Janacek: The Diary of One Who Disappeared

Leos Janácek (Artist), Ian Bostridge (Artist), Thomas Adés (Artist), Ruby Philogene (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 8, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00005O83M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,952 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Janácek's Diary of One Who Disappeared is a cycle, almost a quasi-opera, of 22 songs for tenor, mezzo, an offstage chorus of three female voices, and a piano. It's based on poems the composer found in a Czech newspaper purporting to be the confessions of a young man who leaves family and village for the gypsy girl he loves. The songs speak of longing, sexual attraction, guilt, regret, anxiety, and a host of other emotions wonderfully captured by Ian Bostridge, whose high tenor voice has more body and thrust than in his other recordings. Singing in the original Czech, Bostridge sounds as comfortable as a native speaker. Thomas Adès, best known as a composer, is also a superb pianist. He has to be, because the keyboard part is of vital importance, not only commenting on the vocal line and in extended postludes, but in a brief solo as well. Ruby Philogene is appropriately sultry as the gypsy, and this deeply felt performance is a triumph for all concerned. Adès scores again in the Moravian Folksongs for solo piano and in the miniature solo pieces, some of which say more in their brief span than many longer works. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Aspect of Leos Janácek seldom heard, February 22, 2006

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Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Janacek: The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Audio CD)

Leos Janácek was clearly one of the 20th century's great composers and while his operas and orchestral works are widely performed, his chamber works are nearly well kept secrets. And so it is with pleasure that this completely unique recital by two of our finest musicians joins the CD repertoire.

Janácek's 'The Diary of One Who Disappeared' is related to his operas in the dramatic intensity of the writing. Composed as his only song cycle the work is designated 'song cycle for mezzo-soprano, tenor, female chorus & piano' but in reality it is primarily a work for tenor and piano. In the hands of Ian Bostridge, whose Czech pronunciation is wholly convincing, the plight of the young man who leaves both family and town behind to follow the love for a gypsy is full of folk melodies and intense passion. Brilliant composer/conductor/pianist Thomas Adés provides the sensitive collaboration and the two are joined by mezzo Ruby Philogene as the gypsy and as part of the three voice female chorus offstage along with Diane Atherton and Deryn Edwards. This is a deeply moving work and the performance is first rate.

Filling out the recital Thomas Adés performs Janácek's works for piano, including excerpts from 'Intimate Sketches' and 'Moravian Folk songs'. His playing is subtle, intuitive and he finds all the quirky rhythms and soulful melodies inherent in Janácek's writing. Adés continues to be an outstanding piano soloist as well as one of the most important composers today. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, February 06

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A song-drama and short solo piano pieces based on Moravian folk songs - fine listening, November 22, 2005

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Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Janacek: The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Audio CD)

Leos Janáček (1854-1928) was (and remains) an important Czech composer. As a young man he became friends with Dvorak and was one of the early so-called nationalist composers. This movement urged its composers to write music of their homeland and Janáček was among the early group who turner to the folk songs of his native land for source stylistic materials. Many others followed his lead in their own lands (think of Kodaly, Bartok, and even Stravinsky as examples of a much larger group).

This disk contains his only surviving song cycle - which is really a kind of song drama. It is based on some poems that appeared in a newspaper and caught the composer's eye. He clipped them out and took them with him on a trip to a spa and began working on the songs. The poems were published anonymously and were ostensibly by a rustic farm boy who is lured away by a gypsy and is never heard from again. It turns out they were by Ozef Kalda (the pseudonym of Josef Kalda (1871-1921). The songs are mostly for the tenor, but the gypsy makes her appearance, as do three female voices urging the boy to follow the gypsy. Ian Bostridge is superb as the rustic who disappeared and Ruby Philogene is fine as the gypsy.

The pianist, Thomas Adès, not only accompanies the song cycle, he also plays some wonderful solo pieces. One set is of piano pieces based on Moravian folk songs and then there is a set of miscellaneous pieces. All are quite short, but very expressive. Adès is a fine and expressive artist.

The disk concludes with earlier versions of two of the songs from the song cycle.

I think it is always good to stretch your musical experience. This music is quite different than the German, Italian, French art music and song writing that you are probably more used to hearing. This music, while certainly tonal, is quite different in harmonic language, melodic angularity and spacing. Enjoy!

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly enchanting, June 23, 2011

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G.D. (Norway) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Janacek: The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Audio CD)

Janacek's song cycle Diary of One Who Disappeared is one of the most fascinating, compelling and stirring song cycles ever composed; only it isn't quite a song cycle - it is more a mix between song cycle, chamber opera and cantata. It is based on poems allegedly written by an unnamed "son of the soil" (probably a hoax), to which Janacek adds his own utterly distinctive brand of post-romanticism. Not only is the music strikingly memorable, but its cornucopia of shifting atmospheres, subtle tone painting and dramatic intensity is remarkable to the extent that there is nothing quite like it in the history of music.

As a song cycle (if we count it as one) I am prepared to defend the claim that it is rivaled only by Die Schöne Müllerin. It also requires something of the same qualities from the performers (although Janacek's songs require a different set of means). And Ian Bostridge does indeed manage to create the same mixture of emotion, spirit, power and reflection that he has earlier brought to Schubert's masterpiece - I cannot imagine a more compelling performance than this. Ruby Philogene is equally impressive in the mezzo part. The distant chorus is wonderful as well, though I can understand the complaints that it is too distantly recorded (though I would add that in my opinion it achieves exactly the effect it should). Neither do I see any possible, serious complaints about Thomas Adès's piano playing, and the piano is to a large extent an equal partner in this work.

To fill out the disc we get earlier versions of two of the songs and some Moravian Folksongs for piano and a few miniatures - trifles, perhaps, but full of Janacek's trademark quirkiness and striking plays with moods and colors. In short, this is a splendid recording of an undeniable masterpiece - perhaps the best around (though my knowledge of the alternatives is limited) and certainly recommended with all possible enthusiasm.