Jenufa

• Jenufa, with the official name Její pastorkyňa (Her Stepdaughter), is a three-act opera based on Gabriela Preissová‘s play by the same name.
• The opera was composed between 1894-1903 and premiered in Brno in 1904. Jenufa was a success from the start and helped bring the composer to international acclaim.
• The opera has a tragic personal tie-in: In 1903, Janáček’s daughter Olga caught influenza and died just as Janáček was finishing writing the opera. Janáček consequently dedicated the work to his beloved daughter.¹
• The emotional, heartbreaking tale told through the opera follows the story of a young woman who is pregnant out of wedlock and her evolving relationship with her small community.
• Listen for – given the Moravian village setting of the opera’s plot, Janáček’s score was partially inspired by Moravian folk music.²

Synopsis via the Metropolitan Opera

1. “JENŮFA JW I/4,” Leoš Janáček, accessed November 26, 2024, https://www.leosjanacek.eu/en/jenufa/.
2. “What you need to know about Janáček’s Jenůfa,” Lyric Opera of Chicago, accessed November 26, 2024, https://www.lyricopera.org/about/press-room/2023/what-you-need-to-know-about-Janaceks-jenufa/.