In Context: Diary of One Who Disappeared

Photo: Jan Versweyveld

In 1917, Czech composer Leoš Janáček became obsessed with a married woman 40 years his junior. In the throes of despair, he penned more than 700 love letters and a haunting 22-part song cycle called Diary of One Who Disappeared, about a village boy who falls in love with a Romany girl.

Director Ivo van Hove, in collaboration with Flemish opera company Muziektheater Transparant, brings his trademark physicality and stripped-down aesthetic to bear on Janáček’s masterpiece. Featuring bravura performances by tenor Andrew Dickinson and mezzo-soprano Marie Hamard and additional music by composer Annelies Van Parys, van Hove’s contemporary reimagining of Janáček’s singular work paints a deeply affecting portrait of identity, infatuation, and ultimately, alienation.

After you've attended the show, let us know what you thought by posting in the comments below, and on social media using #diaryofone.

10 Years of Ivo van Hove at BAM

Photo: Richard Termine

Ivo van Hove is once again breaking new ground—this time with his first foray into musical theater in the US, Leoš Janáček’s opera Diary of One Who Disappeared, which has its US premiere at the Howard Gilman Opera House Apr 4—6. We asked Joe Melillo, BAM’s Executive Producer, Emeritus, who first brought van Hove to the Harvey Theater in 2008, to talk us through 10-plus years of boundary-pushing theater.

The Reluctant Muse Who Inspired One of the 20th Century’s Most Original Composers

All photos: Jan Versweyveld

By Steven Jude Tietjen

“I am only writing to you because of the memories of the most beautiful day in Luhačovice in 1917. I have nothing but memories now—well, I live in those,” wrote Leoš Janáček, one of the 20th century’s most original composers, to Kamila Stösslová in September 1918. Janáček had become transfixed by Stösslová the previous summer when they were both staying at Luhačovice, a resort town in the Moravia region of present-day Czechia. Janáček had just turned 63 years old and was unhappy in his marriage, while Stösslová was a happily married 26-year old mother of two. For Janáček, who had recently achieved long-awaited success with his opera Jenůfa, the encounter reignited his creative flame.

2019 Winter/Spring Preview

Pepperland, photo by Gareth Jones

The 2019 Winter/Spring Season at BAM is an intriguing, diverse line-up of performances. They share at least one thing in common—they were chosen by Joseph V. Melillo as his final BAM season. The executive producer of more than three decades stepped down from his BAM position at the end of December, but has curated programs through June of 2019. This swan song slate embodies many of the singular talents and genres that have captivated audiences throughout his tenure.