Bohuslav Martinu had a remarkably consistent style that spanned over 380 works written over a half-century. Certain syncopations, inspired by the rhythm of his native Czech language, are almost always present. And his harmonies, also inspired by his country’s folk music, sound like no one else’s. That’s not to say Martinu wrote the same piece […]
Bohuslav Martinu
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Martinu and Martin together in The Secret Mass
There’s only one letter difference between the names Martin and Martinu. Their music isn’t as closely related, but they do share some similarities. Swiss Frank Martin and Czech Bohuslav Martinu were both born in 1890 and were musical contemporaries. The Danish National Vocal Ensemble performs mostly a capella works by these two men, highlighting both […]
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Czech Choral Masterworks: Martinu, Reznicek, Fiala
This has to be one of the most unusual albums of choral music I’ve listened to. The concept is solid — sacred music by 20th Century Czech composers. What’s unusual is the relationship between the composers. The Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno performs two works by Bohuslav Martinu. Rounding out the album are works by […]
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#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalNine Week 3
September is the ninth month of the year. And so the #ClassicsaDay team decided to make the number the theme. For September 2018, the challenge is to post classical works that have to do with the number nine. I chose to alternate between nonets, opus nine compositions and works with a catalog number of nine. […]
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Martinu Early Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 fills in background
The major work of this release is “Vanishing Night.” Martinu revised this work with the help of his teacher Josef Suk. The work is a compendium of Martinu’s early impressionist style. Originally, it was thought that only a portion of “Vanishing Midnight” survived. Recently orchestral parts for the missing movements were rediscovered, and for the […]
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Isserlis Energizes Martinu Sonatas
Steven Isserlis turns in an attractive program of cello music with this new SACD. Bohuslav Martinu wrote in a very distinctive style; one that was remarkably consistent throughout his long and prolific career. Martinu wrote tonal works, but they were his own version of tonality. Dancing syncopation and shimmering chords are Martinu trademarks, and they’re here […]
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Cello Concertos by Mid-Century Masters
What if classical music had taken a different turn in the mid-Twentieth century. Cellist Johannes Moser gives us a hint with his latest release of concertos. He presents three works by composers who all wrote in a somewhat tonal style. Paul Hindemith wrote music that he believed to be the logical extension of the works […]