Janacek Sinfonietta

Along with Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana, Leos Janacek is
known as one of the three great Czech composers. He was born in
Moravia, part of the Austrian Empire at the time, and became
passionately interested in studying the folk music of his
Moravian culture. After World War I, when the empire collapsed
and Moravia became incorporated into the new country of
Czechoslovakia, those nationalistic sentiments only increased,
and Janacek was the perfect person to express those feelings
through his music, seeing as his interest in the folk music of
his homeland had been a lifelong passion for him. Enter the
Sinfonietta, written in 1926, commissioned by none other than a
Gymnastics festival!


A sinfonietta is usually a smaller scale piece than a symphony,
shorter, with a lighter orchestration and a lighter touch. But
Janacek was always a rebel, and his Sinfonietta is a symphony in
all but name, featuring an absolutely massive brass section that
lustily performs the nationliaistic fanfares that Janacek
gleefully adds  to the music. The Sinfonietta is an
expression of patriotic love for Janacek’s homeland, but it is
also a piece that shows off so many of the things that make
Janacek such a unique and underrated composer, his love of short
fragmented melodies, his shocks and surprises, his innovative use
of orchestration, and more. If you're not familiar with Janacek's
music, the Sinfonietta is the perfect entry point, so come join
us on this Patreon-sponsored episode!