By the 1880s, Janácek had befriended fellow Czech composer Dvorak, had composed various works without much success, and had embarked on an odyssey to explore his native folk music. In terms of style and approach, his music falls into two basic periods—one generally traditional and conservative, the other more robust and innovative.
Around 1890, Janácek began to pull away from late 19th-century Romanticism and moved towards a style of composition that embraced Moravian folk melodies and rhythms. His...