Which five Janacek works make a good introduction for a newbie?

[bhodges]

Sinfonietta
String Quartets (again, if we are limiting ourselves to pieces rather than CDs, probably the First, even though the Second, IMO, is Janacek's single finest work)
Taras Bulba
Cunning Little Vixen (or Talich's sumptuous suite from it)
Katya Kabanova

I could be happy suggesting this list, too, perhaps substituting Jenufa for one of the other two operas, but that's just my personal taste.  In the last five years or so, he's turned into one of my very favorite composers, and those operas, especially, have some incredible music in them. 

--Bruce

[BachQ]

I could be happy suggesting this list, too, perhaps substituting Jenufa for one of the other two operas, but that's just my personal taste.  In the last five years or so, he's turned into one of my very favorite composers, and those operas, especially, have some incredible music in them. 

--Bruce

Bruce, of the 13 available recordings of Jen, which do you recommend?

Davis, Andrew (1) 
Haitink, Bernard (1) 
Jilek, Frantisek (2) 
Krombholc, Jaroslav (1) 
Mackerras, Sir Charles (3) 
Queler, Eve (1) 
Rosen, Albert (1) 
Schneider, Peter (1) 
Vogel, Jaroslav (2)  

[bhodges]

Bruce, of the 13 available recordings of Jen, which do you recommend?

Davis, Andrew (1) 
Haitink, Bernard (1) 
Jilek, Frantisek (2) 
Krombholc, Jaroslav (1) 
Mackerras, Sir Charles (3) 
Queler, Eve (1) 
Rosen, Albert (1) 
Schneider, Peter (1) 
Vogel, Jaroslav (2)  

I have not heard most of these.  (I have gotten to know the work through seeing it at the Met, some 8 or 10 times during the last few years.)  But my gut would say either Haitink with Karita Mattila and Jerry Hadley (but not everyone likes him here) or one of the Mackerras recordings, since he is renowned, for good reason, as a Janacek expert. 

PS, Mattila is really wowing people with her portrayal of the role; she's currently doing it in Los Angeles, and getting raves.

Luke may know more of these recordings and be able to offer more comments.

--Bruce

[BachQ]

I have not heard most of these.  (I have gotten to know the work through seeing it at the Met, some 8 or 10 times during the last few years.)  But my gut would say either Haitink with Karita Mattila and Jerry Hadley (but not everyone likes him here) or one of the Mackerras recordings, since he is renowned, for good reason, as a Janacek expert. 

PS, Mattila is really wowing people with her portrayal of the role; she's currently doing it in Los Angeles, and getting raves.

Thanks, Bruce.

I have not heard most of these. 

***

Luke may know more of these recordings and be able to offer more comments.

--Bruce

Paging Luke ........

[Fëanor]

I'll cast another vote for Janacek's two string quartets:

• No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonata"
• No. 2 "Intimate Letters"

Both of these are amongst the finest string quartets written by anybody.

My favorite versions are by the Skampa Quartet on Suparphon, and the Travnicek Quartet on Koch International.

[Que]

I'll cast another vote for Janacek's two string quartets:

• No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonata"
• No. 2 "Intimate Letters"

Both of these are amongst the finest string quartets written by anybody.

My favorite versions are by the Skampa Quartet on Supraphon

Ditto!

Q

[Mr. Darcy]

All excellent recommendations thus far, though I'd like to back-up lukeottevanger in his recommendation of the Violin Concerto (Wandering of a Little Soul). Fabulous work! My favorite version is Suk/Neumann/CPO on Supraphon, with some excellent disc mates (the Taras Bulba and Sinfonietta are amy second favorites behind Ančerl's...):

[lukeottevanger]

In turn I'd like to back up that recommendation - a great Janacek disc in toto, and the recording of the Violin concerto which I tend to turn to. However, there is an almost-as-good recording with Zenaty (Supraphon, with Brno/Jilek) with the same couplings, except, importantly and valuably, substituting Taras Bulba for The Danube. That is no mean disc either, and nor is its companion, with Taras Bulba, the Suite for Orchestra (a real charmer), the Adagio, Zarlivost, the Ballad of Blanik, The Fiddler's Child (one of J's finest pieces) and a couple of dances.

Add to these three discs
1) the Supraphon Eternal Gospel (c.w. Na Solani Cartak, the Elegy, Otce Nas and Hospodine)
2) the Hyperion choral music disc (James Wood cond. - includes Songs of Hradcany)
3) the Supraphon male choruses disc (indispensable)
and perhaps
4) the Chandos Concertino/Capriccio/Mladi/Riklada disc (I say perhaps because there are other fine discs with this repertoire, but this one works very well)
and
5) the Praga disc with Amarus and the Vixen/House of the Dead suites

and you have practically everything you need outside the operas, the Glagolitic, the chamber music, the piano music and the songs. And the organ music, if you're as desperate as me. There's a good 'Unknown Janacek' disc on Supraphon if you want the lot - includes 'deleted scenes'  and other goodies.

[hautbois]

Mladi

Howard