Paper short abstract:

This contribution introduces the folkloristic activity of the composer, Leoš Janáček. In 1906 he initiated a project involving the photographic documentation of the traditional Whitsuntide ritual known as “The Little Queens”. For the purpose of synchronization of the music and the visual components he then used a unique, experimental system.

Paper long abstract:

The composer, Leoš Janáček, (1854–1928) was working on folkloristic studies within a project called “Folksong in Austria”. In the spring of 1906, he recommended engaging the photographic studio, “Atelier Rafael”, in Brno (Czech Republic), for the purpose of photographic documentation of folk dances and children's dance games. Together with his colleague Lucie Bakešová (1853–1935), he prepared a performance of the Whitsuntide ritual, “The Little Queens”, performed by young girls and young ladies in the village of Ořechov near Brno. As the photographs were being taken, Janáček precisely identified the shots, connecting them with printed notation, and later creating his own version of the piano accompaniments. It will be presented in an audiovisual format for the first time in the context of this contribution.

These results offer inspiration for consideration on several levels. With regard to the documentation itself it is unique material recorded by a completely original method which coordinates spatial, kinesthetic and musical parameters. The performance was rehearsed on the basis of printed documents reflecting experience in similar materials from different localities and regions and by using individual songs from an older printed collection. For technical reasons, Janáček, Bakešová and invited photographers had to use non-original time and space. “The Little Queens” in this form represented a typical product of folk revival, and their subsequent popularity brought about the standardisation of the resultant form. The ceremony has been performed in its locality and surroundings, with small breaks, until the present day. As a strong identification factor, the ceremony remains in the general consciousness of the inhabitants interested in the cultural history of their municipalities.