''Destiny'' (also known as ''Fate'', cs, Osud) is an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
in three acts by
Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janáček (, baptised Leo Eugen Janáček; 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic musics, including Eastern European fol ...
to a Czech
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
by the composer and
Fedora Bartošová. Janáček began the work in 1903 and completed it in 1907. The inspiration for the opera came from a visit by Janáček in the summer of 1903, after the death of his daughter Olga, to the spa at
Luhačovice
Luhačovice (; german: Luhatschowitz) is a spa town in Zlín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,000 inhabitants. It is known for the largest spa in Moravia. The town centre with the spa infrastructure is well preser ...
. There, Janáček met
Kamila Urválková, who had been the subject of an opera by
Ludvík Čelanský
Ludvík or Ludvik is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Ludvík Aškenazy (1921–1986), Czech writer and journalist
*Ludvik Buland (1893–1945), Norwegian trade unionist
* Ludvík Čelanský (1870–1931), Czech conductor and c ...
, ''Kamila'', where she felt that Čelanský had falsely depicted her personality. After learning that Janáček was a composer, Urválková persuaded Janáček to write another opera to counteract Čelanský's portrait of her.
[Tyrrell, John, "Janáček's ''Fate''" (January 1972). ''The Musical Times'', 113 (1547): pp. 34–37.]
Janáček submitted the opera to the Brno Theatre in 1906, and to the Vinohrady Theatre in Prague in 1907, but both theatres rejected the score. The score stayed with the Vinohrady Theatre even after Janáček had threatened lawsuits against the theatre and after the Brno theatre made offers of a possible production.
The work did not receive a hearing until after Janáček's death, in
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
on
Brno Radio.
Performance history
''Osud'' was given in concert form in Brno in 1934, 1948
[Desmond Shawe-Taylor. Janáček celebrations at Brno. '']Opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
'', January 1959, Vol.10 No.1, p18-24. and 1954, all conducted by
Břetislav Bakala
Břetislav Bakala (February 12, 1897 in Fryšták – April 1, 1958 in Brno) was a Czech conductor, pianist, and composer. His career was centred on Brno and he was particularly associated with the music of Leoš Janáček.
Life and career
Ba ...
.
[Simeone, Nigel. Note accompanying 'Břetislav Bakala conducts Janáček - The legendary Brno Radio opera broadcasts and other recordings'. CRQ Editions, 2017.] The first staging was in 1958 in
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
, conducted by
František Jílek
František Jílek (May 22, 1913 – September 16, 1993) was a Czech conductor, known especially for his interpretation of Leoš Janáček's works.
Life
Jílek began studying piano and composition as a pupil of Jaroslav Kvapil, and later studi ...
, as part of a complete cycle of operas at the 1958 Janáček Festival, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Janáček's death. However, the structure of the plot was altered from the original to give the story a "flashback" format, where the story begins with Act 3 and interpolates Act 1 and Act 2 as the "flashbacks", before returning to finish Act 3.
One day after the Brno stage premiere, a version where the libretto was considerably revised (by
Kurt Honolka
Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor.
In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and i ...
) was produced at
Stuttgart Opera
The Staatsoper Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Opera) is a German opera company based in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Staatsorchester Stuttgart serves as its resident orchestra.
History
Performances of operas, ballet an ...
.
The first UK staging was in 1984 at
English National Opera
English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...
, produced by
David Pountney
Sir David Willoughby Pountney (born 10 September 1947) is a British-Polish theatre and opera director and librettist internationally known for his productions of rarely performed operas and new productions of classic works. He has directed over ...
, in a translation by
Rodney Blumer, but with Janáček's original plot structure intact. The first US production was in July 2003 at the
Bard Summerscape Festival. Scholars have criticised weaknesses in the plot as the reason for the opera's neglect.
Roles
Synopsis
Act 1
Míla and the composer Živný were once lovers, but Míla's mother ended the relationship in hopes of a more advantageous match for her daughter. Alas, Míla was already pregnant and is now a single mother, unlikely to marry anyone else. She and Živný meet again for the first time amid the amusements of a spa town. They sneak off together and rekindle their love, but her mother tracks them down in the crowd and predicts disaster.
Act 2
Four years later Živný and Míla are married, but her mother lives with them and has become mentally fragile. While their young son Doubek plays, the couple read through the unfinished opera Živný began during their separation. It is filled with bitterness against Míla, portraying her as faithless. Míla's mother, losing her mind completely, repeats snatches of music from the opera before rushing to throw herself off a balcony. Attempting to restrain her mother, Míla too is pulled over, and both are killed.
Act 3
Eleven years later, Živný's opera is at last to be performed, although it remains unfinished. He rehearses a chorus from the opera with his students, among them Doubek, now a young man. Another student, Verva, guesses that the hero of the opera is the composer himself. Through the music, Živný again relives his love for Míla and his cruelty to her. Tormented by regret, he asks Doubek to fetch a glass of water and then collapses. The end of the opera must remain in God's hands.
Recordings
* CRQ Editions: Burja Burian, Marie Bakalová, Marie Steinerová, Josef Válka, Frantisek Roesler; Brno Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Břetislav Bakala
Břetislav Bakala (February 12, 1897 in Fryšták – April 1, 1958 in Brno) was a Czech conductor, pianist, and composer. His career was centred on Brno and he was particularly associated with the music of Leoš Janáček.
Life and career
Ba ...
(reissue of Czech Radio Brno broadcast 4/6 December 1948)
* CRQ Editions: Jaroslav Ulrych, Libuše Domaninská, Marie Steinerová, Jaroslav Jaroš, Frantisek Roesler; Brno Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Břetislav Bakala (reissue of Czech Radio Brno broadcast 30 September 1954)
*
Supraphon
Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.
History
The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. T ...
SU 0045-2 611: Jarmila Palivcová, Jindřich Doubek, Jindřich Doubek, Daniela Suryová, Marie Steinerová,
Vilém Přibyl Vilém Přibyl (born Náchod, 10 April 1925 – died Brno, 21 July 1990) was a Czech operatic tenor. he made his professional debut at the age of 34 in Ústí nad Labem, in 1958.
Life and career
After serving during World War II, Přibyl trained ...
, Josef Škrobánek, Vladimír Krejčík, Jiří Holešovský, Antonín Jurečka, Jiří Olejníček,
Jaroslav Souček
Jaroslav Souček (8 December 1935 – 2 January 2006) was a Czech operatic baritone who had an active career in his native country from 1960 through 1997. He sang a broad repertoire that encompassed roles from Czech, English, French, German, Itali ...
, Richard Novák, František Caban, Anna Barová, Jaroslava Janská, Jarmila Hladíková, Jindra Pokorná, Jarmila Krátká, Zdenka Kareninová, Milena Jílková,
Magdaléna Hajóssyová
Magdaléna Hajóssyová (born 25 July 1946, in Bratislava) is a classical Slovak soprano who has had an active international career singing in operas, concerts, and recitals since the late 1960s. She has been particularly active at the Prague Stat ...
, Magda Polášková; Brno Janáček Opera Orchestra and Chorus;
František Jílek
František Jílek (May 22, 1913 – September 16, 1993) was a Czech conductor, known especially for his interpretation of Leoš Janáček's works.
Life
Jílek began studying piano and composition as a pupil of Jaroslav Kvapil, and later studi ...
, conductor (recorded 1975)
*
Orfeo
Orfeo Classic Schallplatten und Musikfilm GmbH of Munich was a German independent classical record label founded in 1979 by Axel Mehrle and launched in 1980. It has been owned by Naxos since 2015.
History
The Orfeo music label was registered ...
C 384 951 A:
Peter Straka
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a su ...
,
Lívia Ághová,
Marta Beňačková,
Štefan Margita
Štefan Margita (born 3 August 1956) is a Slovak opera singer who has had an active international career since 1981. He began his career singing mostly roles from the lyric tenor repertoire but in recent years he has tackled a number of dramatic ...
,
Peter Mikuláš,
Ivan Kusnjer
Ivan Kusnjer (born 10 November 1951) is a Czech baritone opera singer.''ND a jeho předchůdci'' Vladimír Procházka - 1988 "KUSNJER Ivan * 10. 11. 1951 Rokycany. Zpévák. Po maturité na Stfední prúmyslové skole strojnické v Plzni studov ...
,
Ludmila Nováková-Vernerová, Martina Straková, Věra Přibylová, Lubomír Moravec, Richard Sporka, Lenka Kučerová, Vladimír Nacházel, Eva Zbytovská;
Prague Chamber Choir
The Prague Chamber Choir (''Pražský komorní sbor'') is a Czech choir founded in Prague in 1990 by singers of the Prague Philharmonic Choir. It has performed concerts in Australia, Brazil, Israel, Japan, Lebanon and many European countries (e.g. ...
, Chorus Masters Josef Pančík;
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
The Česká filharmonie (Czech Philharmonic) is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. The orchestra's principal concert venue is the Rudolfinum.
History
The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title ...
,
Gerd Albrecht
Gerd Albrecht (19 July 1935 – 2 February 2014) was a German conductor.
Biography
Albrecht was born in Essen, the son of the musicologist Hans Albrecht (1902–1961). He studied music in Kiel and in Hamburg, where his teachers included Wilhel ...
, conductor (live recording 1995)
*
Chandos CHAN3029 (sung in English): Helen Field,
Philip Langridge
Philip Gordon Langridge (16 December 1939 – 5 March 2010)Millington (7 March 2010) was an English tenor, considered to be among the foremost exponents of English opera and oratorio.
Early life
Langridge was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, educ ...
, Kathryn Harries, Peter Bronder, Stuart Kale,
Barry Mora
Reginald Barry Mora (15 November 1940 – 11 October 2021) was a New Zealand classical baritone who had an active international career in concerts and operas from the mid-1970s through the 1990s. Retired from the stage, he was a member of the boar ...
, Christine Teare, Elizabeth Gaskell, Dorothy Hood, Catroina Bell, Mark Holland, Rebecca Moseley-Morgan, Samuel Linay, Michael Preston-Roberts, Yolande Jones, Cheryl Edwards, Mary Davies, Gaynor Keeble, Gareth Rhys-Davies, Philip Lloyd-Evans,
Ralph Mason, Timothy German, Frances Manning;
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera (WNO) ( cy, Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru) is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales; it gave its first performances in 1946. It began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its ...
Orchestra and Chorus; Sir
Charles Mackerras
Mackerras in 2005
Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras (; 1925 2010) was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associated with the Eng ...
, conductor (recorded 1989)
References
;Notes
;Sources
* Tyrrell, John, '' "Osud" '' in ''
New Grove Dictionary of Opera
''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...
'', Ed. Stanley Sadie, London, 1992
External links
Gavin Plumley's Leoš Janáček site, information on Osud
{{DEFAULTSORT:Destiny (Janacek)
Czech-language operas
Operas by Leoš Janáček
Operas
1907 operas
1934 operas