The Wandering Madman

[3] The Wandering Madman premiered in Rosice u Brna on 21 September 1924 in a performance by Pěvecké sdružení moravských učitelů (PSMU) (The Choral Society of Moravian Teachers) with soprano solo Eliška Janečková and conductor Ferdinand Vach.

In the fate of the wandering madman, who again looks for a "touchstone", we see a true picture of Janáček's life..."[2] The gravestone of the Janáček's grave at the Central Cemetery in Brno bears a copy of several bars of the autograph manuscript and the inscription "... with his strength gone, and his heart in the dust, like a tree ...", borrowed from the work.

[1] For his composition, Janáček used a story from Tagore's book The Gardener (1913):[4] A wandering madman was seeking the touchstone, with matted locks tawny and dust-laden, and body worn to a shadow, his lips tight-pressed, like the shut-up doors of his heart, his burning eyes like the lamp of a glow-worm seeking its mate.

It had grown into a habit, to pick up pebbles and touch the chain, and to throw them away without looking to see if a change had come; thus the madman found and lost the touchstone.

The madman returned on his footsteps to seek anew the lost treasure, with his strength gone, his body bent, and his heart

Janáček's grave at the Central Cemetery in Brno . The gravestone bears a copy of several bars of the autograph manuscript and the inscription "... with his strength gone, and his heart in the dust, like a tree ..." [sic], borrowed from the chorus. [ 1 ]