On an Overgrown Path, Book I (Po zarostlém chodníčku), JW 8/17

Ten short piano pieces composed 1900–1908, the first and most famous book of On an Overgrown Path. Originally conceived for harmonium, later reworked for piano. Each piece bears a poetic Czech title evoking Janáček's memories, landscapes, and private grief — especially over the death of his daughter Olga in 1903. The musical language is characteristic Janáček: short repeating motives, sudden dynamic contrasts, modal harmonies, and an intense concentration of feeling within very small forms. Among the most beloved pieces in the piano repertoire.