Janáček' secret expression of political defiance : genesis and reception of the "Slavonic rhapsody" Taras Bulba

The "Slavonic rhapsody" Taras Bulba is an example of Janáček's lifelong Russophilia. The composer adhered to the Russian culture through the declared Slavic patriotism in his early youth, all this being closely connected with the feelings of liberation of the nation and the question of Pan-Slavism. Janáček read the Russian original of Gogol's novel Taras Bulba in 1905 in the Brno-based Russian Circle. He then returned to this theme at the beginning of the WW1 when he got horrified by the fact that Slavic nations are fighting each other. As an expression of protest against this fact Janáček began to compose the "Slavonic rhapsody" Taras Bulba in January 1915. The work was completed by the beginning of July and Janáček then had it copied by the copyist Vojtěch Ševčík. The rhapsody wasn't, however, taken any further, no attempts to get it performed were made and even the title itself was kept secret. The reason was the high political tension in the empire: for instance a ban was imposed on the Russian Circle and Janáček as its head had to negotiate its liquidation with the police headquarters. Furthermore, Janáček's friend, the poet Petr Bezruč, was arrested and accused of treason for the alleged eulogizing poems about the tsar and Russian army published abroad. It is no surprise that Janáček got worried. He resumed work on Taras only after the premiere of Jenůfa in the Viennese Hofoper: in March 1918 he made a thorough revision and had the reworked parts copied by Václav Sedláček. The first performance, conducted by František Neumann, took place in Brno on 9 October 1921. Neumann worked out a detailed dynamics and made some changes. At this stage another copy was made, again by Vojtěch Ševčík. Subsequent performance was in Brno again, on 21 January 1924, again conducted by František Neumann, from the original 1918 copy of the score. Then followed a Prague performance on 9 November 1924 by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Václav Talich. He already used the new 1922 copy of the score and made some changes that were approved by the composer in person. Then began the negotiations of publication. Universal Edition in Vienna refused the composition on political grounds so it was finally published by Hudební matice Umělecké besedy in Prague. First the four-hand piano arrangement by Břetislav Bakala was published in 1925 (based on the 1922 score). Hudební matice then showed some reluctance concerning the publication of the score and performing materials. Just the confusing handwritten performing materials were offered with inscribed alterations from previous performances, not corresponding to the 1917 copy of the score. This was also the reason why in 1926 and 1927 the proposed performances in London, Paris and Zagreb were called off. Janáček then decided to notify Hudební matice of his withdrawal of Taras from them. This threat, however, forced the publisher to take steps towards prompt publication. Before that, in June 1927, Janáček revised the work once more significantly. The score was published in December 1927. Thanks to the preserved autograph and copies we can follow the development of this remarkable work in detail. This text is published as a preliminary study for the critical edition of Taras Bulba that will be published in 2018.