Page 45 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2018. Nova glasba v “novi” Evropi med obema svetovnima vojnama ?? New Music in the “New” Europe Between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 2
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janáček’s maestoso
and his departure at the end of opera constitutes the chief narrative thread
of the piece. When Petrovič has been taken off to be beaten (we hear his
cries of pain offstage), the prisoners bring out the eagle. They tell his keep-
er, Nikita, to release him – just two bars marked “Maestoso”. But the ea-
gle’s wing is still broken and he is unable to fly. “Orel, car lesů” [Eagle, tsar
of the forests!] the prisoners sing ironically. These are important words that
are heard later in the opera.
Example 5: Janáček: From the House of the Dead, Act 1. © With kind permission by Universal
Edition A.G., Wien. www.universaledition.com
The third act is dominated by the longest narrative in the opera,
Šiškov’s harrowing tale of how he married and murdered Akulka. He was
persuaded to marry Akulka after his friend Filka Morozov has told all the
village that he has slept with her and thus disgraced her. She is now con-
sidered damaged goods and the good-for-nothing Šiškov is encouraged to
take her on. But, after the marriage when the couple have been left alone,
he discovers that she is in fact a virgin – “Čistá, nevinná! Čestná z čestného
rodu” [Pure, innocent! An honourable woman from an honourable family]
he declares in a passage marked maestoso (from bar 602), Akulka’s purity
matched by the purity of the harmony and the dolcissimo marking.
Later in the same narrative Šiškov describes how Filka Morozov goes
off to the army in place of a conscripted recruit. As Filka passes by Akul-
ka’s house he sees her. He jumps down from the cart and, bowing low be-
fore her, tells her that he has loved her for three years. The moment when
43
and his departure at the end of opera constitutes the chief narrative thread
of the piece. When Petrovič has been taken off to be beaten (we hear his
cries of pain offstage), the prisoners bring out the eagle. They tell his keep-
er, Nikita, to release him – just two bars marked “Maestoso”. But the ea-
gle’s wing is still broken and he is unable to fly. “Orel, car lesů” [Eagle, tsar
of the forests!] the prisoners sing ironically. These are important words that
are heard later in the opera.
Example 5: Janáček: From the House of the Dead, Act 1. © With kind permission by Universal
Edition A.G., Wien. www.universaledition.com
The third act is dominated by the longest narrative in the opera,
Šiškov’s harrowing tale of how he married and murdered Akulka. He was
persuaded to marry Akulka after his friend Filka Morozov has told all the
village that he has slept with her and thus disgraced her. She is now con-
sidered damaged goods and the good-for-nothing Šiškov is encouraged to
take her on. But, after the marriage when the couple have been left alone,
he discovers that she is in fact a virgin – “Čistá, nevinná! Čestná z čestného
rodu” [Pure, innocent! An honourable woman from an honourable family]
he declares in a passage marked maestoso (from bar 602), Akulka’s purity
matched by the purity of the harmony and the dolcissimo marking.
Later in the same narrative Šiškov describes how Filka Morozov goes
off to the army in place of a conscripted recruit. As Filka passes by Akul-
ka’s house he sees her. He jumps down from the cart and, bowing low be-
fore her, tells her that he has loved her for three years. The moment when
43
