bar phrase, the music accelerates and then returns once again to a slower tempo.
Movement three, the Andante, originally entitled Sarabande, delights the listener with its jaunty gavotte-like manner. It begins with an accented upbeat immediately followed by a soft first beat.
The fourth movement Presto (originally a Scherzo) begins with a brisk tempo in D minor. The Trio is in G major and is gentler in spirit.
The fifth movement is a pensive Air (originally named). It emphasizes the cello and bass in dialogue with the upper strings.
The last movement features an opening theme that is reminiscent of the aria "Ah, What Sorrow", which was taken from Bedrich Smetana's opera The Brandenburgers in Bohemia. The Suite for String Orchestra remains popular with audiences today. Janacek entertains the listener with his awareness of folksong, which was later to become his musical signature.
-- program notes by Laurien Jones