JANÁČEK BRNO 2020

The first two decades of the 20th century constitute one of the most astounding periods in the history of music. During this time, established rules that had been generally accepted for centuries began to lose their force, and the thought and values of romanticism faded away. At the same time, something new arose, something that often radically rejected all that was old, or which reflected traditional values via novel means. It was a time in which much passed away, yet much was born. The mood of the era is tangible not only in the music of that period, but also in the visual, dramatic and literary arts. At the beginning of the 20th century, the decadent displays of romanticism were dying away, verism peaked and then decayed, and symbolism, impressionism and musical realism arrived with novel and unique manifestations. On the other side of the fence stood expressionism, which destroyed the classical melodic-harmonic order via atonality, a new way of organizing music in the form of dodecaphony, and also neofolklorism and neoclassical music, which turned back to Baroque and classical forms. It was the period of modernism and the emerging avant-garde. All this within the space of only two decades. Never again will there be so many scandals and furious discussions in concerts and theatre halls. And it is precisely this unique era to which the Janáček Brno 2020 festival will be devoted. All of the tendencies mentioned above will appear at the festival in both theatre and concert productions that will bring this truly artistic and intellectual boom-time to life for festival visitors.

But what about Leoš Janáček’s personality? It seems at first sight as if he lived through this period of rapid development undisturbed, independent and unaffected in any particular way by these new concepts. But let us not be mistaken. Janáček observed all that was happening around him in art very carefully and often studied it intensively. Many of the new directions of that period enriched his work, albeit latently. All of the representatives of the musical movements of that time, such as Strauss, Debussy, Mahler, Schönberg, Stravinsky, Bartók and (of course) Janáček, have one thing in common: the huge desire to seek out new paths to explore, and to express their vision of the world through distinctive musical language. Some of them arrived at concepts that would chart a new course for music throughout the 20th century, while others, such as Janáček, found an approach all of their own that was so special and unrepeatable that no one could follow them. The Janáček Brno 2020 festival aims to bring its visitors closer to this great adventure.

INNOVATION IN THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR THE JANÁČEK BRNO 2014 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL. Project No. : CZ.1.11/2.2.00/38.01605. National Theatre Brno implemented the project INNOVATION IN THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR THE JANÁČEK BRNO 2014 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL during the period 5. 8. 2014 – 28. 2. 2015, with the support of the Regional Operational Programme South-East. The project was co-financed by the European Union. The project created the platform upon which subsequent marketing campaigns for the Janáček Brno Festival are built.