"On the overgrown path" - a little different.

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Janáček's miniatures for piano "On the overgrown path" belong to his most known, most played and most recorded works. At present (May 2003) there are 69 recordings of the complete work or its parts, among them also 4 recordings of Japanese artists: Izumi Tateno (1971), Keiko Kubota (1981), Yukiko Sawa (1998) and Hitomi Ito (2001).

The first recording of "On the overgrown path" Series I (1-10) has been recorded by the well known Czech pianist Josef Páleníček in February 1943. But this recording was preceded already in 1942 by its first arrangement. So the arrangement of a work (only one his part)has been recorded sooner than the work itself. This is very characteristic for this work.

The popularity of "On the overgrown path" among its interpreters has found its reflection in various arrangements in other music forms or for other music instruments. No other Janáček's work can show such variety of different arrangements.

It must be said, that most of the arrangements are only of one or a few numbers from Series I. Only seldom a completely arranged work has been recorded.

First of all there are arrangements for one other instrument instead of piano:

Guitar

arrangement by Martin Bresnick
A blown-away leaf + The Frýdek Madonna + In tears; played by Benjamin Verdery
recorded in 1995 on CD GRI GRICD 005

Harp

arranged by Chantal Mathieu
Good night! + The barn owl has not flown away; played by Chantal Mathieu
recorded in 1993 on CD Gallo  GALLO CD-784

Cymbalom

arrangement by Petr Oliva
A blown-away-leaf; played by Petr Oliva
recorded in 1978 on LP Panton  8117 0051

arrangement by Petr Oliva
Good night!; played by Helena Červenková
recorded in 1981 on LP Supraphon  1117 3198

Accordion

arrangement by Daniela Wagner
Our evenings + A blown-away leaf + Come with us! + Good night!; played by Daniela Wagner
recorded in 1999 on CD Sacral  SACD 9111

arrangement by Teodoro Anzellotti
Series I + Series II + Paralipomena; played by Todoro Anzellotti
recorded in 2002 on CD Winter and Winter  910 089-2

Then there are arrangements for piano and another instrument:

Violine and piano

arrangemnet by Jan Štědroň
A blown-away leaf; played by Yuriko Kuronuma/violin and Alfred Holeček/piano
recorded in 1968 on LP Supraphon  1 11 0567

Violoncello and piano

arrangement by Miloš Sádlo
A blown-away-lef; played by Miloš Sádlo/cello and Alfred Holeček/piano
recorded in 1942 on 78 Ultraphon  G 12867
 (The first arrangemnt of "On the overgrown path", has been already mentioned.)

arrangement by František Smetana
The Frýdek Madonna; played by František Smetana/cello and Jiří Hubička/piano
recorded in 1960 on LP Supraphon  04069

Very interesting are arrangements for quartets:

Guitar quartet

arrangement by David Scarth
Series I; played by York Guitar Quartet
recorded in 1997 on CD Amphion  PHI CD 500

       
Oboe quartet

arrangement by Zurich Oboe Quartet
Our evenings + A blown-away-leaf + Come with us! + In tears;
played by Zurich Oboe Quartet
recorded in 2000 on CD Divox CDX 20204

Last section belongs to arrangements for ensembles or orchestras:
       
Wind ensemble

arrangement by Ronald Karten
Our evenings + Good night! + Andante; played by Netherlands Wind Ensemble
recorded in 2000 on CD Indies  MAM 169-2

       
Guitar, keyboard and orchestra

arrangement by Jan Hála
In tears; played by Lubomír Brabec/guitar, Jan Hála/keyboard and Karel Vágner Orchestra
recorded in 1989 on CD Supraphon  11 1089-2311

       
String orchestra

arrangement by Jarmil Burghauser
Series I 1-6; played by London Jupiter Orchestra under Gregory Rose
recorded in 1992 on CD Chandos  CHAN 9195

All these arrangements show the strenght and the depht of Janáček's music.
Its originality cannot be destroyed by any arrangement. Its always Janáček!


The author would be very grateful for any supplements or new facts to this article.

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