I awoke this morning to some bad news: the production of “The Cunning Little Vixen” scheduled for Friday had been cancelled, the cast having succumbed to the virus.

Livia Obručník Vénosová, the soprano cast as the Vixen, had painted a vivid picture of an original production, one which focused on the relationship between the characters and their emotions, and eschewed the work’s fairytale elements, making my disappointment all the worse.

Moreover, the interview I had arranged with her also had to be canceled.

Brno is a very musical city boasting a number of theatres and musical venues, including the beautiful 19^thcentury Mahen Theatre, which was to have staged “The Cunning Little Vixen” and the National Theatre, built in the 1960s, which was used to stage last evening’s “Osud.”

Tonight, however, I attended a splendid performance by the Arnold Schönberg Choir at another venue, The Reduta Theatre, in which they sang works by Schönberg, Brahms, David, Suk and Pärt.

Obviously, being Janacek’s home town the composer has a high profile, and his image can be found in the streets and billboards throughout the city. This morning I took the opportunity to visit his house, now a museum dedicated to his memory, which is surprising first and foremost for how small it is, much of which is taken up by his piano!