Diary Of
One Who
Disappeared

Leoš Janácek, Annelies Van Parys, Ivo Van Hove

THE IMPULSE FADES, THE MEMORY REVIVES

‘There is so much emotional fire in this work. So much fire that if we both caught fire, we would be reduced to ashes.’ In this passionate verse tale of a village boy who falls in love with a Gypsy girl and sacrifices everything to follow her, Leoš Janáček immediately recognised his own passion for the muse of his old age, Kamila Stösslová. In 1917, it inspired him to write a song cycle in 22 short scenes for tenor, contralto, female chorus, and piano. Janáček’s work is characterised by a combination of cruelty and tenderness, in music that goes to the essence in a minimalism that implies the end of the opera genre. Ivo van Hove, who has previously staged two outstanding productions at La Monnaie – Mozart’s Idomeneo and La Clemenza di Tito – now adds a theatrical element to a moving story that raises many questions. The young Belgian composer Annelies Van Parys, who is fascinated by the voice, has written a coda to this penetrating work about being uprooted.

Synopsis

Diary of One Who Disappeared is the sad tale of a village boy, Janik, who falls in love with a Gypsy girl and leaves everything to follow her. Will Janik’s yearning for passion free him from his stifling surroundings? Or will he fritter away his life in pursuit of an illusion? What makes this work unique is its minimalism: there is no action, no staging, and no orchestra. In their dramatic intensity, however, its 22 scenes for tenor, contralto, female chorus, and piano add up to a musical self-portrait that reflects Leoš Janáček’s feelings for his muse, Kamila Stösslová. The song cycle is complemented by a new piece composed by Annelies Van Parys as a response to this disquieting tale of displacement.

PROGRAMME

• Leoš Janáček Diary Of One Who Disappeared, JW V/12 (1917-1920)
• Annelies Van Parys  World Premiere