Canon
Where to start with Janacek
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
VocalGlagolitic Mass, JW III/9 — For soloists, double chorus, orchestra, and organ
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OrchestralSinfonietta, JW VI/18
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ChamberString Quartet no. 1, JW VII/8, "Kreutzer"
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KeyboardIn the Mists, JW VIII/22
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StageJenufa, JW I/4 — Opera
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ChamberString Quartet no. 2, JW VII/13, "Listy duverné,' 'Intimate Letters"
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OrchestralTaras Bulba JW VI/15
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ChamberCapriccio for piano, flute, and brass ensemble, JW VII/12, "Vzdor', 'Defiance"
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StageKáta Kabanová, JW I/8 — Opera
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ChamberMládí, suite for wind sextet, JW VII/10
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KeyboardOn an Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 — Piano cycle
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KeyboardPiano Sonata, JW VIII/19, "Zulice, 1.X.05,' 'From the Street, 1 October, 1905"
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StageThe Cunning Little Vixen, JW I/9 — Opera
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ChamberViolin Sonata, JW VII/7
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Vocal10 Silesian Songs from Helena Salichová's collection, JW V/13
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Janacek's catalogueMost Popular
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Sinfonietta
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String Quartet No. 1 ”Kreutzer Sonata”
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Jenůfa (opera)
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On an Overgrown Path (piano)
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In the Mist (piano)
Most Acclaimed
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String Quartet No. 2 ”Intimate Letters”
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Glagolitic Mass
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The House of the Dead (opera)
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Katya Kabanova (opera)
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The Cunning Little Vixen (opera)
Most Weird
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The House of the Deadopera set in a Siberian prison camp; no conventional plot, no love story; ends with prisoners celebrating freedom — his most extreme work
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Glagolitic Massthe organ solo in the middle is a storm of virtuosity in a sacred work; the text is in Old Church Slavonic
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String Quartet No. 2 ”Intimate Letters”written about his obsessive correspondence with a much younger woman; completed 8 months before he died
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Mládi (Youth) for wind sexteta meditation on his own childhood — written at 70
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Kreutzer Sonata (String Quartet No. 1)after Tolstoy’s novella about murder-jealousy — musically depicts the moment of killing
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 69
- Vocal
- ● Glagolitic Mass, JW III/9 — For soloists, double chorus, orchestra, and organ
- 10 Silesian Songs from Helena Salichová's collection, JW V/13
- 18 Nursery Rhymes for 9 voices and 10 instruments, JW V/17
- 3 Male-Voice Choruses, JW IV/19
- 4 Male-Voice Choruses, JW IV/17
- 4 Moravian Male-Voice Choruses, JW IV/28
- 70,000, for soloists and male chorus, JW IV/36
- Ach vojna, vojna, folk song for male chorus, JW IV/17/3
- Ceská legie, for tenor, bass and male chorus, JW IV/42
- Coz ta nase bríza, JW IV/22
- Elegie na smrt dcery Olgy, cantata for tenor, chorus and piano, JW IV/30
- Kacena divoká, folk song for chorus and piano, JW IV/18
- Kantor Halfar, for male chorus, JW IV/33
- Láska opravdivá, folk song for male chorus, JW IV/8
- Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs, 53 folksong for voice and piano, JW V/2
- Orání, folk song for male chorus, JW IV/1
- Perina, folk song for male chorus, JW IV/38
- Potulný sílenec, for soprano, tenor, baritone and male chorus, JW IV/43
- The Diary of One Who Disappeared, song cycle for mezzo-soprano, tenor, female chorus, and piano, JW V/12
- The Lord's Prayer, for chorus, harp, and organ, JW IV/29
- Vecne evangelium JW III/8
- Vlcí stopa, for soprano, female chorus and piano, JW IV/39
- Vínek, folk song for male chorus, JW IV/31
- Orchestral
- ● Sinfonietta, JW VI/18
- ● Taras Bulba JW VI/15
- 6 Lachian Dances, JW VI/17
- Idyll for string orchestra, JW VI/3
- Jealousy, JW VI/10
- Jenufa, suite from the opera
- Káta Kabanová, suite from the opera
- Moravian dances, JW VI/7
- Schluck und Jau, incidental music, JW 9/11
- Suite for String Orchestra, JW VI/2
- Suite, op. 3, JW VI/6
- The Cunning Little Vixen
- The Excursions of Mr. Broucek, suite from the opera
- The Fiddler's Child, ballad JW VI/14
- The Makropulos Case, suite from the opera
- Chamber
- ● String Quartet no. 1, JW VII/8, "Kreutzer"
- ● String Quartet no. 2, JW VII/13, "Listy duverné,' 'Intimate Letters"
- Capriccio for piano, flute, and brass ensemble, JW VII/12, "Vzdor', 'Defiance"
- Mládí, suite for wind sextet, JW VII/10
- Violin Sonata, JW VII/7
- Concertino for piano, 2 violins, viola, clarinet, horn, and bassoon, JW VII/11
- Dumka, for violin and piano, JW VII/4
- Pochod Modrácku, JW VII/9
- Pohádka, for cello and piano, JW VII/5
- Presto for Cello and Piano, JW VII/6
- Romance for Violin and Piano in E major, JW VII/3
- Keyboard
- In the Mists, JW VIII/22
- On an Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17 — Piano cycle
- Piano Sonata, JW VIII/19, "Zulice, 1.X.05,' 'From the Street, 1 October, 1905"
- 15 Moravian Folk Songs, JW VIII/23
- 3 Moravian Dances
- Music for Club-swinging Exercises, JW VIII/13
- Nur Blindes Schiksal, for piano
- Pohadka, for cello and piano
- Reminiscence, JW VIII/32
- Skladby pro varhany, JW VIII/7
- Theme and Variations in B flat major, JW VIII/6, "Zdenciny variace,' 'Zdenka Variations"
- Varyto, for organ, JW VIII/3
- Vzpomínka, JW VIII/32
- Stage
- Jenufa, JW I/4 — Opera
- Káta Kabanová, JW I/8 — Opera
- The Cunning Little Vixen, JW I/9 — Opera
- From the House of the Dead, JW I/11 — Opera
- Osud, JW I/5 — Opera
- The Excursions of Mr. Broucek, JW1/6-7 — Opera
- The Makropulos Case, JW I/10 — Opera