Introduction to the Work

This work can be said to be the first in which Janáček's efforts in collecting Moravian folk songs are clearly manifested. While based on the idiom of folk music, it offers numerous highlights despite being a collection of miniatures, such as percussive touches reminiscent of a cimbalom (a large hammered dulcimer found in Eastern Europe), and melodies that strive to break free from the still prominent functional harmony.

Compositional Context and Title

It is interesting that several years passed between the start of composition and its publication, and the work was ultimately compiled in a way that documents the events that occurred in his life during that period, such as the premiere of his opera Jenůfa and the death of his beloved daughter. The title "On an Overgrown Path" comes from a poem sung by a bride at a wedding in the Těšín region of Moravia ("Oh, the path back to my mother's house is covered with overgrown clover"). It is a title imbued with the composer's reminiscences.

Themes of Loss

Of the ten pieces, the predominant theme is "loss." According to what he later told his pupil, the second piece, "Fallen Leaves," depicts "Songs of Love"; the third, "Come Along!," depicts "An Unread Letter"; and the sixth, "Words Cannot Express," depicts "The Bitterness of Disappointment"—referring to the misfortune of Jenůfa not being accepted in Prague. Furthermore, the eighth piece, "So Frightened!," depicts his daughter's state at the moment of death, and the title of the final piece is taken from an old Silesian saying: "If the owl cannot be driven away from the window, the sick person will not survive." Both allude to death.

Contrasting Memories

Perhaps referring to those he was close to, pieces with warm memories as their motif, such as the first piece, "Our Evenings," the fourth piece, "The Madonna of Frydek," with its impressive church bells, and the fifth piece, "They Chattered Like Swallows," depicting a family outing, are skillfully interspersed, giving the impression of listening to a single record.

List of Pieces

• I. Our Evenings
• II. Fallen Leaves
• III. Come Along!
• IV. The Madonna of Frydek
• V. They Chattered Like Swallows
• VI. Words Cannot Express
• VII. Good Night
• VIII. So Frightened!
• IX. In Tears
• X. The Owl Has Not Flown Away