Janáček, religion and belief

This article summarizes what is known of Janacek's Catholic upbringing, what remained of it in later life, and his later avoidance of churches and funerals. It comments on Janacek's informal statements about God and religion and suggests that the best evidence of any belief system in Janacek can be found in his works, particularly his later operas and his oratorio-like works such as Amarus, The Eternal Gospel and Glagolitic Mass. The article touches on the question of the ubiquity of Christian references in most of his operas (in contrast to their absence in traditional Czech opera).