Jump to content

Kamila Stösslová: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m ., replaced: prefered → preferred using AWB
AnomieBOT (talk | contribs)
Bots
6,483,252 edits
m Dating maintenance tags: {{Cn}}
 
(38 intermediate revisions by 26 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Czech housewife}}
{{More sources needed|date=December 2015}}
[[Image:Kamila Stösslová in 1917.jpg|thumb|upright|250px|Kamila Stösslová with her son Otto in 1917]]
[[Image:Kamila Stösslová in 1917.jpg|thumb|upright|250px|Kamila Stösslová with her son Otto in 1917]]
'''Kamila Stösslová''' ([[née]] Neumannová) (1891–1935) holds an unusual place in music history. The [[composer]] [[Leoš Janáček]], upon meeting her in 1917 in the resort town of [[Luhačovice]], fell deeply in love with her, despite both their marriages and the fact he was almost forty years older than Kamila. She was a profound influence on the composer in his last decade.
'''Kamila Stösslová''' ([[née]] Neumannová; 1891–1935) was a Czech woman. The [[composer]] [[Leoš Janáček]], upon meeting her in 1917 in the Moravian resort town of [[Luhačovice]], fell deeply in love with her, despite the fact that both of them were married, and that he was almost forty years older than she was. She had a profound influence on the composer in his last decade.


Kamila was living in the Moravian spa town of [[Luhačovice]] with her husband David Stössel and their two sons Rudolf (born 1913) and Otto (born 1916). David was in the army and assisted Janáček in obtaining vital food supplies in wartime. Probably David Stössel's army service meant he could only be at Luhačovice only on some days, thus giving Janáček opportunities to walk and converse with Kamila during that first week. Janáček arrived in the resort on 3 July 1917 (he preferred Luhačovice over other spas due to its proximity to his house in [[Brno]]). By 8 July he had jotted down a fragment of her speech in his diary. His correspondence with Kamila had begun with a brief note by 24 July 1917.
Kamila was at the time living in Luhačovice with her husband, David Stössel, and their two sons, Rudolf (born 1913) and Otto (born 1916).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Simeone |first=Nigel |date=1995 |title=Review of Intimate Letters: Leoš Janáček to Kamila Stösslová |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/737785 |journal=Music & Letters |volume=76 |issue=1 |pages=117–119 |issn=0027-4224}}</ref> David was in the army and assisted Janáček in obtaining vital food supplies in wartime. David Stössel's army service may have meant he could be at Luhačovice only on some days, thus giving Janáček opportunities to converse with Kamila.{{cn|date=October 2024}} Janáček arrived in the resort on 3 July 1917 (he preferred Luhačovice over other spas due to its proximity to his house in [[Brno]]). By 8 July he had jotted down a fragment of her speech in his diary. His correspondence with Kamila had begun with a brief note by 24 July 1917.


Despite her ambivalence about his feelings for her, Janáček was inspired by her to create the lead characters of two of his [[opera]]s: Káťa in ''[[Káťa Kabanová|Katya Kabanová]]'' and Emilia Marty in ''[[The Makropulos Affair (opera)|The Makropulos Affair]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Padilla |first=Alysse G |date=2013 |title=Offstage and Backstage:Janáček's Re-Voicing of Kamila Stösslová |url=https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/31284991/JANACEK-HARMONIA-FINAL-libre.pdf?1392359458=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DReconsidering_the_Importance_of_Brno_s_C.pdf&Expires=1727955010&Signature=AH39SU60b70ox5jUjvFILeKVmvtUivY2iVxDIN-WAy02W-JT5nfoIfHWkWjVt1q2Z9WObRaPkKiOkhBNGGljvB~7K5A6sFYZqKRTaZ-DX2LEpfvB1jr5bLL47vITTapp2EzyPm7NFy9Js9AJnPD3DuKSpbAIqS0Gh3MdynvyqaYgiVRDc3WJj-qd7tAnNDJMquVpfkly7m4DBL7iEjw3IcUT56VBJJC2~M6NhWldQHA~mPma62iNhql8t7NlYNbNEw2qvrIIZvvghNa-87-LTGhwrBi5UYW8B-sgjdLK1web0Yw28RimiTbDoTut6~fEkObiiawBvojmiRgphbuH9w__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA#page=83 |journal=Leoš Janáček: Life, Work, and Contribution. Special Issue of Harmonia. |volume=May |pages=79}}</ref> He acknolwedged her as the inspiration for the former opera, telling her in a letter that "''I saw for the first time how a woman can love her husband… that was the reason why I took up Kát’a Kabanová and composed it''".<ref name=":0" /> Likewise, during rehearsals for The Makropulos Affair, Janáček wrote to her that "''Mrs. Kerová, who is taking [the role of Emilia Marty], has movements like you… that lady seems just like you in her gait and her whole appearance''”<ref name=":0" />
Despite her ambivalence to his feelings for her, Janáček was inspired by her to create the lead characters of three of his [[opera]]s; Katya in ''[[Káťa Kabanová|Katya Kabanová]]'', the vixen in ''[[The Cunning Little Vixen]]'' and Emilia Marty in ''[[The Makropulos Affair (opera)|The Makropulos Affair]]''.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} Other works that were inspired by his passion include ''[[The Diary of One Who Disappeared]]'', the ''[[Glagolitic Mass]]'', his ''[[Sinfonietta (Janáček)|Sinfonietta]]'' and the ''[[String Quartet No. 2 (Janáček)|String Quartet No. 2]]'' (subtitled ''Intimate Letters'').


Another work inspired by was ''[[The Diary of One Who Disappeared]]'' <ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Tutter |first=Adele |date=2015 |title=Text As Muse, Muse As Text: Janáček, Kamila, and the Role of Fantasy in Musical Creativity |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26305130 |journal=American Imago |volume=72 |issue=4 |pages=407–450 |issn=0065-860X}}</ref> about which the composer wrote to her "''That black Gypsy girl in my Diary was especially you… That's why there's so much emotional hea''t.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Christensen |first=Allan C. |date=2012 |title=Creating/Vanishing: The Gypsy Muse in Works by Arnold, Kalda, Janáček, and Vaughan Williams |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44030701 |journal=Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=165–183 |issn=0027-1276}}</ref> Other works she inspired include the ''[[Glagolitic Mass]]'', the ''[[Sinfonietta (Janáček)|Sinfonietta]]'' and in particular the ''[[String Quartet No. 2 (Janáček)|String Quartet No. 2]]'' (subtitled ''Intimate Letters''). Not only is this last work dedicated to Stösslová, but the composer added a codicil to his will stipulating that she receive all of the royalties.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Josephson |first=Nors S. |date=2009 |title=Janáček's Intimate Letters (Listy důvěrné): Erotic Biography and Creative Genesis |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27764446 |journal=Archiv für Musikwissenschaft |volume=66 |issue=2 |pages=155–184 |issn=0003-9292}}</ref>
⚫
While many of these works reveal a realization that the composer's love for her was unrequited, she was nonetheless the subject of intense correspondence. There are over 700 letters (and the aforementioned [[string quartet]] which was inspired by them) that bear witness to his intense obsession with this young woman. Although she always remained emotionally aloof, she was with him when he died in 1928. During the final year of his life, he wrote to Kamila almost every day.

⚫
While many of these works reveal a realization by the composer that his love for her was unrequited, she was nonetheless the subject of intense correspondence. There are over 700 letters that bear witness to his intense obsession with Kamila. During the final year of his life, he wrote to Kamila almost every day. Although she always remained emotionally aloof, she was with him when he died in 1928.


In the award-winning TV film ''[[In Search of Janáček]]'', written and directed by [[Petr Kaňka]], her character was performed by [[Zuzana Vejvodová]].
In the award-winning TV film ''[[In Search of Janáček]]'', written and directed by [[Petr Kaňka]], her character was performed by [[Zuzana Vejvodová]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* John Tyrrell, ''Intimate Letters: Leoš Janáček to Kamila Stösslová'', Faber and Faber, (2005), ISBN 978-0-571-22510-1.
* John Tyrrell, ''Intimate Letters: Leoš Janáček to Kamila Stösslová'', Faber and Faber, (2005), {{ISBN|978-0-571-22510-1}}.

{{Leoš Janáček}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Stosslova, Kamila
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1891
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = 1935
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stosslova, Kamila}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stosslova, Kamila}}
[[Category:1891 births]]
[[Category:1891 births]]
Line 29: Line 30:


{{czechRepublic-bio-stub}}
{{czechRepublic-bio-stub}}

[[cs:Kamila Stösslová]]

Latest revision as of 19:36, 4 October 2024

Kamila Stösslová with her son Otto in 1917

Kamila Stösslová (née Neumannová; 1891–1935) was a Czech woman. The composer Leoš Janáček, upon meeting her in 1917 in the Moravian resort town of Luhačovice, fell deeply in love with her, despite the fact that both of them were married, and that he was almost forty years older than she was. She had a profound influence on the composer in his last decade.

Kamila was at the time living in Luhačovice with her husband, David Stössel, and their two sons, Rudolf (born 1913) and Otto (born 1916).[1] David was in the army and assisted Janáček in obtaining vital food supplies in wartime. David Stössel's army service may have meant he could be at Luhačovice only on some days, thus giving Janáček opportunities to converse with Kamila.[citation needed] Janáček arrived in the resort on 3 July 1917 (he preferred Luhačovice over other spas due to its proximity to his house in Brno). By 8 July he had jotted down a fragment of her speech in his diary. His correspondence with Kamila had begun with a brief note by 24 July 1917.

Despite her ambivalence about his feelings for her, Janáček was inspired by her to create the lead characters of two of his operas: Káťa in Katya Kabanová and Emilia Marty in The Makropulos Affair.[2] He acknolwedged her as the inspiration for the former opera, telling her in a letter that "I saw for the first time how a woman can love her husband… that was the reason why I took up Kát’a Kabanová and composed it".[3] Likewise, during rehearsals for The Makropulos Affair, Janáček wrote to her that "Mrs. Kerová, who is taking [the role of Emilia Marty], has movements like you… that lady seems just like you in her gait and her whole appearance”[3]

Another work inspired by was The Diary of One Who Disappeared [3] about which the composer wrote to her "That black Gypsy girl in my Diary was especially you… That's why there's so much emotional heat.[4] Other works she inspired include the Glagolitic Mass, the Sinfonietta and in particular the String Quartet No. 2 (subtitled Intimate Letters). Not only is this last work dedicated to Stösslová, but the composer added a codicil to his will stipulating that she receive all of the royalties.[5]

While many of these works reveal a realization by the composer that his love for her was unrequited, she was nonetheless the subject of intense correspondence. There are over 700 letters that bear witness to his intense obsession with Kamila. During the final year of his life, he wrote to Kamila almost every day. Although she always remained emotionally aloof, she was with him when he died in 1928.

In the award-winning TV film In Search of Janáček, written and directed by Petr Kaňka, her character was performed by Zuzana Vejvodová.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Simeone, Nigel (1995). "Review of Intimate Letters: Leoš Janáček to Kamila Stösslová". Music & Letters. 76 (1): 117–119. ISSN 0027-4224.
  2. ^ Padilla, Alysse G (2013). "Offstage and Backstage:Janáček's Re-Voicing of Kamila Stösslová" (PDF). Leoš Janáček: Life, Work, and Contribution. Special Issue of Harmonia. May: 79.
  3. ^ a b c Tutter, Adele (2015). "Text As Muse, Muse As Text: Janáček, Kamila, and the Role of Fantasy in Musical Creativity". American Imago. 72 (4): 407–450. ISSN 0065-860X.
  4. ^ Christensen, Allan C. (2012). "Creating/Vanishing: The Gypsy Muse in Works by Arnold, Kalda, Janáček, and Vaughan Williams". Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal. 45 (3): 165–183. ISSN 0027-1276.
  5. ^ Josephson, Nors S. (2009). "Janáček's Intimate Letters (Listy důvěrné): Erotic Biography and Creative Genesis". Archiv für Musikwissenschaft. 66 (2): 155–184. ISSN 0003-9292.

Further reading

[edit]
  • John Tyrrell, Intimate Letters: Leoš Janáček to Kamila Stösslová, Faber and Faber, (2005), ISBN 978-0-571-22510-1.


Stub icon

This Czech biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kamila_Stösslová&oldid=1249410534"