From the House of the Dead / Glagolitic Mass Festival Closing Gala

A unifying thread runs through all of Leoš Janáček’s compositions: profound humanity and original form. This applies perhaps most strongly to his final two major works—the opera *From the House of the Dead* and the *Glagolitic Mass*. The former offers a concise glimpse into the souls of prisoners, while the latter provides a distinctive expression of faith set to an Old Church Slavonic text. The Janáček Brno 2022 festival saw a unique pairing of these works; presenting the *Glagolitic Mass* in a staged format as a continuation of *From the House of the Dead* imbues both pieces with a new message regarding the power of faith in humanity.

The prisoners live in the brutal conditions of a Siberian penal colony; behind every name lies a harrowing human destiny—misfortune and wickedness, yet also a spark of hope. Bit by bit, in brief vignettes, Leoš Janáček tells their stories in this singular final work. A brilliant creator and master of concision, Janáček captures the essence of humanity within a compact scope. Despite the grim conclusion, the score of *From the House of the Dead* begins with the inscription: "In every creature, a spark of God!" This idea links his final opera to the equally unique *Glagolitic Mass*. As Janáček himself put it: "Here, I wanted to capture faith in the nation’s certainty—not on a religious foundation, but on a strong moral one that calls upon God as a witness."