Intimate Letters

In 1928 Leos Janácek completed 'Intimate Letters', his String Quartet No. 2, just a few months before he died at the age of seventy-four. This work encapsulated musically all his passionate feelings about Kamila Stösslová, the married woman nearly forty years his junior to whom Janácek had written hundreds of letters in the past decade.John Tyrrell has compiled and translated a selection of these letters and presents them together with some mostly unknown photographs, a decoding of the erotic references in the letters and a diary of the couple's meetings.The result is a remarkable book which illuminates the inner life of one of the greatest opera composers of the twentieth century.

"'There is no more intimate and honest self-portrait of any composer.' The Times; 'Tyrrell is a splendid guide. Every intimate reference is unravelled and explained. The letters are linked by a narrative which amounts to a substantial biographical effort in itself. This correspondence makes compelling reading and lets the light into the secret love behind Janacek's late creative surge.' Opera Now; 'A beautiful and important book, which will be of interest to anyone who enjoys a good love story.' Humphrey Burton, Sunday Express"

John Tyrrell is Professor of Music at Cardiff University. His books include Czech Opera, Janácek's Operas and editions of the memoirs of Janácek's widow and Janácek's correspondence with Kamila Stösslová . He is co-author of the standard catalogue of Janácek's works and, with Sir Charles Mackerras, he edited Janácek's opera Jenufa. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Masaryk University of Brno for his work on Janácek and Czech music.