Sinfonietta (Janáček)

The Sinfonietta, Op 60 (original title Symfonietta ) the Czech composer Leoš Janáček ( 1854-1928 ) is a five-movement orchestral work from 1926. The instrumentation is characterized by a greatly expanded brass apparatus.

Formation

The trigger for the emergence of the Sinfonietta made ​​an order of the Czech Sports Association Sokol ( " The Falcon " ) to Janáček, to compose the VIII Congress festive fanfare music. After the composition Janáček decided to have four more sentences he wrote down within three weeks in March 1926. The Sokol presented an essential element of the Czechoslovak national movement represents, from whose patriotism also Janáček - from his youth a member of the Sokol - was guided in the work as he wanted to bring the free Czech people of today to express and first of the Czechoslovak armed forces dedicated, with the initial title Military Sinfonietta. He also paid homage to his home town of Brno, titled by the 5 sets in the draft program of the first performance with fanfare, Castle, The Queen Monastery, and Rathaus. The set of titles accounted for at the time of printing but again, Janáček dedicated the Sinfonietta Rosa Newmarch, a British music writer, had visited the initiative to Janáček in 1926 England.

Occupation

The occupation is characterized by an over the usual orchestra greatly expanded brass apparatus: 4 flutes ( 4 flute and piccolo ), 2 oboes (2nd oboe and English horn), 2 clarinets in Bb, Clarinet in Eb, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 9 trumpets in C, 3 trumpets in F, 2 trumpets in Bb bass, 4 trombones; 2 tenor tubas in B, bass tuba, timpani, tubular bells, cymbals, harp and strings.

Music

The playing time of the five-movement Sinfonietta is about 22 to 25 minutes.

Characteristic of all five blocks are short, rhythmic and melodic themes that often resonate in popular dance tunes. Symphonic processing in the sense of the traditional sonata form can be at best preliminary account, but here Janáček uses a germ cell technique of variative enrichment of motifs. The exercises direct catchy musical language ( Janáček was the tendencies of the New Viennese School critical ) was intended; the composer wrote shortly after its premiere, it was him best succeeded in this work, as close as possible to conform to the mind of the simple people.

Each set has an individual Instrumentation: The first contest only 11 trumpets, 2 tubes and 2 timpani in the second woodwinds dominate, in the third set, the strings, the fourth solo trumpet and strings, only in the fifth set will sound the entire orchestra.

Full Sequence

I. Allegretto: About ostinato fifths of the tubes and Terzmotiven of timpani and bass trumpets, a fanfare of trumpets motive which determines in part polyphonic narrowing the whole short Intrada - type movement developed.

Andante: Decisive is a harmonious with at Moravian folk dance tune in frequently changing meters. Later borne trumpet fanfares are in addition to reminiscent of the first set of motifs.

III. Moderato: A first lyrical theme in the strings is gradually increased up to the excitement (especially through the high wooden stresses ), where the trumpets come; the sentence closes in lyrical mood.

IV Allegretto: The scherzo character of the music is again by an reminiscent of Moravian folk dances, intoned by the trumpets motif embossed, which runs in almost permanent repetition by the sentence.

V. Allegro: After opening with a lyrical theme in the flutes first heard rapid string figurations before according to thematic processing of the first theme return the fanfares of the first set and the work embraced by the rest of the orchestra, lead to effective completion.

Premiere and reception

The Sinfonietta premiered on June 26, 1926 in Prague by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Václav Talich and below was published by the Vienna Universal Edition. The composition sat down soon internationally by the German premiere in Wiesbaden, Germany on 9 December 1926, the American in New York on March 4, 1927 led each Otto Klemperer. For ease of implementation also created versions with reduced wind instruments, in 1927 by Erwin Stein (only 1 / 5 rate) or Keilberth (published 1977).

The Sinfonietta is now one of Janáček's most played instrumental works and is in numerous recordings before.