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Bohuslav Martinů – 125th Birthday Anniversary

Nov. 23, 2015

Bohuslav Martinů – 125th Birthday Anniversary

Bohuslav Martinů was born in Bohemia in 1890 and lived through the shattering times of the first half of the twentieth century. In the face of upheaval and the loss of his homeland, Martinů remained a cheerful, versatile man full of energy and creativity. He was particularly influenced by the French composers of the time, but also by Czech folk music.

In the 1920s he studied with Albert Roussel in Paris as well as with Josef Suk. Again and again, we find evidence of Martinů’s interests and hobbies in his music: animals, flying, and sports (particularly football, swimming and boxing), amongst others – all disciplines which the composer pursued himself. In music, Martinů was interested in jazz and classicism but also in experimental and highly dissonant sounds. As in life, he was open to inspiration and gratefully accepted what came along.

At the onset of the Second World War, Martinů was forced to flee to the US. He often turned to his Czech roots, writing numerous songs on Czech texts. At the end of the war, he was unable to return to Prague. He lived first in Nice from 1953, then in Rome and spent the last years of his life in Switzerland.

Several events are scheduled around the anniversary, including two performances of his orchestral song cycle Kytice for mixed choir, children's chorus, soloists and chamber orchestra by the Czech Republic's Komorní filharmonie Pardubice, conducted by Petr Altrichter on December 7 and 9, as well as a performance of his Concerto for cello and orchestra with cellist Johannes Moser and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France on January 15. Additional major works by Martinů include his Jazz Suite for chamber orchestra, the oratorio The Epic of Gilgamesh, and the opera The Greek Passion. 

For more information on Bohuslav Martinů, visit schott-music.com and universaledition.com.

Bohuslav Martinů
Kytice (1937)
song cycle on folk texts
for mixed chorus, SATB soloists, children's chorus and chamber orchestra
1(pic).1(2.ca).2.0-2.2.1.0-timp.2perc-harm.2pno-str
48'

Concerto (1955)
for cello and orchestra
2.2.2.2-4.2.3.0-timp.2perc-str
27' 

Jazz Suite (1928)
for chamber orchestra
0.1.1.1-0.2.2.0-pno-str(1.1.1.1.1)
9'

The Epic of Gilgamesh (1955)
oratorio in three parts
for soli, mixed choir and orchestra
2.0.2.0-0.3.2.0-timp.4perc-hp.pno-str
50'

The Greek Passion (1957)
music drama in 4 acts
libretto (Eng) by the composer from the novel "Christ Recrucified" by Nikos Kazantzakis
3.3.3.3-4.3.3.1-2timp.3perc-hp.ceb-str
on stage: rec.cl-acc-vn
130'

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