Janácek's Sinfonietta is one of the most beautiful and joyful pieces in the classical repertoire: no confessions in which a composer botheres the listener with his deepest soul stirrings, but immediately accessible music full of liberation and affirmation. Janácek's five-part work was inspired by military brass bands, which he listened to on a sunny day in 1925 on a bench in a park. Initially,
… the composer dedicated the work to the armed forces of the Czech Republic, independent since 1918. Later he dropped the military reference, which is why we know this music as the Sinfonietta. The first part is a fantastic evocation of military signals, which is returned to in the finale. The third part depicts a monastery in Janácek's hometown of Brno. The fourth part concerns the streets of Brno after the liberation, while with the last part we experience the triumph in the town hall. The quality of this early stereo recording (1959) with Charles Mackerras and the Pro Arte Orchestra is excellent. Also beautiful are the opera overtures by De Zaak Makropoulos, Katja Kabanova and Uit het Huis van deoden, among others. (HJ)more