Kat'a Kabanova, a three-act opera of Czech composer Leos Janacek (1854-1928), premiered in 1921, in Brno. The story of Kat'a Kabanova is based on the nineteenth century play 'The Storm' by Russian playwright Alexander Ostrowski (1823-1886), but the social and religious constraints, limiting and destroying main character Kat'a's freedom and lust for life, are not confined only to this play's nineteenth century setting in the rural countryside of Russia. The same problem is omnipresent in our own 21st century. Therefore I dedicate this clip to 'all the Katya's in our world today', who seek for liberation from oppressive and repressive chains of religion and family ties.
This is an updated version with better audio and (somewhat) improved visuals of an earlier (removed) version of my video (PdR, March 11th, 2008).
The music presented here is from the fantastic 1977-Decca-recording of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, with soprano Elisabeth Söderström as Kat'a and tenor Petr Dvorský as Boris.
'Kat'a Kabanova' is a soul-stirring and extremely passionate opera, offering a unique emotional experience. Janacek got his inspiration to write this opera (and many other works as well) from his muse, Kamila Stösslová, a woman 38 years younger than him. He met her in the summer of 1917, he was 63, she was 25. Janacek fell madly in love with her. She became the inspiration for his greatest works, the many masterpieces he composed in the last decade of his life. His love for Kamila -who was, like himself, married- was entirely platonic and one-sided, but she didn't reject his feelings and responded -from a distance- with affectionate friendship and encouragement. It was also helpful -if not, in a way very decisive for Janacek's output in his last years- that Kamila's husband wasn't troubled or jealous (Janacek's wife however was very jealous of her husband's love for Kamila). Janacek's marriage with Zdenka Schulz was unhappy and loveless, a marriage that furthermore suffered from the early death of their only two children, son Wladimir died in his infancy and daughter Olga at the age of 21.
We know much about Janacek's feelings for Kamila, because he wrote her 743 letters. The outpouring of music in the last decade of Janacek's life is really incredible and certainly also tells us something wonderful of platonic love's power and nature.
There's no other work so closely connected to Janacek's love for Kamila -except for maybe his string quartet 'Intimate letters'- than Kat'a Kabanova. Here's what Janacek wrote to Kamila on the title page of the vocal score of the opera:
Mrs. Kamila!
And it was in the summer sun. The slope was warm, the flowers almost fainting bowed towards the earth. At that time the first thoughts about that unhappy Kat'a Kabanova -her great love- went through my head. She calls to the flowers, she calls to the birds - the flowers to bow to her, the birds to sing to her the last song of love.
'My friend', I said to Professor Knop, 'I know a marvellous lady, miraculously she's in my mind all the time. My Kat'a grows in her, in her, Mrs. Kamila! The work will be one of my most tender.'
And it happened. I have known no greater love than in her. I dedicate the work to her. Flowers, bow down to her ; birds, never cease your song of eternal love.
Dr. Leos Janacek
Janacek has certainly sublimated his unconsumed love -his strong feelings and desires- into sublime art. Kamila was at his bedside when he died.
Synopsis of the opera:
The story is set around 1850 in Kalinov, a little town near the banks of the Wolga.
The sensitive and impulsive Kat'a is unhappily married with the merchant Tikhon Kabanov. They live in a christian small town near the banks of the Wolga. Kat'a and Tichon are dominated and suppressed by the rigid and senseless widow Kabanicha, Tichon's mother.
When Tichon leaves for a while for a business trip, Kat'a gives in to her love for Boris, an unmarried young man from Moscow, who lives in Kata's town with his authoritarian uncle Dikoj, who dominates and dictates his life. Boris is in love with Kat'a and during Tichon's absence Kat'a and Boris give in to their mutual passionate feelings, they meet and make love several times. When Tichon returns Kat'a is haunted by feelings of remorse and guilt about her adultery. During a storm the small town community seeks shelter in an old church, and there Kat'a confesses her adultery in public. Then she flees and runs into the storm. She wanders alone on the banks of the Wolga, feeling ashamed and guilty. She sees no reason to live any longer. She just hopes to see Boris one more time for a last farewell. When she desparately calls out for him, Boris hears and finds her. They embrace and share their last moments together. After Boris has left -he flees to Moscow- Kat'a throws herself in the Wolga and drowns.
(Less)
Video details
