Jul 3, 2014

Celebrating the home of a revered musician

: Young men sit on benches with instruments during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A young man sits with his bagpipes on a bench during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A woman celebrates during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. A Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A young man plays an instrument during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. Leoš Janáček, who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A woman celebrates during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. A Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A woman celebrates during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: People celebrate with instruments during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. A Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A young man carries his instrument during the oldest folklore festival of Europe in Straznice, south Moravia, 80 km southeast from Brno, Czech Republic on June 29, 2014. Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A sand sculpture “Sleeping beauty” is pictured during the sand festival in Lednice, south Moravia, 50 km south of Brno on June 19, 2014. A Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: A horse is prepared prior to the ide of the Kings in Vlcnov, south Moravia, in the Czech Republic on May 25, 2014. The Ride of the Kings is one of the most famous folk customs of the country. Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: Eleven-year-old Frantisek Soban (C) dressed as a girl and with a rose in his mouth leads the royal procession during Ride of the Kings in Vlcnov, south Moravia, in the Czech Republic on May 25, 2014. The Ride of the Kings is one of the most famous folk customs of the country.A Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: Eleven-year-old Frantisek Soban dressed as a girl and with a rose in his mouth leads the royal procession during Ride of the Kings in Vlcnov, south Moravia, in the Czech Republic on May 25, 2014. Leoš Janáček, a composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: Eleven-year-old Frantisek Soban (L) dressed as a girl and with a rose in his mouth leads the royal procession during Ride of the Kings in Vlcnov, south Moravia, in the Czech Republic on May 25, 2014. The Ride of the Kings is one of the most famous folk customs of the country. A Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: The nuns of the Congregation Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius cast their vote in the European Parliament elections in the village of Velehrad, south Moravia. Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

: Enthusiasts dressed up as French soldiers swear loyalty to Napoleon Bonaparte after a re-enactment of a battle in Valtice, south Moravia, 50 km south from Brno, Czech Republic, on April 13, 2014. A Czech composer who celebrated Moravian traditions in much of his work was born 160 years ago today on July 3, 1854.
|| CREDIT: RADEK MICA – AFP/GETTY IMAGES

When I’m working with code in the newsroom, one of my top choices for background music is the opera work of Leoš Janáček, a composer from the Moravia region of the Czech Republic. His Lachian Dances are an early example of his penchant for melodies from the area around Brno.

My favorite Janáček invention, which came much later in his career, Věc Makropulos is not exactly full of obvious earworms: The composer intentionally tried to convey the disconnected life of the opera’s three-century-old female lead by avoiding recognizable themes until the end of the work. But the eventual lyricism near the finale is worth the wait, and after 10 or 15 listens, I found myself humming along with even the segments that originally felt like little more than disjointed fragments of tunes. It’s easy to hear the difference between this overture and his earlier work.

Audio of the full opera can be found here.

In a very personal celebration of both this composer’s contributions and Czech culture in general, I felt it fitting to post some images of modern Moravia. Happy Birthday, Leoš!

— Patrick Maynard

Scenes from modern Moravia on Leoš Janáček’s 160th

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