Kt(TM)a Kabanov(TM)s psychological state fluctuates throughout Leo Janek(TM)s opera. How is this indicated in the music?

Fig. 3 Janáček, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 29

        In the second scene of the first act, Kát’a’s mental state is still one of tortured confusion.  Her illicit love for Boris is pounding on her conscience.  Figure 4 shows Kát’a’s pentatonic theme from before with added ‘increasingly tortured by angular leaps’ and thus reflecting Kát’a’s tortured mental state, as do the low, brash triplets.  Kát’a’s love theme is distorted here in order to stress the fact that she feels guilty about her love for Boris.  Kát’a then sings “what will become of me” over a silent bar and this sudden silence indicates the cathartic moment of Kát’a’s confession.  This silence adds a sense of respite, echoing the fact Kát’a must be feeling a little less tense after sharing her confusion with someone.

Fig. 4 Janáček, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 49

        At the end of this scene, after Tichon has left Kát’a, the key becomes ‘Janáček’s darkest and deathliest A flat minor.’  The final bar of the act is shown in figure 5, highlighting the foreboding key and also the use of the “fate” motif.  The timpani pounds four E flats followed by four A flats.  This motif is used by Janáček throughout the opera at climactic points such as the storm and Kát’a’s demise in the final scene.  Its use here, along with the deathly key, not only warns the listener that trouble is coming but also reflects Kát’a’s psychological torment.  Kát’a feels her fate is now sealed. With Tichon’s departure it will be almost inevitable she strays toward Boris.  

Fig. 5 Janáček, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 70

        As act 2 progresses Kát’a becomes overwhelmed by her feelings for Boris and this is not helped by Varvara who offers her the chance of a secret meeting with him in the locked garden.  The music uses ‘night-noises in alternate thirds and fourths’ as shown in figure 6, to ‘form a background to Kát’a’s longing.’  The alternating intervals coupled with the rising and falling pitch gives an indecisive feel to the music, echoing Kát’a’s mental state.  As Varvara leaves, leaving behind her the key to the garden and the chance of an assignation with Boris, Kát’a’s psychological turmoil becomes more intense.  An increase then decrease in tempo, coupled with sinister trills in the strings echo Kát’a’s turmoil.  It is clear Kát’a realises her love for Boris is controlling her and will ultimately spell disaster because the love theme is interspersed with the foreboding string trills as she sings “this is it, disaster.”

Fig. 6 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 76

        Although Kát’a is not present at the end of the first scene of act 2, the audience knows she has recklessly fled into the night to meet Boris, regardless of the consequences.  Shown in figure 7, the alternating thirds and fourths music used to show Kát’a’s indecision earlier is used to close the act but is ‘now sinister, pierced by a tenebrous trombone.’  The key here is Db, the key of Kát’a’s theme, so although she is not present the music is clearly portraying her emotions.  The indecision is heightened by the fact the music ‘oscillates […] between major and minor’ and the dark, almost menacing sound of the trombone highlights that Kát’a’s actions will have dire results and that deep down in her psyche she knows this herself. 

Fig. 7 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 85

        

Scene 2 of act 2 opens with a ‘tense six-note fragment, ending in a diminished third’ as shown in figure 8.  The rising and falling of these six notes ‘express Kát’a’s agonized indecision’ very well and her indecision is further heightened by the addition of contrasting lyrical passages such as figure 9.  The lyrical passages are similar to the love theme and their juxtaposition with the tense music highlights Kát’a’s mental state.  She is resolved to the fact that this love for Boris is in complete control of her and she will soon meet him and consummate their love, regardless of the grim ramifications.  The use of the key of Gb Major here indicates this feeling of resolve as it is a key used by Janáček to show resolution.

Fig. 8 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 86

Fig. 9 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 86

        When Kát’a and Boris finally meet she ‘ultimately admits to a condition of will-lessness.’  She finally admits that her psyche is in complete control of her and the music echoes this by use of ‘pentatonically spontaneous’ melodies with ‘leaping sixths and sevenths’ as shown in figure 10.  The sinister six-note motif used earlier, which peppered the music throughout the tentative beginning to their meeting, disappears momentarily.  The ‘passionate music overrides consciousness’ and as they embrace the music reaches the resolution key of Gb major as shown in figure 11.  The use of the chord in second inversion and the return of the indecisive six-note motif creates a slight unease, echoing the fact Kát’a knows this temporary happiness will lead to tragedy.

Fig. 10 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 101             Fig. 11 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 101

        As the act draws to a close this tense six-note motif returns on ‘high flutes and violins.’  This is preceded by a motif which ‘aspires upwards from the darker reaches of solo bassoon and cello’ giving it an effect similar to a cry shown in figure 12.  The music perfectly portrays Kát’a’s psychological state; crying with happiness because she and Boris have declared their love yet also crying with sadness, after their farewell.  The act ends on a pleasant chord of E major, giving the listener a feeling of temporary resolution yet knowing, like Kát’a, that it cannot last.  

Fig. 12 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 112

        Throughout the opera so far Kát’a’s emotions have dictated her, they are something she seemingly has no control over.  The use of a storm to open the final act could be seen as a metaphor for Kát’a herself.  A storm is a force of nature over which there is no control and Kát’a’s psyche could be viewed in the same way.  Mellers writes that the storm ‘like most operatic tempests, projects the psychological turmoil the characters are undergoing.’  It perfectly illustrates the mixture of emotions Kát’a is experiencing, the tempestuous love she feels for Boris, the foreboding return of her husband and the dreaded revelations which are to come.

        When Kát’a enters later in the scene her panic is clear through the loud, alarmed way in which she sings her opening notes shown in figure 13, with the undulating dynamics of the music below creating tension.  The conflicting voices in her head, personified musically by the chorus, then join, adding to Kát’a’s confusion by singing conflicting messages.  The basses sing a monotonous “when judgement is passed, there’s no escape” all on one note whilst the tenors sing a more jolly “isn’t she gorgeous.”  

Fig. 13 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 128

        With increasing intensity the storm continues.  The rising and falling triplets shown in figure 14 give the effect of rolling thunder and portray Kát’a’s heightened turmoil at seeing Boris and knowing that Tichon and Kabanicha are coming.  The volume increases with each bar and the tempo speeds up, adding to the tension, Kát’a knowing that any moment she will be compelled to confess.  As she does so ‘the fate motif pounds furiously, timpani growl’ as the music and the storm reach their dramatic fortissimo climax shown in figure 15.  The fate motif shows Kát’a’s guilt whilst the ‘still innocently pentatonic storm whirls’ above; a force of nature that is uncontrollable, a reflection of Kát’a’s troubled mind, emphasised by the use of Db Major, the key of Kát’a’s theme although to reflect her increased turmoil here it is ‘intermittently minor-tainted’.

Fig. 14 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 130

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Fig. 15 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 135

        

When Kát’a enters in the final scene her ‘love theme is chromatically distorted’ and Janáček again uses thirds, this time ‘suggesting a sob.’  This very slow, ‘heart-rending’ music is shown in figure 16 and brilliantly portrays Kát’a’s feelings at this point; her longing to see Boris for just one last time to say goodbye and “then die for all I care.”  The demisemiquaver motif adds to this a sense of deadly foreboding.  When the lovers do meet for the last time ‘Kát’a and Boris sing, as at the height of their previous love-scene, in octave unison.’  Figure 17 shows this beautiful moment, in the “resolution” key of Gb to which they then embrace, highlighting the finality of this embrace in Kát’a’s mind.

Fig. 16 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 142

Fig. 17 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 151

        As Kát’a laments her fate, realising that to achieve peace she must die, her music ‘droops in whole-tone instability.’  The whole-tone scale was often used to signify death and when Kát’a finally leaps into the water a tremolando on the notes of the whole tone scale gradually increases in volume as shown in figure 18.  This represents not only the torment enveloping Kát’a’s mind but also the waters of the Volga enveloping her body and killing her.

Fig. 18 Janácek, Kát’a Kabanová. Vocal Score p. 161

        Tyrell’s comment quoted at the start of this essay has been proven true.  As her story unfolds and her mental state and her world crumble around her, Kát’a’s music changes to reflect this, as illustrated in the many examples given above.  Janáček’s music only serves to heighten the emotion, drama and psychological tension of the original play.  In his synopsis, which has been referenced throughout this essay, Mellers’ sums it up excellently: ‘as always with Janáček, psychic tension finds corporeal outlet.’

        

Bibliography:

Beckerman, Michael & Bauer, Glen, Janáček and Czeck Music (New York: Pendragon Press, 1995

Janáček, Leoš, Kát’a Kabanová (Vocal Score) (Wien: Universal Edition, 1922)

Mellers, Wilfrid ed. Tyrell, John Synopsis from Kát’a Kabanová: Cambridge Opera Companions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982)

Tyrell, John, Kát’a Kabanová: An Introduction (cd sleeve notes) (West Germany: Decca, 1989)

Discography:

        Janáček, L. Kát’a Kabanová, Wiener Philharmoniker (1989. Compact Disc. Decca 421 852-2)

Janáček, L. Kát’a Kabanová, Glyndebourne Festival Opera (1988. DVD. Arthaus Music 150 158)

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