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On an Overgrown Path

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On an Overgrown Path (Czech: Po zarostlém chodníčku) is a cycle of fifteen piano pieces written by Leoš Janáček and organized into two volumes.

Contents

Background

Janáček composed all his most important works for solo piano between 1900 and 1912. He probably began preparing his first series of Moravian folk melodies in 1900. At this time, the cycle had only six pieces, intended for harmonium: "Our Evenings", "A Blown-Away Leaf", "The Frýdek Madonna", "Good Night!", "The Barn Owl Has Not Flown Away!" and a "Più mosso" published after Janáček’s death. These melodies provided the basis for the first volume of On an Overgrown Path. Three of these compositions were first published in 1901 with the fifth volume of harmonium pieces, Slavic Melodies, under the title On an Overgrown Path – Three Short Compositions. By 1908 the cycle had grown to nine pieces, and was by then intended for piano instead of harmonium. The definitive version of the first book was published in 1911. On 30 September 1911, Janáček published the first piece of the second series in the Lidové noviny newspapers. The new series was created, in its entirety, around 1911. The complete second book was printed by the Hudební matice in 1942. The première of the work took place on 6 January 1905 at the Besední dům Hall in Brno.

Book I

  1. "Naše večery" ("Our Evenings")
  2. "Lístek odvanutý" ("A Blown-Away Leaf")
  3. "Pojďte s námi!" ("Come With Us!")
  4. "Frýdecká panna Maria" ("The Madonna of Frydek")
  5. "Štěbetaly jak laštovičky" ("They Chattered Like Swallows")
  6. "Nelze domluvit!" ("Words Fail!")
  7. "Dobrou noc!" ("Good Night!")
  8. "Tak neskonale úzko" ("Unutterable Anguish")
  9. "V pláči" ("In Tears")
  10. "Sýček neodletěl!" ("The Barn Owl Has Not Flown Away!")

Book II

  1. "Andante"
  2. "Allegretto" ("Presto")
  3. "Più mosso"
  4. "Vivo"
  5. "Allegro"

Less experimental than his later works, these miniatures are reminiscent of Schumann and Grieg.

Arrangements

In addition to the arrangements shown below, the entire cycle was arranged for string quartet by Jarmil Burghauser in 1978, published by Bärenreiter, and recorded in 2016 by Quartetto Energie Nove. In addition, six of the pieces were orchestrated by conductor Gregory Rose for a recording by his Jupiter Orchestra.

  1. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  2. arrangement for: violine and piano
  3. arrangement by: Jan Štědroň
  4. performed by: vln Yuriko Kuronuma, pno Alfred Holeček
  5. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  6. arrangement for: cello and piano
  7. arrangement by: Miloš Sádlo
  8. performed by: vlc Miloš Sádlo, pno Alfred Holeček
  9. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  10. arrangement for:
  11. arrangement by: František Smetana
  12. performed by: vlc František Smetana, pno Jiří Hubička
  13. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  14. arrangement for: cymbalom
  15. arrangement by: Petr Oliva
  16. performed by: cym Petr Oliva
  17. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  18. arrangement for: cymbalom
  19. arrangement by: Helena Červenková
  20. performed by: cym Helena Červenková
  21. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  22. arrangement for: cymbalom
  23. arrangement by: Daniel Skála
  24. performed by: cym Daniel Skála
  25. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  26. arrangement for: accordion
  27. arrangement by: Daniela Wagner
  28. performed by: acc Daniela Wagner
  29. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  30. arrangement for: accordion
  31. arrangement by: Ivan Koval
  32. performed by: acc Ivan Koval
  33. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  34. arrangement for: accordion
  35. arrangement by: Teodoro Anzellott
  36. performed by: acc Teodoro Anzellott
  37. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  38. arrangement for: accordion and piano
  39. arrangement by: Stefan Heucke
  40. performed by: acc Marko Kassl, pno Tobias Bredohl
  41. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  42. arrangement for: harp
  43. arrangement by: Chantal Mathieu
  44. performed by: har Chantal Mathieu
  45. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  46. arrangement for: guitar
  47. arrangement by: Martin Bresnick
  48. performed by: gui Benjamin Verdery
  49. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  50. arrangement for: flute and guitar
  51. arrangement by: Jiří Jirmal and Miloslav Klaus
  52. performed by: flu Jan Riedlbauch, gui Miloslav Klaus
  53. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  54. arrangement for: guitar quartet
  55. arrangement by: David Scarth
  56. performed by: York Guitar Quartet, gui David Ashworth, Andrew Forrest, John Mackenzie, David Scarth
  57. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  58. arrangement for: guitar quartet
  59. arrangement by: Marek Velemínský
  60. performed by: Prague Guitar Quartet
  61. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  62. arrangement for: guitar, keyboard and orchestra
  63. arrangement by: Jan Hála
  64. performed by: gui Lubomír Brabec, key Jan Hála, Karel Vágner Orchestra, co Karel Vágner
  65. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  66. arrangement for: oboe quartet
  67. arrangement by: Zurich Oboe Quartet
  68. performed by: Zurich Oboe Quartet
  69. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  70. arrangement for: wind ensemble
  71. arrangement by: Ronald Karten
  72. performed by: Netherlands Wind Ensemble
  73. Arrangement suitable for: piano
  74. arrangement for: string orchestra
  75. arrangement by: Jarmil Burghauser
  76. performed by: London Jupiter Orchestra, co Gregory Rose

Some movements were used in the soundtrack for the 1988 American film The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

"V pláči" ("In Tears") was used in the opening ceremony of the 2015 European Games.

References

On an Overgrown Path Wikipedia
(Text) CC BY-SA