Eastern Promise

Gabriela Preissová born in 1862, in Kutná Hora near Prague. From childhood almost to the end of the century she lived in the Slovácko region of Moravia, where she was fascinated by the local traditions and dialect. Her first published writings were Tales from Slovácko, one of which, the Beginning of a Romance was used by Leos Janáèek as the basis for his first opera. Both her plays were also set in Slovácko, The Farmer's Woman (National Theatre, Prague 1889) and Her Stepdaughter (National Theatre, Prague 1890). Both were also turned into operas; The Farmer's Woman as Eva, by J.B. Foerster and Her Step-daughter as Jenufa by Leos Janáèek. Preissová, who died in 1946, never again achieved the success of her earlier works.