Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)

[Guido]

This is probably one of those posts I'll regret rereading in a few years, but I'm finding it hard to get on with Martinu. As a colourist and orchestrator he does nervous febrility very well, but there's a bit of a lack of range - everything hums and fizzes, or blares but there's not much else. His harmonic/rhythmic pecularities (they are linked) are used so often and in such a consistently similar context that they begin to irritate too, particularly the constant switching between major and minor, always in the same way. The general harmonic palette seems rather bland compared to his contemporaries or even Czech forebears (we're agreed that Janacek and Dvorak are greater, right?). His melodies are mostly rather unmemorable and very similar to each other too... I've been listening to the 6 Symphonies and Julietta... Maybe I should try more of the chamber music.

That said, I have to say I'm a firm fan of the three cello concertos and even more the three cello sonatas, and these piece contradict much of the above. The full scale concertos are both glowing works (though prolix perhaps), and the sonatas, beautiful, passionate, driving affairs, especially the second which remains my favourite of his works. But the core symphonic output continues to vex me.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

That said, I have to say I'm a firm fan of the three cello concertos and even more the three cello sonatas, and these piece contradict much of the above. The full scale concertos are both glowing works (though prolix perhaps), and the sonatas, beautiful, passionate, driving affairs, especially the second which remains my favourite of his works. But the core symphonic output continues to vex me.

It sounds like you're just a cellophile who is willing to forgive certain things when they emanate from your favorite instrument. Am I on the right track?

I come to this conclusion because I don't find the cello concertos to be stylistically much different from Martinu's other concertos (and in fact there are several concertos that I rank higher than the cello ones; see my earlier ranking - though I do like the 1st CC a lot). So I don't see how they would contradict your objections.

[Guido]

It sounds like you're just a cellophile who is willing to forgive certain things when they emanate from your favorite instrument. Am I on the right track?

I come to this conclusion because I don't find the cello concertos to be stylistically much different from Martinu's other concertos (and in fact there are several concertos that I rank higher than the cello ones; see my earlier ranking - though I do like the 1st CC a lot). So I don't see how they would contradict your objections.

I haven't heard the other concertos. It is true that I am a cellophile though. I got to know the cello concertos in my early teens, and so part of their appeal is nostalgia perhaps (teenage listening always produceing such vivid impressions) and haven't listened to them for a good while actually. My issues have been in recently pursuing the six symphonies and Julietta. The fundamentally conventional tonality, made misty and out of focus by the teeming, buzzing chromaticism, which should be so appealing to me given my predilictions (Feldman, Ives, early Schoenberg, Berg, Szymanowski to name a few who do similar things though in very different ways), just doesn't deliver anything to me that I feel hasn't been done better elsewhere. Obviously I'm missing something, because he's very highly esteemed by "those in the know", and I certainly don't dislike it, but I came in expecting to love it all (egged on also my love of the cello sonatas), and my reaction has been one of vague disappointment and slight perplexity.

[Mirror Image]

I haven't heard the other concertos. It is true that I am a cellophile though. I got to know the cello concertos in my early teens, and so part of their appeal is nostalgia perhaps (teenage listening always produceing such vivid impressions) and haven't listened to them for a good while actually. My issues have been in recently pursuing the six symphonies and Julietta. The fundamentally conventional tonality, made misty and out of focus by the teeming, buzzing chromaticism, which should be so appealing to me given my predilictions (Feldman, Ives, early Schoenberg, Berg, Szymanowski to name a few who do similar things though in very different ways), just doesn't deliver anything to me that I feel hasn't been done better elsewhere. Obviously I'm missing something, because he's very highly esteemed by "those in the know", and I certainly don't dislike it, but I came in expecting to love it all (egged on also my love of the cello sonatas), and my reaction has been one of vague disappointment and slight perplexity.

Martinu was a hard pill to swallow when I first heard him. I just didn't hear anything that jumped out at me until I reached Symphony No. 4. That last movement just explodes with cutting rhythms. The fourth, fifth, and sixth are where I think Martinu really started making a name for himself as a symphonist. After the symphonies, I tried some other works like Double Concerto for String Orchestra which was just outstanding. After this, I heard a recording with some of his song cycles for voice and orchestra (Nipponari, Magic Nights). These made some strong impressions on me and I started to view Martinu in a different light than I had previously. I love his concerti for violin, piano, and cello. I have not heard that many of his other ones like for oboe or harpsichord. These are still on my to-listen-to list. I haven't heard that much of his ballet music, but this may soon change. His operas look interesting in particular The Greek Passion.

Anyway, his output is so vast that I'm sure there might be something you could enjoy. You'll just have to dig through what hasn't connected with you until you find something you truly enjoy. And who knows, after you find something you like, you may go back to those works that didn't resonate with you and end up enjoying them more.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

A note on the symphonies. The first 5 were composed over a short period (1942-46), so they all reflect the basically neoclassical approach he was taking at the time. You might find other periods of his work more appealing to you from a stylistic standpoint.

[Guido]

Yeah I'll keep trying. Double String concerto, song cycles and chamber works next then...

[mjwal]

The Rhapsody-Concerto for viola & orchestra (Suk)
The 4th piano concerto on that wonderful Turnovsky CD.
Gilgamesh (I have the Supraphon on noisy LPs, great performance, and another on BBC with English narration, also good performance - both Béhlolávek - of course, the subject matter is so gripping...)
Les Fresques de Piero della Francesca (Mackerras)
Memorial to Lidice
Ariadne (I love this short work, perhaps also because of my obsession with the subject matter)
These are some of the highlights for me. I can enjoy the other concertos but in a rather distracted way - ditto the chamber music I have heard.
As to the symphonies, I dislike Järvi's insensitive boom-boom recordings of 3 & 4, which I only keep as a bad example, find Neumann's 2 & 6 decent, and love Ancerl's recordings, particularly the (radio?) recordings of 1,3 & 5 formerly on Multisonic, with so-so sound but an elan and expressiveness beyond even his Supraphon recordings of 5 & 6. Turnovsky's #4 reigns supreme. I can hear what you mean when you criticise these works, Guido, but for me it very much depends on the interpretation to bring out the expression and make you forget the devices. There is also a very good #6 by Kout on Arte Nova, a disc that is almost a Martinů anthology and ridiculously cheap in Germany.

[Lethevich]

Nice suggestions, mjwal - Ariadne is magical.

[Scarpia]

This is probably one of those posts I'll regret rereading in a few years, but I'm finding it hard to get on with Martinu. As a colourist and orchestrator he does nervous febrility very well, but there's a bit of a lack of range - everything hums and fizzes, or blares but there's not much else. His harmonic/rhythmic pecularities (they are linked) are used so often and in such a consistently similar context that they begin to irritate too, particularly the constant switching between major and minor, always in the same way. The general harmonic palette seems rather bland compared to his contemporaries or even Czech forebears (we're agreed that Janacek and Dvorak are greater, right?). His melodies are mostly rather unmemorable and very similar to each other too... I've been listening to the 6 Symphonies and Julietta... Maybe I should try more of the chamber music.

That said, I have to say I'm a firm fan of the three cello concertos and even more the three cello sonatas, and these piece contradict much of the above. The full scale concertos are both glowing works (though prolix perhaps), and the sonatas, beautiful, passionate, driving affairs, especially the second which remains my favourite of his works. But the core symphonic output continues to vex me.

I'll echo what someone else said above, Martinu wrote 6 symphonies one might be led to assume that the symphony would be well representative of his work, but I don't feel they are.  They were all written during a short period during a long career and reflect only one aspect of his art.  I find his concertos for various instruments to be his most characteristic pieces.  They also have to be taken on their own terms, they are put to gether in a unique way and sometimes I have impression that they are closer to jazz improvisations than customary classical music.   Anyway,  I love the stuff (almost everything I hear) but I can see it is not for everyone.

As long as I'm at it, this is a release that I found particularly interesting, wonderful sound and performance and music from diverse styles.

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[Grazioso]

This is probably one of those posts I'll regret rereading in a few years, but I'm finding it hard to get on with Martinu. As a colourist and orchestrator he does nervous febrility very well, but there's a bit of a lack of range - everything hums and fizzes, or blares but there's not much else. His harmonic/rhythmic pecularities (they are linked) are used so often and in such a consistently similar context that they begin to irritate too, particularly the constant switching between major and minor, always in the same way. The general harmonic palette seems rather bland compared to his contemporaries or even Czech forebears (we're agreed that Janacek and Dvorak are greater, right?). His melodies are mostly rather unmemorable and very similar to each other too... I've been listening to the 6 Symphonies and Julietta... Maybe I should try more of the chamber music.

That said, I have to say I'm a firm fan of the three cello concertos and even more the three cello sonatas, and these piece contradict much of the above. The full scale concertos are both glowing works (though prolix perhaps), and the sonatas, beautiful, passionate, driving affairs, especially the second which remains my favourite of his works. But the core symphonic output continues to vex me.

I'll second the Barone regarding the symphonies (which I much enjoy): Martinu didn't compose the first until he was 52 and wrote five of them in five years, so I don't know that they can be rightly be seen as a core of his output (though they are undoubtedly substantial).

I take your point about his style, though: it's so strongly stamped and unusual that it might wear thin. (I think of Bruckner, with his highly idiosyncratic style that gives most of his work a superficially "samey" quality.) But you can find Martinu works that break the mold, such as his beautiful 1st string quartet--sort of French impressionism crossed with Bax, for want of a more apt description

[Luke]

Try some late Martinu, Guido - the Nonet, for instance. Especially try the very late chamber cantatas, which are adorably folk-influenced works, stripped-down, unpretentious, humble, honest, heartfelt, homesick music (they aren't just Czech, they are specifically Polickan, the yearnings of an old man for the hometown he will never see again).

But I did like mjwal's list, too - for me, the Martinu which I return to most obsessively is a similar list - and you must have heard me bang on about Turnovsky's 4th in the past

[Mirror Image]

Let's see if I can compile a little list for our friend Guido of some of my favorite Martinu recordings:

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[Guido]

Thanks for the suggestions guys - Luke and mjwal's suggestions seem right up my street.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Kytice

Now that's a piece that doesn't get much attention around here. Does it deserve it? I've only heard snippets, and it sounds suspiciously Stravinskian, a la Les Noces.

Here's an intriguing video from Prague Spring 2010, on a ballet version of this cantata:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTJwg5UQrmA

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Imad Moustapha weighs in

There's hope for the Middle East yet. Turns out Syria's ambassador to the US is a Martinu fan:

http://imad_moustapha.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/03/martinu.html

[karlhenning]

With that diacritic over the u . . . maybe he thinks the composer is Turkish, je-je-je!

[TheGSMoeller]

Any recommendation for...

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I love the nonet and have this disc...

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But the extra Martinu pieces on the first disc seem appealing.

[karlhenning]

Any recommendation for...

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I picked up that very disc (a two-fer) on Luke's suggestion; it is very good.  (I was listening to it again just last week.)

[Lethevich]

The Hyperion disc is such a useful collection of all the Madrigal pieces - so well performed too.

[bhodges]

I picked up that very disc (a two-fer) on Luke's suggestion; it is very good.  (I was listening to it again just last week.)

The Hyperion disc is such a useful collection of all the Madrigal pieces - so well performed too.

And another "yes" vote - delightful music, delightfully played. That CD was my very first encounter with the composer, and since I now have dozens of Martinů recordings, the experience must have been satisfactory. 

--Bruce