Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)

Started by bhodges, October 04, 2007, 08:27:06 AM

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#1260
Quote from: jidlomonster on November 23, 2021, 02:13:43 PM
You might wish to know that Czech television has begun a documentary series on the Martinů symphonies.  Most of the works will be conducted by Jakub Hrůša, but two of the symphonies are conducted by the late and much-missed Jiří Bělohlávek.   The works are given one movement at a time, interspersed with commentary from Hrůša and Aleš Březina, the director of the Bohuslav Martinů Institute.  The commentary is in Czech only but if you don't understand the language I am sure you will still find the performances of interest.  Jakub Hrůša will one day be spoken of as a Martinů interpreter of equal stature to his mentor Bělohlávek, I am sure.  Here is a link, where you will find the two episodes that have been broadcast at the time of my writing this post -

https://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/11416641987-sest-symfonii-bohuslava-martinu-symfonie-c-1/

but be warned - you will need to use a VPN to view the content.

Thanks for the information. I really hope that Hrůša records the Martinů symphonies (and other works, too, of course).

Brian

He's president of the International Martinu Circle (or whatever it's called), by the way. Just Tuesday I enjoyed thoroughly his violin concertos recording with FPZ.

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Quote from: Brian on November 25, 2021, 11:27:36 AM
He's president of the International Martinu Circle (or whatever it's called), by the way. Just Tuesday I enjoyed thoroughly his violin concertos recording with FPZ.

Yep and yep. :)

Herman

Somehow I find the idea of interspersing a symphony performance with halftime football commentary, only of the symphonic kind, highly amusing.

But of course it's pretty special that symphonic music is on tv anyway.

bhodges

Oooh, look what just showed up this morning: a live performance of Martinů's Violin Concerto No. 1, with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, violinist Josef Špaček (new to me), and conductor Petr Popelka (ditto). (Recorded last December.) Given the high quality of most of the Frankfurt recordings, I will be checking this out very soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgIcuoPyInE

--Bruce

Rinaldo

Quote from: Brewski on January 21, 2022, 09:13:42 AM
Oooh, look what just showed up this morning: a live performance of Martinů's Violin Concerto No. 1, with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, violinist Josef Špaček (new to me), and conductor Petr Popelka (ditto). (Recorded last December.) Given the high quality of most of the Frankfurt recordings, I will be checking this out very soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgIcuoPyInE

--Bruce

Popelka's expression at the beginning says it all. What a fiery performance!

bhodges

Quote from: Rinaldo on January 21, 2022, 09:23:45 AM
Popelka's expression at the beginning says it all. What a fiery performance!

OK, with that comment, bumping this up in the queue, perhaps later this afternoon. (Multitasking, trying to get some work done, but turning on music always torpedoes that. ;D )

--Bruce

Archaic Torso of Apollo

Just an anecdote

Recently (December) I and Wifey were driving from San Diego to Los Angeles. I decided to stop in La Jolla, in honor of Martinu's Sinfonietta La Jolla.

We were walking around, and came to the La Jolla Music Society. It was open, so we decided to look around. I started talking to one of the administrators, and mentioned that I wanted to visit La Jolla because of the Martinu connection. We had a nice little conversation. Later, he emailed me some photos of a rare recording of the Sinfonietta La Jolla that had been made by a local ensemble when the piece was new (in the 1950s).

And that's your Martinu anecdote for today!
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

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Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on January 21, 2022, 07:02:09 PM
Just an anecdote

Recently (December) I and Wifey were driving from San Diego to Los Angeles. I decided to stop in La Jolla, in honor of Martinu's Sinfonietta La Jolla.

We were walking around, and came to the La Jolla Music Society. It was open, so we decided to look around. I started talking to one of the administrators, and mentioned that I wanted to visit La Jolla because of the Martinu connection. We had a nice little conversation. Later, he emailed me some photos of a rare recording of the Sinfonietta La Jolla that had been made by a local ensemble when the piece was new (in the 1950s).

And that's your Martinu anecdote for today!

Lovely, Archaic. 8)

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on January 21, 2022, 07:02:09 PM
Just an anecdote

Recently (December) I and Wifey were driving from San Diego to Los Angeles. I decided to stop in La Jolla, in honor of Martinu's Sinfonietta La Jolla.

We were walking around, and came to the La Jolla Music Society. It was open, so we decided to look around. I started talking to one of the administrators, and mentioned that I wanted to visit La Jolla because of the Martinu connection. We had a nice little conversation. Later, he emailed me some photos of a rare recording of the Sinfonietta La Jolla that had been made by a local ensemble when the piece was new (in the 1950s).

And that's your Martinu anecdote for today!
Neat!  :)

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

vandermolen

Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on January 21, 2022, 07:02:09 PM
Just an anecdote

Recently (December) I and Wifey were driving from San Diego to Los Angeles. I decided to stop in La Jolla, in honor of Martinu's Sinfonietta La Jolla.

We were walking around, and came to the La Jolla Music Society. It was open, so we decided to look around. I started talking to one of the administrators, and mentioned that I wanted to visit La Jolla because of the Martinu connection. We had a nice little conversation. Later, he emailed me some photos of a rare recording of the Sinfonietta La Jolla that had been made by a local ensemble when the piece was new (in the 1950s).

And that's your Martinu anecdote for today!
Nice story!
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Daverz

#1271
Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on January 21, 2022, 07:02:09 PM
Just an anecdote

Recently (December) I and Wifey were driving from San Diego to Los Angeles. I decided to stop in La Jolla, in honor of Martinu's Sinfonietta La Jolla.

We were walking around, and came to the La Jolla Music Society. It was open, so we decided to look around. I started talking to one of the administrators, and mentioned that I wanhttps://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-la-jolla-cove-2012sep02-htmlstory.htmlted to visit La Jolla because of the Martinu connection. We had a nice little conversation. Later, he emailed me some photos of a rare recording of the Sinfonietta La Jolla that had been made by a local ensemble when the piece was new (in the 1950s).

And that's your Martinu anecdote for today!

Off topic, but I'm reminded of this cover art of La Jolla Cove in the CPO Antheil series:



Which reminds me to visit La Jolla Cove before it's underwater or erodes away.

More info here:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-la-jolla-cove-2012sep02-htmlstory.html

TD: the only recording of Sinfonietta La Jolla that I have locally is Hogwood with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, which still seems very fine to my ears:



bhodges

Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on January 21, 2022, 07:02:09 PM
Just an anecdote

Recently (December) I and Wifey were driving from San Diego to Los Angeles. I decided to stop in La Jolla, in honor of Martinu's Sinfonietta La Jolla.

We were walking around, and came to the La Jolla Music Society. It was open, so we decided to look around. I started talking to one of the administrators, and mentioned that I wanted to visit La Jolla because of the Martinu connection. We had a nice little conversation. Later, he emailed me some photos of a rare recording of the Sinfonietta La Jolla that had been made by a local ensemble when the piece was new (in the 1950s).

And that's your Martinu anecdote for today!

Love that story!

PS, my first (and so far, only) encounter with that piece was seeing it choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon for the Pennsylvania Ballet (now renamed Philadelphia Ballet). Utterly delightful.

--Bruce

Archaic Torso of Apollo

Quote from: Daverz on January 23, 2022, 02:53:28 PM

TD: the only recording of Sinfonietta La Jolla that I have locally is Hogwood with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, which still seems very fine to my ears:

I've got the version on Chandos with the (now defunct) Bournemouth Sinfonietta. The piece has one of my favorite "starry night" slow movements, similar to the one from Bartok's 3rd PC, but even better I think.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

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My favorite Sinfonietta La Jolla is this one on Supraphon:


bhodges

A fabulous version of the Double Concerto, recorded in June 2020, at the height of the pandemic. The Frankfurt ensemble must have been one of the first to emerge and do live concerts, with musicians spaced widely apart. (Worth asking: Is the sound actually better this way?)

In any case, Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony give this masterpiece their all, and the result is as satisfying as any I've ever heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m8WYEANIj0

--Bruce

SonicMan46

Well up to Martinu in selectively perusing my collection - will spend a few days w/ this composer - way back in 2008 I posted having only 2 CDs of his music -  ::)  I'm now up to about 20 discs and listening to the cello works shown below; also decided to order the 4-CD box w/ Hogwood and the Piano Quintets (excellent reviews on Fanfare and Classics Today) (last two pics) - attached at the bottom are my current CDs which will shortly expand to two dozen! (click to enlarge)  :laugh:

In reviewing his list of compositions HERE - and as most of you likely know  "there is a catalog with the prefix "H" based on the comprehensive catalog of Martinů's works prepared by the Belgian musicologist Harry Halbreich, which was first published in 1968. A second revised and expanded edition was completed in 2006." The numbers go up to 384 although the composer likely wrote more?  Not going to get into his ballets, operas or other vocal music but I'm sure there is still a LOT left, e.g. solo piano?  Dave :)




Leo K.

Quote from: SonicMan46 on May 02, 2022, 09:18:35 AM
Well up to Martinu in selectively perusing my collection - will spend a few days w/ this composer - way back in 2008 I posted having only 2 CDs of his music -  ::)  I'm now up to about 20 discs and listening to the cello works shown below; also decided to order the 4-CD box w/ Hogwood and the Piano Quintets (excellent reviews on Fanfare and Classics Today) (last two pics) - attached at the bottom are my current CDs which will shortly expand to two dozen! (click to enlarge)  :laugh:

In reviewing his list of compositions HERE - and as most of you likely know  "there is a catalog with the prefix "H" based on the comprehensive catalog of Martinů's works prepared by the Belgian musicologist Harry Halbreich, which was first published in 1968. A second revised and expanded edition was completed in 2006." The numbers go up to 384 although the composer likely wrote more?  Not going to get into his ballets, operas or other vocal music but I'm sure there is still a LOT left, e.g. solo piano?  Dave :)



                                                                                 

I have been exploring his symphonies and they all knock my hat off. Amazing sounds I can't even describe.

SonicMan46

Quote from: Leo K. on May 02, 2022, 10:57:58 AM
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
I have been exploring his symphonies and they all knock my hat off. Amazing sounds I can't even describe.

Hi Leo - some unusual, weird and wonderful sounds coming from this 20th century composer - for the afternoon, I'm continuing w/ his chamber works, just 2 discs from the 4-CD box in the first pic below - I usually don't venture much into the 20th century (except for the earlier years) but Martinu makes the journey pleasant for me -  :laugh:  Reviews attached some of which will knock out those who are interested in reading.  Dave :)