Lachian Dances
Encyclopedia
The Lachian Dances was the first mature work by the Czech composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janácek
Leoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...

. Originally titled Wallachian Dances after the Moravian Wallachia
Moravian Wallachia
Moravian Wallachia is a mountainous region located in the easternmost part of Moravia, Czech Republic, near the Slovakian border. The name Wallachia was formerly applied to all the highlands of Moravia and neighboring Silesia, although in the nineteenth century a smaller area came to be defined...

 region, Janáček later changed the title when the region's name also changed, since it reflects folk songs from that specific area.

Background

Janáček began to compose the first set of instrumental arrangements of folk dances in 1888. The first performance took place on 11 January, 1889 in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...

. The composition was reworked again in 1925, when Janáček made a new selection and ordering of numbers, including some changes in instrumentation. The work was printed in 1928, shortly before Janáček's death, by Hudební matice in Prague.

Structure

The work is split into six separate dances:

1. Starodávný ("the Ancient One"), which starts with a bright 3/4 feel that moves quickly to introduce the first melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...

, played by the first violin. In this movement, the melodies are based around two Lachian dances, the "real dance" and the "ribbon" or "club dance". After the opening melody, the piece finds itself in an 2/4 allegro for the second half of the ribbon dance that is a common feature of Moravian music. This effect is repeated a number of times before drawing the dance to a close.

2. Požehnaný ("the Blessed"), in which one can see where Janáček took his inspiration from. The opening theme is played and then repeated throughout the whole movement, a trait that was considered essential in all Moravian dances.

3. Dymák, which portrays a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

 at work, with strong on beats mimicking the hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...

 striking hot steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

. This movement also increases tempo considerably over the preceding two dances, starting at an allegro but increasing to prestissimo to indicate the hot and industrious work.

4. Starodávný II, which is clearly influenced by Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...

 by the use of orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...

, mood and writing. The melody itself is a version of a folk tune from the Bartoš collection and, although similar to the opening dance, varies slightly. This dance is also a lot slower compared to the opening and keeps a regular tempo through to the end helping maintain its grace.

5. Čeladenský, which was considered by Janáček to be exactly what a typical Czech dance should consist of in form, expression as well as style (ironically, the name may derive from Polish Czeladź
Czeladz
Czeladź is a town in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland, near Katowice. Borders on the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with a population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Brynica river ....

 or more probably from Lachian village Čeladná
Celadná
Čeladná is a village in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It lies under the Moravian-Silesian Beskids Range. There are many holiday houses in the large area of the village. In recent years it has become a popular holiday resorts with new hotels, a horse ranch, golf course and new...

). Again, it uses the opening theme repeated in some form throughout the piece. As the piece progresses, this original theme is dovetailed with a second melody before two other melodies join the melee, which leads to a bright and lively end.

6. Finally, Pilky signifies the peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...

's hurried preparations for the onset of winter where all of the firewood
Firewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....

 has to be saw
Saw
A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...

ed and stored. This final movement is in three very distinct sections: First, an andante con moto for the opening theme while the second, marked Più mosso is a bright flighty dance. The tempo is increased before returning to the original tempo and original theme but only to be built up again for a climactic finish.
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