The Sinfonietta is a late work for large orchestra by the CzechcomposerLeoš Janáček. It is dedicated “To the Czechoslovak Army” and Janáček said it was intended to express “contemporary free man, his spiritual beauty and joy, his strength, courage and determination to fight for victory.” It started by Janáček listening to a brass band, becoming inspired to write some fanfares of his own. When the organisers of the Sokol Gymnastic Festival approached him for a commission, he developed the material into the Sinfonietta. He later dropped the wordmilitary. The first performance was in Prague on 26 June 1926 under Václav Talich. The typical performance duration is 20–25 minutes.
Structure
Sinfonietta is typical of Janáček's tight construction in that the material of each movement derives from the opening motif. It features several variants based on Janáček's original fanfare. The piece is in five movements, all of which have descriptive subtitles: The first movement is scored only for brass and percussion. The second movement begins with a rapid ostinato from the wind but later has a more lyrical episode. The third begins quietly in the strings but is interrupted by a stern figure in the trombones, leading to another fast dance-like passage. In the fourth movement, Janáček celebrates the newly liberated Czechoslovakia with a joyous trumpet fanfare. The finale begins in the key of E minor with a calm retrograde version of the opening melody. However, this quickly moves into a triumphant finale, the return of the opening fanfare decorated with swirling figures in the strings and wind.
Orchestration
The score calls for the following orchestra with expanded brass section: ;Woodwinds: ;Brass: ;Percussion2 ;Strings *) The nine C trumpets, the bass trumpets, and tenor tubas are heard only in the first and last movements.
Arrangements
The work was transcribed for symphonic wind ensemble by Don Patterson in 1994 and by Merlin Patterson 1996, the latter being recorded by the University of Houston Wind Ensemble, Eddie Green, conductor the following year. This work was also used by the progressive rock band "Emerson, Lake & Palmer" for their piece entitled "Knife-Edge"
José Serebrier/Brno Philharmonic Orchestra: Reference Recordings HCDC
Media
Appearances and references in other work
A rearrangement of the opening of the Sinfonietta was used by the progressive rock bandEmerson, Lake & Palmer for its song “Knife-Edge” on their debut album. The opening of the fourth movement was used as the theme tune for the UKGranada Television series Crown Court during the 1970s and 1980s, although it was never heard in full in any episode. It would be during this opening that the court reporter, Peter Wheeler, would, as a voice-over, either set the scene for a new fictional, yet legally accurate case or else describe the proceedings that had occurred in previous episodes. The third movement, Moderato, was the inspiration and soundtrack for the animated filmThe Queen's Monastery by Emma Calder. Haruki Murakami's novel 1Q84 begins with the Sinfonietta playing on a taxi's radio. The work then appears several times later in the novel as a recurring theme connecting the two main characters. The popularity of the novel has led to an increase in sales of recordings of the Sinfonietta in Japan.
