Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959)

[Mirror Image]

Cool, Bruce.

[kyjo]

You should really check out the String Sextet.

I haven't heard this performance, but given the ensemble, I'm going to assume it's a good performance:

https://www.youtube.com/v/a9YIjVY9lgg

https://www.youtube.com/v/OH00_NmaJ9A

https://www.youtube.com/v/Tn7ViFgNQPU

Awesome, John. I'll check it out

[kyjo]

I love all three of Martinu's cello sonatas.

I listened to no. 3 a while ago and didn't think too much of it, but I'll give it another go. I haven't heard no. 2 yet.

[kyjo]

Another big fan of the cello sonatas. Here is an article I wrote for Juilliard on the recording that sold me, with cellist Mattia Zappa and Massimiliano Mainolfi on piano. (Happy there are other versions, which I will explore in due time.) In any case, great pieces.

https://journal.juilliard.edu/journal/cpe-bach-and-martinu-two-paths-cello-sonata

--Bruce

Thanks for sharing, Bruce!

[Mirror Image]

I listened to no. 3 a while ago and didn't think too much of it, but I'll give it another go. I haven't heard no. 2 yet.

It's Martinu, who's obviously one of my favorites, so I'm a bit easier on him than most composers. You should listen to the String Sextet.

[Mirror Image]

Compositional Spotlight:

Field Mass, H 279



Since 1923, Martinu had lived in Paris, except for holiday visits home to Polička. Here he was at home in the heady artistic environment of the Left Bank and surrounded by a creative Czech colony of friends, which included the painters Jan Zrzavý and Rudolf Kundera, the poet and writer Jin' Mucha (son of the painter Alfons Mucha), the pianist Rudolf Firkušný and the attractive young composer Víťezslava Kaprálova. By 1939, the events in Europe had caused the Czech emigrates in Paris to be far less complacent than the native French. Many young Czechs were volunteering for service either under General Svoboda in the East or Edvard Beneš in the West. Martinu was a willing volunteer, but already considered too old for service. Instead, he joined the group of artists who turned their abilities to entertain and support the young Czech soldiers through cultural activities. Among those works, which he wrote before himself having to escape to America in 1941, are two which had direct relationship to the young Czech volunteers. Of these, the Vojenský pochod (Military March) was written early in 1940 and dedicated to "The Czechoslovak Division in France", while the Field Mass was started on 4 November 1939 and completed in the following month.

Martinů conceived the work for military use outdoors and not for liturgical purposes, a point he made clear in the Czech language paper, New Yorské listy of 12 April 1941, less than a fortnight after his arrival in New York. Here he was quoted as saying that the work "...was written to be performed out of doors - under the sky and clouds that unite us with the soldiers at the front as well as with our compatriots at home". The scoring reflects this, being written for baritone solo, men's chorus, two piccolos, two clarinets, three trumpets, two trombones, harmonium, piano, timpani and percussion, including the sistrum altar bells of the Catholic Mass. The presence of the two keyboard instruments may seem strange in a work for field use, until one remembers that a piano may well be to hand in a nearby house and the portable harmonium was (and is) the standard instrument available in the forces for church service in the field or on board ship (where it is a standard store item listed under "Organ, portable, small"!).

The text of the Field Mass is a mixture of Bohemian folk poetry, poems by Jiří Mucha, passages from Psalms 42, 44, 54, 56 and 57, as well as some lines from the service of the Mass. The secular texts express the feelings of a lone soldier on guard duty, a mixture of memories of home and invocations of God's protection contrasted with a sense of the certainty of ultimate victory. In a way, as with Vaughan Williams in his Dona nobis pacem, such textual juxtaposition also anticipates Britten in his War Requiem.

Trumpets and drums dominate the opening of the Field Mass, to be followed by a setting of the Lord's Prayer. A passage for solo harmonium leads to the sentry's reflections on home and his plea for God's strength in the face of death. An extended instrumental section (Poco Allegro) follows, throughout which trumpet calls permeate the rapid figures in the woodwind and keyboard instruments. A fanfare call to arms brings dramatic declamation of lines from Psalms 44 and 42 after which thoughts of home are again recalled. This time, the reference to the church bell, finally tolling funereally in the piano, recalls for Martinu his childhood in the tower at Polička. The final section, opening moderato poco allegro with the solo piano, gives way to agitated percussion and the plainsong intoning of the Kyrie eleison. The lonely sentry again asks God's protection and comfort. The chorus gently chants Dominus vobiscum and then Agnus Dei over distant muted trumpet calls. A percussion crescendo prefaces a confident chorus about home and fatherland, before the unaccompanied chorus and the soloist sing passages from Psalms 57:2, 56:3, 57:6 and 54:7. Distant trumpets are heard once more, the drums march into the night as the work ends with a simple, peaceful, unaccompanied "Amen".

The work was first performed in Prague in 1946, when the baritone soloist was Theodor Trubar. The Czech Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra were conducted by Rafael Kubelík.

[http://database.martinu.cz/works/public_view/152]

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For me, one, out of many, of Martinu's masterpieces. I'd LOVE to hear this work in the concert hall, but I'm afraid that'll never happen. What do you guys think of the work? The two performances I own: Mackerras and Belohlavek are both superb and I wouldn't want to choose one over the other.

[vandermolen]

I really like the Field Mass which I have on a great Chandos CD with Symphony No.4 and Memorial for Lidice.

[Mirror Image]

I really like the Field Mass which I have on a great Chandos CD with Symphony No.4 and Memorial for Lidice.

Indeed, Jeffrey. On first-hearing of the Field Mass, I was awestruck by the orchestration. At first, I kind of raised an eyebrow, but, over time, I began to really appreciate it and felt it worked well given the subject matter.

[Mirror Image]

My 'perfect' Martinu symphony cycle:

Sym #1 - Belohlavek/CzPO (Chandos)
Sym #2 - Flor/Berlin SO (RCA)
Sym #3 - Jarvi/Bamberg (BIS)
Sym #4 - Turnovsky/CzPO (Apex)
Sym #5 - Neumann/CzPO (Supraphon)
Sym #6 - Munch/Boston SO (RCA)

[vandermolen]

I was delighted to see the new recording of 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' (Honeck, Supraphon) chosen as The Sunday Times's 'Classical Album of the Week' today:

'...the result is so uplifting that one wonders at the work's neglect in the Anglophone world. Like many of Martinu's late works written in exile from the Nazis and the Czech communists, it's preoccupations are spiritual, and involve eternal questions of life and death yet are not really religious. It is a sort of Cold War requiem, beginning and ending contemplatively, but with examples of Martinu's gift for music drama in the choral and solo writing, and in his always ingenious handling of the orchestra. Simon Callow's narration may be a tad mannered, but the soloists...are excellent, while Honeck's belief in the work is evident in the thrilling choral singing and orchestral playing he elicits from his epic forces. A discovery.'

[Sergeant Rock]

My 'perfect' Martinu symphony cycle:

Sym #1 - Belohlavek/CzPO (Chandos)
Sym #2 - Flor/Berlin SO (RCA)
Sym #3 - Jarvi/Bamberg (BIS)
Sym #4 - Turnovsky/CzPO (Apex)
Sym #5 - Neumann/CzPO (Supraphon)
Sym #6 - Munch/Boston SO (RCA)

I like Flor's 5 & 6 and was thinking about getting his 1 & 2...you might have just pushed me over the edge 

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

I like Flor's 5 & 6 and was thinking about getting his 1 & 2...you might have just pushed me over the edge 

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

I was delighted to see the new recording of 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' (Honeck, Supraphon) chosen as The Sunday Times's 'Classical Album of the Week' today:

'...the result is so uplifting that one wonders at the work's neglect in the Anglophone world. Like many of Martinu's late works written in exile from the Nazis and the Czech communists, it's preoccupations are spiritual, and involve eternal questions of life and death yet are not really religious. It is a sort of Cold War requiem, beginning and ending contemplateively, but with examples of Martinu's gift for music drama in the choral and solo writing, and in his always ingenious handling of the orchestra. Simon Callow's narration may be a tad mannered, but the soloists...are excellent, while Honeck's belief in the work is evident in the thrilling choral singing and orchestral playing he elicits from his epic forces. A discovery.'

Awesome, Jeffrey. You really ought to give Netopil's new recording of Bouquet of Flowers a listen. I think you'll enjoy it. For whatever reason, this recording hasn't received much press yet.



I've already listened to this new performance twice and have been absolutely enchanted from start to finish. A worthy addition to anyone's Martinu collection IMHO.

Edit: The Novak work, Philharmonic Dances, coupled with this performance of Bouquet of Flowers is great fun. It sounds a good bit like Martinu, but this comes as no surprise since he studied with him and Novak mentioned how indebted he was to Martinu in an interview I've read (somewhere).

[kyjo]

This upcoming release from Toccata Classics (Vol. 3 in their series of his early orchestral works) sounds very intriguing, to say the least:

[asin]B077MQC5YY[/asin]

From the Amazon description:

This series of first-ever recordings of Martinu's early orchestral works has already uncovered much delightful music; this third release moves everything up a gear. The symphonic triptych Vanishing Midnight (1922) will prove a revelation: a big-hearted work of breathtaking opulence and striking confidence. Vanishing Midnight is as exquisitely lovely as it is powerful and dramatic Martinus first true masterpiece, but it is also his last full-on engagement with Impressionism. The two shorter works here Ballade: Villa by the Sea and Dream of the Past are colourful and atmospheric tone-poems, pieces of real substance and major discoveries in their own right.

[Mirror Image]

This upcoming release from Toccata Classics (Vol. 3 in their series of his early orchestral works) sounds very intriguing, to say the least:

[asin]B077MQC5YY[/asin]

From the Amazon description:

This series of first-ever recordings of Martinu's early orchestral works has already uncovered much delightful music; this third release moves everything up a gear. The symphonic triptych Vanishing Midnight (1922) will prove a revelation: a big-hearted work of breathtaking opulence and striking confidence. Vanishing Midnight is as exquisitely lovely as it is powerful and dramatic Martinus first true masterpiece, but it is also his last full-on engagement with Impressionism. The two shorter works here Ballade: Villa by the Sea and Dream of the Past are colourful and atmospheric tone-poems, pieces of real substance and major discoveries in their own right.

It's going to great, Kyle! I'm in the midst of dinner right now, but your Amazon link doesn't work.

[Mirror Image]

Speaking of new Martinu releases...

[kyjo]

It's going to great, Kyle! I'm in the midst of dinner right now, but your Amazon link doesn't work.

Huh, I'm not sure why. I tried copying and pasting the ASIN code again and it's still not working.

Have you heard the first two installments in this series, John? I haven't, but I hope to soon. There's just so much Martinu out there to explore!

[kyjo]

Speaking of new Martinu releases...

Excellent news! We could always use more recordings of these wonderful works.

[North Star]

Huh, I'm not sure why. I tried copying and pasting the ASIN code again and it's still not working.

Have you heard the first two installments in this series, John? I haven't, but I hope to soon. There's just so much Martinu out there to explore!

German Amazon often gets this stuff before the US Amazon.. https://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B077MQC5YY/

[Mirror Image]

Have you heard the first two installments in this series, John? I haven't, but I hope to soon. There's just so much Martinu out there to explore!

I have, indeed. I'll need to refresh my memory of these two volumes because I bought them as they came out and only listened to them once. I'm playing the first volume as I type this. Sounds quite good, although the mature composer is only hinted at every now and again. This is Martinu at his most Impressionistic, but you can hear faint echoes of Czech folk music, which would come to permeate much of his music.

I'd be curious to see what you're interested in hearing next. Do you have a list or anything of works you want to explore?