The Cunning Little Vixen: An Opera by Janáček Full of Nature and Folk Wisdom

For this week's Sunday Music Show, we will be playing you some music by Leoš Janáček, "The Cunning Little Vixen" – ranked among the most important Czech operas of the 20th century for the 100th anniversary of its premier on November 6, 1924, in the city of Brno under the direction of František Neumann.

Photo: Vyšehrad

Inspired by a comic strip by Rudolf Těsnohlídek in the Lidové noviny newspaper in the early 1920s, Janáček created one of the most original works in Czech classical music. The adventures of the cunning little vixen transcend the boundaries of classical opera with their playful spirit combined with philosophical depth.

The opera tells the story of a vixen found by a forester who takes her home. She lives there with a strong desire for freedom and eventually manages to escape. Later, she meets a fox, and they have cubs and live happily. But the forester discovers them and shoots the vixen. The tragic ending of the final act was added by Janáček, as it did not appear in the original comic strip, to symbolize the cycle of life and to create an allegory of human relationships.

Leoš Janáček|Photo: Moravské zemské muzeum Brno

The work combines various melodies inspired by traditional folk music with original artistic techniques. Janáček worked with motifs that emphasized the characters' traits as well as the elements of nature, highlighting both the playful spirit of the vixen and the majestic atmosphere of the forest. During the composition of this work, the composer experienced a platonic and unrequited love for Kamila Stösslová, who deeply inspired him. Her influence is evident in the character of the vixen, symbolizing feminine strength and an indomitable spirit.

The Cunning Little Vixen remains one of the most popular Czech classical works to this day.

Naďa Šormová in The Cunning Little Vixen of Leoš Janáček (1978)|Photo: Jaromír Svoboda, National Theatre archive