What is Leoš Janáček?
''' Leoš Janáček''' (born Hukvaldy, [[Moravia]], [[July 3]] [[1854]]; died Moravská Ostrava, [[August 12]] [[1928]]) was a [[Czech Republic|Czech]] [[composer]] who lived at the end of the [[Romantic music|Romantic]] period and the beginning of the [[20th century]]. He wanted his music to sound typical of his country. The [[rhythm]] of Janáček’s music sounds like the rhythm of the [[dialect]] he spoke. This was quite close to [[Polish language|Polish]]. Janáček is famous for his [[opera]]s which are all based on Czech stories. ''[[The Cunning Little Vixen]]'' is especially charming. It is about [[animal]]s in a [[forest]] (a “vixen” is a female [[fox]]). Most of his greatest works were written towards the end of his life. At this time he was in love with a young woman called Kamila. She was the inspiration for many of his last compositions. ==His youth== Janáček’s family were poor people who lived in the countryside in Moravia. His grandfather and his father were both [[musician]]s and school teachers. Leoš was the fifth of nine children. As the tiny house was so crowded he was sent to [[Brno]] when he was eleven. There he went to a choir school, but soon the choir had to stop. He continued his music education there. After his final exams he had an unpaid job as teacher for two years. He became [[Conductor (music)|conductor]] of a [[monastery]] choir as well as a male-voice choir called Svatopluk. He made them a better choir and wrote music for them. He studied at the Prague Organ School for a year, but he was very poor and could not afford to go to concerts. He continued to conduct choirs and became friends with [[Dvořák]]. He spent a short time in [[Leipzig]] and [[Vienna]]. ==Early career== When he returned to Brno he became engaged to his piano pupil Zdenka Schulzová who was only 14. She was still under 16 when they married. Janáček founded (started) an organ school in Brno. He was the director of this school. He also taught music at the Old Brno Gymnasium. His [[marriage]] was unhappy and, although they r