The Cunning Little Vixen reflection on the cycle of life and death by including the death of the vixen. As with other operas by older composers, this late opera shows a deep understanding of life leading to a return to simplicity. It was given its premiere performance on 6 November 1924 in National Theatre Brno conducted by František Neumann, with Ota Zítek as director and Eduard Milén as stage designer. The opera received its Italian premiere at La Scala in 1958 with Mariella Adani in the title role. The work was first staged in England in 1961 by the Sadler's Wells Opera Company (now
The Cunning Little Vixen to contain similarities to the music of French composer Claude Debussy. At Janáček's request, the final scene from " The Cunning Little Vixen" was performed at his funeral in 1928. Ursula Dubosarsky's 2018 novel for children, "Brindabella", is based on Rudolf Těsnohlídek's "Vixen Sharp Ears", the source story of the Cunning Little Vixen, relocated in the Australian bush, with the role of the Vixen played by a kangaroo. Broken down from the original Czech, the title is There is no mention in the Czech of a diminutive ("little"), although this idea is included in both the German "(Das schlaue Füchslein)"