Books in the The Janacek Opera Libretti Series series

This book is the second volume in a series devoted to the Czech operas of Leos Janácek. Word-for-word and idiomatic English translations are provided along with the International Phonetic Alphabet and practical notes on style, to help singers, condcutors, coaches, stages directors, and devoted Janácek fans all to gain an understanding of the opera and how best to perform it in its original language.

Czech composer Leoš Janáček’s, most famous opera, Jenůfa is a harrowing tale of forbidden love, abandonment, hypocrisy, desparation, and tragic infanticide. As today’s second most frequently performed Czech opera (following Dvorák’s Rusalka), Jenůfa holds a prominent place in international opera repertoire and continues to draw attention of new audiences. Drawing on both scholarly studies and production experience, Timothy Cheek presents an original English-language translation of the original Czech libretto. As with the first two books in the Janáček Opera Libretti series (Pr''hody lisky Bystrousky, The Cunning Little Vixen and Kát’a Kabanová), this volume consists of two parts. Part One gives background on the opera, a discussion about the various voice types and roles, Janáček’s style and Czech performance traditions, and a summary of Czech pronunciation and inflection. Much has been written about Jenůfa, and this book offers the most practical and interesting information in one source for both performers and opera lovers in an easy to read format. Part Two is the main part of the book, with the original Czech libretto, word-for-word English translations, idiomatic English translations, IPA for pronunciation of the Czech, translations of the stage directions, and notes about certain words in Czech dialect.As a valuable resource not only for performers and directors, but also historians and opera lovers, Cheek''s text brings new accessibility to a beloved and timeless opera.