Born into a poor family, Leoš Janáček was sent to a monastery in Brno at an early age on a scholarship. He became a schoolteacher and music teacher, perfecting his training at the Prague organ school, then at the conservatories of St Petersburg, Leipzig and Vienna, where he composed his first works. In 1888, he wrote his first opera, Sárka. 

Sensitive to social issues, Janáček reflected his commitment in works such as the Piano Sonata 1.X.1905 Zulice, in memory of a worker killed in Brno, and the opera-comedy Mr Brouček's Travels, a critique of the Czech petty bourgeoisie. For a long time, however, his fame was limited to Moravia, and it was not until 1916, with the performance of Jenůfa in Prague, that he gained European recognition.

Despite the loss of his wife Zdenka, Janáček composed his major works during this period, including the operas Kátă Kabanová (1921), The Cunning Little Vixen (1924), The Makropoulos Affair (1926), and From the House of the Dead (1928). He also created important works such as the Sinfonietta, the Glagolitic Mass, and many other compositions that established his place in the history of music.