Leoš Janácek was not just one of the leading Czech composers, together with Bedrich Smetana and Antonín Dvorák, but also one of the most original writers of opera in the 20th century, whose works had a profound impact on the development of contemporary music. His nine works for the stage in particular introduced the life and customs of his country – and also its folk melodies and musical idioms – to the rest of the world. Katya Kabanova was first performed in Brno. One year later it was premiered in Prague, and as early as 1923 Otto Klemperer conducted the first performance in German in Cologne. In 1951, conductor and musicologist Charles Mackerras presented a ground-breaking performance in London, initially under the baton of Rafael Kubelik. Mackerras, who is now regarded as one of the outstanding interpreters of the great Czech composer, was later responsible for drawing up the critical edition of the opera.