Janacek: Lachian Dances

Leoš Janáček was an authority on his native folk-music, and the Lachian and Moravian Dances preserve and celebrate culture and traditions which were vanishing even in his own lifetime. Based on Gogol’s historical novel, Janáček’s inspired orchestral rhapsody on Taras Bulba depicts three moving and dramatic episodes in the violent life of the Cossack leader, climaxing in his stirring and triumphant prophecy of liberation. This release follows Antoni Wit’s acclaimed Warsaw recording of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass and Sinfonietta (8572639).

This release follows hot on the heels of Antoni Wit’s recording of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass (8572639 and Blu-ray Audio NBD0026), which was described as “gripping from start to finish” by Gramophone and “a major release – a mandatory purchase” in a 10/10 review from ClassicsToday.com. With its mixture of the powerfully emotive Taras Bulba and more pastoral Dances, and the Warsaw Philharmonic’s proven track record in Janáček’s remarkable scores, this release will generate its own substantial following.

Many seasoned conductors keep returning to Janácek’s symphonic works – owing to their sparkling expressiveness, colourful emotions and lucid purity drawn deep from the wellspring of folk music.

Jakub Hruša proves that fascination with Janácek’s music applies to the youngest generation of conductors too.

The recording opens with six ebullient Lachian Dances and when it comes to The Cunning Little Vixen, Jakub Hruša has chosen the rarely performed version of the Suite arranged by František Jílek, a connoisseur of Janácek’s ouvre. His Suite retains Janácek’s original instrumentation and spans the trajectory of the opera’s action.

The recording is crowned by the rhapsody for orchestra Taras Bulba. Janácek’s initial title for the work – Slavonic Rhapsody – reflects not only national but also Slavonic pride, which is celebrated here in the character of the fearless Cossack leader Taras Bulba.

Janácek masterfully succeeded in transposing his fascination with the culture of Tsarist Russia into a composition which on this CD is undertaken by a young conductor fascinated in turn by Janácek’s work.