Destiny (Janáček)

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Destiny (Osud in Czech) is an opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček to a Czech libretto by the composer and Fedora Bartošová. It was begun in 1903, but was not heard until 1934 on Brno Radio, and was first performed on stage in 1958 in Brno, conducted by František Jílek.

[edit] Roles

Character Míla Valková Živný, a composer Míla's Mother Dr. Suda First Lady Second Lady Old Slovak Woman Major's Wife Councillor's Wife Lhotský, a painter Konečký Miss Stuhlá, a teacher Miss Pacovská Two Guests Waiter An Engineer A Young Widow A Student Fanča Doubek Hrázda Verva Součková Košinká

Voice part soprano tenor soprano tenor soprano soprano soprano soprano soprano baritone baritone mezzo-soprano soprano bass, baritone tenor tenor soprano tenor soprano Act II: treble, Act III: tenor tenor baritone soprano soprano

1958 stage premiere Jindra Pokorná Jaroslav Ulrych

[edit] Synopsis

Act I Míla and the composer Živný and were once lovers, but Míla’s mother ended the relationship in hopes of a more advantageous match for her daughter. Alas, Míla was already pregnant and is now a single mother, unlikely to marry anyone else. She and Živný meet again for the first time amid the amusements of a spa town. They sneak off together and rekindle their love, but her mother tracks them down in the crowd and predicts disaster.

Act II Four years later Živný and Míla are married, but her mother lives with them and has become mentally fragile. While their young son Doubek plays, the couple read through the unfinished opera Živný began during their separation. It is filled with bitterness against Míla, portraying her as faithless. Míla’s mother, losing her mind completely, repeats snatches of music from the opera then rushes to throw herself off a balcony. Attempting to restrain her mother Míla too is pulled over, and both are killed.

Act III Eleven years later, Živný’s opera is at last to be performed although it remains unfinished. He rehearses a chorus from the opera with his students, among them Doubek, now a young man. Another student, Verva, guesses that the hero of the opera is the composer himself. Through the music, Živný again relives his love for Míla and his cruelty to her. Tormented by regret, he asks Doubek to fetch a glass of water and then collapses, dying. The end of the opera must remain in God’s hands.