Composer

:

Leos Janácek

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1917 - 1920

Publication Date

:

1921

First Performance

:

Apr 18, 1921

Average_duration

:

38:29

Movement_count

:

22

Movement ....

The Diary of One Who Disappeared, JW 5/12 is a song cycle composed by Czech composer Leos Janácek. The work was composed between 1917 and 1920 and premiered in Brno, Czechoslovakia in 1921. The cycle consists of 22 songs and is based on a series of poems by Ozef Kalda. The Diary of One Who Disappeared tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a gypsy girl and leaves his family and community to be with her. The songs are arranged in three movements, with the first movement focusing on the protagonist's initial attraction to the gypsy girl, the second movement exploring his growing obsession with her, and the third movement depicting his eventual departure from his old life. The music of The Diary of One Who Disappeared is characterized by its use of folk melodies and rhythms, as well as its unconventional harmonies and dissonances. Janácek's use of irregular meters and asymmetrical phrasing gives the music a sense of unpredictability and urgency, reflecting the protagonist's emotional turmoil. The cycle is scored for tenor soloist, mezzo-soprano soloist, and piano, with the mezzo-soprano representing the voice of the gypsy girl. The two soloists often sing in dialogue with each other, creating a sense of tension and conflict. The Diary of One Who Disappeared is considered one of Janácek's most personal and emotionally intense works. The composer drew on his own experiences of unrequited love and his fascination with gypsy culture to create a work that is both deeply personal and universal in its themes of love, desire, and the search for identity.

More....