Mgr. Aleš Březina, Ph.D.

Aleš Březina, Ph.D. (*1965)

Education

2015-2017 - Faculty of Arts, Palacký University Olomouc, Music Theory and Pedagogy, state doctoral examination 6/2017

1989 - 1998 - University of Basel, postgraduate studies at the Department of Musicology

1985-1989 Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, Department of Musicology

1979-85 - Conservatory in Pilsen, violin

 

Internships and scholarships

- 1988 - Czech Music Fund – Early String Quartets by B. Martinů, one-month research stay at the Bohuslav Martinů Memorial at the Municipal Museum in Polička

- 1989-1992- Eidgenössische Stipendienkommission ESTA (Switzerland) –– manuscripts by B. Martinů in the Paul Sacher Collection in Basel, studies at the University of Basel

- 1-6/1998 - Research scholarship from the Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel

- 19-30 March 2007 – editorial internship at Bärenreiter Kassel

- 3-5/2017 - ERASMUS+, Musicological Institute, University of Hamburg

 

Work experience

1992 - 1994 - research assistant, Musicological Institute, Basel

1994 - present - founder and director of the Bohuslav Martinů Institute

1994 - 2000 - secretary of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in Prague

2003–present – Head of the Complete Critical Edition of the Works of Bohuslav Martinů

 

Language skills

- German (international certificate Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung)

- English – active spoken and written

- French – active spoken and written

- Russian – passive

- Latin - at the level of a graduate of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University

 

Awards

- GAČR Chairwoman's Award for one of the five best scientific projects of 2020

- Best Edition Award from the German Music Publishers Association for the edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh 2016

- Theatre Critics' Award for Best Theatre Music of the Year (repeatedly)

- Czech Lion Award for Best Film Music of the Year (4 nominations)

- Czech Film Critics' Award for Best Film Music of the Year (1 nomination)

- Best European Film Composer 2010 (nomination)

 

 

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Publications:

- Aleš Březina, Ivana Rentsch et. al. „Making Real Theatre“ Bohuslav Martinů's Music Theatre, Part I: 1913-1937, Vol. 1 + 2, Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann (v tisku),

- Aleš Březina, Ivana Rentsch (vyd.), Bedřich Smetana a evropská opera, Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann, 2024)

- Aleš Březina, Czech Film Music, in Martin Nedbal, Kelly St. Pierre, Hana Vlhová-Wörner (vyd.), The Cambridge History of Music in Czech Lands, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (v tisku).

- Aleš Březina, Diving into logic of dreams: Bohuslav Martinů’s Juliette, Bachtrack 24.4.2024

- odborná spolupráce na dokumentárním filmu Anne Kathrin Peitz o české hudbě mezi dvěma světovými válkami (EuroArts Leipzig)

- Martinů and His World - Bard Music Festival 2025 – dokončení přípravy festivalové dramaturgie

- příprava publikace Martinů and His World (co-editor a autor čtyř textů) pro Bard Music Festival, Chicago University Press 2025

 

2023

- Aleš Březina, “So We Have a New Musical and Social Form – Opera-crisis:” The Transformation of Bohuslav Martinů’s Music Theatre after “Black Tuesday” 1929 / „Tak máme novou hudebně-sociální formu – opera-krize:“ Proměny hudebního divadla Bohuslava Martinů po „Černém úterý“ 1929, Hudební věda 1/2023, 35-48

 

- Aleš Březina, An Explosive Story, Freshly Relevant, Takes Center Stage in Salzburg, interview o přípravě nastudování opery Řecké pašije na Salzburger Festspiele, New York Times, 14.7.2023, Section A, Page 12

- Aleš Březina - interview AutorIn, 4/2023, s.44-47 – o BM a projektech IBM

- Aleš Březina, Triumf Řeckých pašijí Bohuslava Martinů na Salcburském festivalu, Klasika+ 17. 8. 2023

 

Martinů and His World - Bard Music Festival 2025 – celoroční příprava knihy a festivalové dramaturgie

 

Přednášky

Aleš Březina - přednáška Masarykův ústav a archiv -  konference Hudba ve filmu –Marijka nevěrnice B. Martinů - 16.5.2023

Aleš Březina - přednáška o meziválečném hudebním divadle Martinů - konference Hudební avantgarda – Brno 10.10.2023

 

2022

Aleš Březina, Ivana Rentsch, Jitka Zichová, Pavel Žůrek, Dělat opravdové divadlo I. Komentované kritické vydání libret všech jevištních děl Bohuslava Martinů z let 1913–1937 a kritická notová edice jeho oper Mariken de Nimègue a Alexandre bis. Hudební věda, r. 50, č. 4, 2022, s. 488–509, ISSN 0018-7003

- Bohuslav Martinů, in Sandra Bergmannová, Veronika Vejvodová (vyd.), Slavní čeští skladatelé: Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, NM Praha 2020, s. 244-338; 344-349

- Jsem muzikolog, Harmonie 1/2020, s.48-51

- Řecké pašije Bohuslava Martinů na evropských jevištích posledních dvou dekád, Harmonie 4/2020, s.15-17

- Souborné vydání díla Bohuslava Martinů II. Smyčcové kvartety č.4-7, Hudební rozhledy 6/2020, s.52-53

- Bohuslav Martinů's ambivalent relationship to Czechoslovakia, Martinů Revue 1/2020, s.14-17; 2/2020 s.8-11

- "I do not deny of course that Stravinsky has influenced me." An early version of String Quartet No.2, MH 150 (1925) by Bohuslav Martinů, Martinů Revue 3/2020, s. 16-17

- "We Have to Bring Martinů to the World." Frank Peter Zimmermann and Jakub Hrůša on their new Martinů recording, Martinů Revue 3/2020, s.12-15

- Slovak Songs, H 126, Martinů Revue 3/2020, s.19

 

2019

- Bohuslav Martinů - Rhapsody-Concerto pro violu a orchestr, Concerto da camera pro housle a komorní orchestr, předmluva ke svazku kritického vydání, Bärenreiter 2019, The Martinů Complete Edition, text český a anglický

- Souborné vydání díla Bohuslava Martinů. I. více než jen opravené noty, Hudební rozhledy, 3/2019, s. 56

- »...pour le moment, je suis là-bas toujours considéré come un famous czech composer...«: ambivalentní vztah Bohuslava Martinů k Československu, in: Clavibus unitis 7/1 (2018), s. 99-107, http://www.acecs.cz/cu_2018_07.php

- Souborné vydání díla Bohuslava Martinů. II. První dva svazky - Epos o Gilgamešovi, H 351 a Symfonie č. 4, H 305, Hudební rozhledy, 6/2019, s. 52

- Souborné vydání díla Bohuslava Martinů. III. Komorní a orchestrální kantáty a komorní hudba pro 3-6 nástrojů, Hudební rozhledy, 9/2019, s. 56

- Souborné vydání díla Bohuslava Martinů. IV. Komorní instrumentální hudba Bohuslava Martinů, Hudební rozhledy č.12, s.56

- Aye, Graham, Harmonie, 4/2019, s. 3-5

- Aye, Graham, Martinů Revue, č. 2 (květen-srpen 2019), s.6-8

- To make a real theatre. Text o 1. verzi Řeckých pašijí pro program Opera North Leeds 16.7.2019

- Alexandra Boucher /1929-2019, Martinů Revue, č. 3 (září-prosinec 2019), s. 4

- Remembering Paul Sacher 28 april 1906-26 may 1999, Martinů Revue, č. 3 (září-prosinec 2019), s. 16-17

- Bohuslav Martinů - Smyčcové kvartety č.4-7, předmluva ke svazku kritického vydání, , BA 10571-06, The Martinů Complete Edition VI/2/1, LVII, 287 s., text český a anglický, Bärenreiter 2017

- Bohuslav Martinů: String Quartets II (nos. 4 - 7), series IV/3/2, ed. Aleš Březina et al., 2017, BA 10576-01

 

- Sounds of War, recenze OM 4/2017

 

- Albert Roussel a Čechy, Harmonie 9/2017

 

- program Řecké pašije, Carlstad Švédsko

 

- buklet CD Hora tří světel a Hymnus ke sv. Jakubu, Český filharmonický sbor, Petr Fiala, Arco diva 2017

 

- buklet CD Česká filharmonie, Manfred Honeck, Epic of Gilgamesh, Supraphon 2017

 

- Dokončení a obhájení disertační práce Epos o Gilgamešovi v kontextu hudebního divadla B. Martinů, UPOL 2017

 

 

2016

- Flucht in Traumwelten. Bohuslav Martinůs Oper "Juliette" gewinnt an Beliebtheit, in takte 2/2016, str. 16

- Kam povede cesta 1. Oratorio to není, ani kantáta, je to zkrátka Epic, in Harmonie 1/2016, str.30-31

- Kam povede cesta 2. Je to dramatické a pronásleduje mne to ve spánku, in Harmonie 3/2016, str.48-49

- Kam povede cesta 3. Gilgamešův boj o vydavatele, in Harmonie 7/2016, str.4-5.

 

2015

- Aleš Březina, Reconstructing a Better Version of The Greek Passion, in Tyrrel, John a Simeone, Nigel (vyd.), Charles Mackerras, Boydell Press 2015, str. 165-168

- Aleš Březina, A long-overdue project. Launch of the Complete Edition of Bohuslav Martinů´s Works, takte 1/2015

 

 

2014

- The Epic of Gilgamesh - kritické vydání díla, Bärenreiter 2014, BA 10571-01, ISMN 9790260107632, The Martinu Complete Edition VI/2/1, LVII, 287 s., text český a anglický (publikace byla oceněna na Frankfurtském hudebním veletrhu 2016 cenou Best Edition 2016.)

 

2012

- Aleš Březina, Martin Anderson (vyd.) Iša Popelka, Martinů’s Letters Home. Five Decades of Correspondence with Family and Friends, - nové texty a revize poznámkového aparátu, Toccata Press London 2012, 245 stran.

 

2011

- Aleš Březina, “To make a real theatre.” The first version of the Greek Passion as the crown of Bohuslav Martinů’s operatic oeuvre, program italské premiéry 1. verze Řeckých pašijí, Teatro Massimo di Palermo

 

2010

Aleš Březina, Ivana Rentsch, (vyd.), Kontinuität des Wandels. Bohuslav Martinů in der Musikgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts, Peter Lang Bern 2010 [=Martinů Studies 3]

- Aleš Březina, The Cut in the Third Movement of the Second Symphony, in: Michael Crump, Martinů and the Symphony, Toccata Press Londýn, 2010, 550 stran, spoluautorství kapitoly, str.476-483

- Aleš Březina, Martinů Revisited Project: Short Summary, in Lucie Berná (vyd.) Martinů Revisited 2009-2010, Praha 2010, str.8-9

- Aleš Březina, Von „Experimenten“, „Synthesen“ und „definitiven Werken“, in: Aleš Březina, Ivana Rentsch (vyd.), Continuity of Change. Bohuslav Martinů in Twentieth Century Music History (=Martinů Studies 3), Peter Lang Verlag Bern 2010, str.13-37

2009

 

- Aleš Březina, Eva Velická (vyd.), Aspekte der Musik, Kunst und Religion zur Zeit der Tschechischen Moderne, Peter Lang Bern 2009 [=Martinů Studies 2]

- Aleš Březina, Martinůs musikhistorischer Ort. Prolegomena zu einer problemorientierten Darstellung des Komponisten, in: Ulrich Tadday (Hrsg.), Bohuslav Martinů, Musik-Konzepte. Neue Folge. Sonderband, Mnichov 2009, S. 5-23

- Aleš Březina, Bohuslav Martinů. Oeuvres pour piano. Préface, Eschig 2009, str. i-iii

- Aleš Březina, „… Ich habe das Anrecht auf eine Bewertung, die mit derselben Ehrlichkeit verfasst wird, mit der ich an meine Arbeit herangehe.“, in Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, 11-12, 2009, str. 5-13

 

2008

•  Aleš Březina „Mit Martinůs eigenen Mitteln erweitert.“ Die Rückkehr der Griechischen Passion von Bohuslav Martinů und Nikos Kazantzakis ans Opernhaus Zürich, in: Schweizerische Musikzeitschrift 12/2008, S.6-7
•  Aleš Březina, Tři fragmenty z Julietty, in Harmonie 12/2008
•  Aleš Březina, Martinů Revisited, in: Czech Music 11/2008
• Tři fragmenty z Julietty, in Rudolfinum Revue 11/2008
•  Aleš Březina, Martinů Revisited, in: Harmonie 9/2008

 

2007

- Aleš Březina, Bohuslav Martinů and the State(s), in Michael Beckerman (ed.), Czech Music of the 20th Century, Pendragon Press, New York 2007

 

2006

- Aleš Březina, Řecké pašije, program inscenace opery v ND Praha, Praha 2006, str.1-60

- Aleš Březina, Ariadna – Oper Köln am Rhein 2006

 

2005

- Aleš Březina, Zur Martinů-Gesamtausgabe, in Kongressbericht der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Musikforschung, 2005, str.

•  Aleš Březina, Řecké pašije, program ND Brno

 

•  Aleš Březina, Růžena Dostálová, Růžena: Řecké pašije – osud jedné opery. Korespondence Bohuslava Martinů a Nikose Kazantzakise, SETOUT Praha 2003, 229 stran. English summary.
•  Aleš Březina, Ludmila Sadílková(vyd.), Můj život s Bohuslavem Martinů, Editio Bärenreiter Praha 2003, 226 stran.
•  Aleš Březina (vyd.), Prager Musikleben zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts, Peter Lang Bern 2003 [=Martinů Studies 1]
• Aleš Březina, Řecké pašije Bremer Oper 2003
•  Aleš Březina, Mirandolina, in : takte 2003
•  Aleš Březina, Juliette, in takte 2003

 

2002

•  Aleš Březina, Příběhy Lišky Bystroušky – program Bregenzer Festspiele 2002
•  Aleš Březina, Zápisník zmizelého – program Bregenzer Festspiele 2002

 

2001

- Aleš Březina, "[...] the essential nobility of thoughts and things which are quite simple [...]. " Martinůs Versuch einer Erneuerung der Symphonie, in Giselher Schubert (Hrsg.), Die Symphonie in den 1930-er und 40-er Jahren, Jahrbuch des Paul-Hindemith-Instituts, Frankfurt a/M., 2001

- Aleš Březina, "...abych se mohl na změny předem duševně připravit." Řecké pašije - dvě opery Bohuslava Martinů, in Hudební věda, , XXXVII, Praha 2001, č.1/2, pp.137-153

- Aleš Březina, The two versions of the Greek Passion, in The Greek Passion, předmluva ke klavírnímu výtahu první verze, rekonstrukce a vydání Aleš Březina, Universal Edition Wien, 2001, pp.II-VIII.

 

2000

- Aleš Březina, "Die nächste Etappe unserer Reise liegt noch im Unbekannten." Bohuslav Martinůs Flüchtlingsdrama 'Die griechische Passion', in: Ulrich Mosch (ed.), Entrez Denges et Denezy. Dokumente zur Schweizer Musikgeschichte 1900-2000, Schott Musik International, Mainz, 2000, pp.407-413

- Aleš Březina, Die Darstellung des ausländischen Musiklebens in der tschechischen Musikpresse zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts, in: Aleš Březina (Hrsg.) Prager Musikleben zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts [=Jahrbuch der Bohuslav Martinů-Stiftung, 1/1996], Peter Lang Verlag 2000, pp.27-37

- Aleš Březina, Suite concertante for Violin and Orchestra (1939) by Bohuslav Martinů, in: Newsletter of the Dvořák Society for Czech and Slovak Music, Londýn 2000, pp.

- Aleš Březina, "Tragedy and Compassion" and "Recreating the Original", in The Greek Passion, program anglické premiéry 1. verze opery, Covent Garden 2000, pp.15-18, p.42

 

1999

- Aleš Březina, "It is God who speaks through your mouth, Manolios." Überlegungen zu den zwei Fassungen der Oper 'Die Griechische Passion, in: program světové premiéry opery Řecké pašije od Bohuslava Martinů, Bregenzer Festspiele 1999, pp.24-41

 

1997

- Aleš Březina, Eine "phantastische Schule" des Komponierens für Streichorchester. Martinůs Eingriffe in die Partita (1938) von Vítězslava Kaprálová, in Joseph Willimann (ed.), Schweizer Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft, Neue Folge 17, Peter Lang Verlag Bern 1997, pp.95-113

- Aleš Březina, "Je respire une derniere fois". Propos sur Ariane de Martinů, in Ariane/Le Chateau de Barbe-Bleue, Le Programme de l'Opéra du Rhin, Strassbourg 1997, pp.36-45

 

1996

- Aleš Březina, Newly Discovered Manuscripts of Works by Bohuslav Martinů, in: Czech Music ‘96, č.5, 1996, str.4

 

1995

- Aleš Březina, Discovering Bohuslav Martinů’s estate, in: Czech Music ‘95, č.5, September-October 1995, str.1-3

- Aleš Březina,“As two streams of blood...” Concerning the co-operation between Bohuslav Martinů and Nikos Kazantzakis, in: Czech Music ‘95, č.6, November-December 1995, str.4-5

- Aleš Březina,“...eine übertriebene, gewollte Einfachheit.” Bohuslav Martinů als Rezensent des Pariser Musiklebens, in: Felix Meyer (vyd.), Klassizistische Moderne. Werkeinführungen, Essays, Quellentexte. Eine Begleitpublikation zur Konzertreihe im Rahmen der Veranstaltungen “10 Jahre Paul Sacher Stiftung”, Winterthur 1996 [= Veröffentlichungen der Paul Sacher Stiftung, Band 4], str.449-450

- Aleš Březina, Tibor Harsányi: Nonett, in: Felix Meyer (Hrsg.), Klassizistische Moderne. Werkeinführungen, Essays, Quellentexte. Eine Begleitpublikation zur Konzertreihe im Rahmen der Veranstaltungen “10 Jahre Paul Sacher Stiftung”, Winterthur 1996 [= Veröffentlichungen der Paul Sacher Stiftung, Band 4], S.278-279

- Aleš Březina, Viktor Kalabis: Canticum Sacrum, in: Yvetta Koláčková (vyd.), Musica Iudaica 1996, Praha 1996, str.58 (in English)

- Aleš Březina, Bohuslav Martinů: The Prophecy of Isaiah, in: Yvetta Koláčková (vyd.), Musica Iudaica 1996, Praha 1996, str.58-59 (in English)

- Aleš Březina, Jak vyučoval Bohuslav Martinů, in: Hudební rozhledy, č.3, březen 1996, str.30-32

 

1994

- Aleš Březina, Die Martinů-Manuskripte in der Paul Sacher Stiftung Basel, in Joseph Willimann (Hrsg.), Schweizer Jahrbuch fuer Musikwissenschaft, N.F. 13/14, Paul Haupt Bern etc 1994, str. 157-274

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- Die Martinu-Manuskripte – in Joseph Willimann (Hrsg.), Schweizer Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft, N.F. 13/14, Paul Haupt Bern etc 1994, S.157-274

- “The two big states which make decisions about us.” Bohuslav Martinů between McCarthy's America and Communist Czechoslovakia, in: Michael Beckerman (ed.), Martinů's Mysterious Accident. Essays in Memory of Michael Henderson, Pendragon Press, New York 2007, pp. 61–71.

- “...eine übertriebene, gewollte Einfachheit.” Bohuslav Martinu als Rezensent des Pariser Musiklebens, in Felix Meyer (Hrsg.), Klassizistische Moderne, Amadeus Verlag Winterthur 1996, S.449-450

- Eine “phantastische Schule” des Komponierens für Streichorchester. Martinus Eingriffe in die ‘Partita’(1938) von Vitezslava Kapralova, in Joseph Willimann (Hrsg.), Schweizer Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft, N.F. 17, Peter Lang Bern etc. 1997, S.95-113. Reprinted in English version in: Czech Music, Year-book of the Dvorak Society, Londyn 2001

- “Je respire une dernière fois”. Propos sur Ariane de Martinu, in Ariane/Le Chateau de Barbe-Bleue, Le Programme de l’Opera du Rhin, Strassbourg 1997, pp.36-45. German version, Cologne Opera House 2006

- „It is God who speaks through your mouth, Manolios.“ Überlegungen zu den zwei Fassungen der Oper Die Griechische Passion, in: Programmheft zur Uraufführung der ersten Fassung der Oper Die Griechische Passion von Bohuslav Martinu, Bregenzer Festspiele 1999, pp.24-41

- „Tragedy and Compassion“ and „Recreating the Original“, in The Greek Passion, Programme, Covent Garden 2000, pp.15-18, p. 42

- “Die nächste Etappe unserer Reise liegt noch im Unbekannten.” Bohuslav Martinus Flüchtlingsdrama ‘Die griechische Passion’, in: Ulrich Mosch (Hrsg.), Entrez Denges et Denezy ...Dokumente zur Schweizer Musikgeschichte 1900-2000, Schott Musik International, Mainz, 2000, S.407-413

- Die Darstellung des ausländischen Musiklebens in der tschechischen Musikpresse zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts, in: Ales Brezina (Hrsg.) Prager Musikleben zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts [=Jahrbuch der Bohuslav Martinu-Stiftung, 1/1996], Peter Lang Verlag 2000, S.27-37

- “…abych se mohl na zmeny predem dusevne pripravit.” Recke pasije – dve opery Bohuslava Martinu, in Hudebni veda, , XXXVII, Praha 2001, No.1/2, pp.137-153

- „... dass ich ganze Szenen aus dieser Oper durchlebe“. Bohuslav Martinus Juliette oder Das Traumbuch zwischen Traum und Alptraum, im Programmheft der österreichischen szenischen Erstaufführung der Oper Juliette oder Das Traumbuch an den Bregenzer Festspielen 2002, S.17-20

- “[...] the essential nobility of thoughts and things which are quite simple [...]. ” Martinus Versuch einer Erneuerung der Symphonie, in Symphonik 1930-1950. Gattungsgeschichtliche und analytische Beiträge, hrsg. von Wolfgang Osthoff und Giselher Schubert, =Frankfurter Studien Band IX, Mainz 2003, S. 224-242.

- „Ich habe Bystrouska wegen des Waldes und der Traurigkeit meiner späten Jahre gefangen.“ Zur Entstehung der Oper Die Abenteuer des schlauen Füchsleins von Leos Janacek, im Programmheft der Bregenzer Festspiele 2003, S. 15-17

- Das Tagebuch eines Verschollenen, im Programmheft der Bregenzer Festspiele 2003, S. 29-31

- Editionsrichtlinien der Bohuslav Martinu Gesamtausgabe, in Hudebni veda 2004, XLI, 3-4, s. 411-432   

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  Editions of works by B. Martinu

- String quartet No.6 (with Ivan straus), Editio Baerenreiter Praha (2006)
- La revue de ciusine (with Christopher Hogwood) Editions Leduc Paris (2006)
- Loutky (Puppets) I-III  -  Editio Baerenreiter Praha (2002, 2004, 2005)
- String quartet No. 5 (with Adam Klemens) Editio Baerenreiter Praha (2005)
- String quartet No.4 (with Ivan straus), Editio Baerenreiter Praha (2004)
- Suite concertante (2nd version) – Schott Mainz (2003)
- Sonata No.3 for violoncello and piano -  Editio Baerenreiter Praha (2003)
- Jaro v zahrade (Spring in the Garden) -  Editio Baerenreiter Praha (2003)
- Symphony No.3 (with Sandra Bergmannova) Boosey and Hawkes, London (2003)
- Allegro symphonique – Baerenreiter Kassel (2002)
- Juliette or The Book of Dreams – urtext edition DILIA Praha (2005). With the original libretto in Czech and French as well as its translations into English and German
- The Greek Passion - reconstruction and urtext edition of the 1st version, UE Wien (2001)
- 4 Songs on Czech Folk Poetry, Editio Baerenreiter Praha (1999)
- String quartet E flat major – reconstruction and world premiere performance, Zurich 1993 (with the Drs Quartet)

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Libretto translations

- Juliette oder Das Traumbuch– German translation for Bregenz Festival 2002 (with Dietfried Bernet), published in the programme brochure of the Bregenz Festival 2002, Oper im Haus Juliette oder Das Traumbuch, Textbuch, int the vocal score of the opera. Recorded at CD Bregenzer Festspiele Koch Schwan 2002

- The Greek Passion – Czech translation of the 2nd version (1957-59), published in the programme brochure of the National Theatre Prague 2006 and in the vocal score of the opera. Recorded at a non-commercial CD from this production.

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Dokumentary films on B. Martinu

Navrat z exilu (Out of Exile, Czech TV 1998)
Directed by Jiri Nekvasil, screenplay by Ales Brezina and Jiri Nekvasil. Czech and English versions.

Martinu a Amerika (Martinu and the USA, Czech TV 2000)
Directed by Jiri Nekvasil, screenplay by Ales Brezina and Jiri Nekvasil. Czech and English versions.

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Film Music

Co vsechno chcete vedet o sexu a bojite se to prozit (All you want to know about sex but are affraid to live through, 1988)
Directed by Jan Hrebejk, screenplay by Petr Zelenka, music by Ales Brezina. Awards: MAXIM, student award for the best school film at the FAMU film school in Prague

Visaci zamek (Czech TV 1995)
Directed by Petr Zelenka, music arrangement "Cigara" by Ales Brezina

Mnaga – Happy end (Czech TV 1997)
Directed by Petr Zelenka, various music arrangements of „Made in Valmez“ by Ales Brezina. Released on the CD Mnaga Happy End.

Past (The Trap, Czech TV 1998)
Directed by Jan Hrebejk, music by Ales Brezina

Posledni kvartet (CT 1998)
Directed by Jan Hrebejk, music arrangement of „Slzy Mozartovy mamy sedivy“ by Ales Brezina

Knoflikari (The Buttoners, 1998)
Screenplay and directed by Petr Zelenka, music by Ales Brezina
Awards - Czech Lion – award of the Czech film academy for the best film of 1998
- Golden Tiger Rotterdam 1998

Musime si pomahat (Divided we Fall, 2000)
screenplay by Petr Jarchovsky, directed by Jan Hrebejk, music by Ales Brezina
Awards: - Czech Lion – award of the Czech film academy for the best film of 2000
- American Academy Award Nominee (Oscar) - Best Foreign Language Film, 2000
- Sundance Film Festival Official Selection 2000     Soundtrack available at Sony BMG Czech Republic.

Vlci ve meste (Wolves in the City, Czech TV 2001)
directed by Petr Nikolaev, music by Ales Brezina.

Cerna slecna – slecna Cerna (The Black Lady - Lady Black, Czech TV 2002)
Diected by Petr Nikolaev, screenplay by Daniela Fischerova, music by Ales Brezina
Award: Czech TV Prize nominee Telerama 2003

Pupendo (2003)
Directed by Jan Hrebejk, screenplay by Petr Jarchovsky, music arrangments and production: Ales Brezina. Soundtrack available at Sony BMG Czech Republic.

Horem padem (Up&Down, 2004)
Directed by Jan Hrebejk, screenplay by Petr Jarchovsky and Jan Hrebejk, music by Ales Brezina. Awards: Czech Lion 2004 - several nominations, a.o. for the Best Film Music; Official selection of the Czech Republic for OSCAR in the category The Best Foreign Language Film 2004. Soundtrack available at Sony BMG Czech Republic.

Durch diese Nacht sehe ich keinen einzigen Stern (Through this night, 2005)
Screenplay and directed by Dagmar Knöpfel, music by Ales Brezina

Krasny cas (Beatiful Times, 2006)
Directed by Andrea Sedlackova, music by Quintin Sirjacq and Richard Wagner, music arrangements and production by Ales Brezina

Ucastnici zajezdu (The Excursion Participants, 2006)
Directed by Jiri Vejdelek, music by Oskar Petr, music arrangement and production by Ales Brezina. Soundtrack available at Sony BMG Czech Republic.

Kraska v nesnazich (Beauty in Troubles, 2006)
Directed by Jan Hrebejk, screenplay by Petr Jarchovsky, music by Ales Brezina. Soundtrack available at Sony BMG Czech Republic.

Obsluhoval jsem anglickeho krale (I served the King of England, 2006)
Directed and screenplay by Jiri Menzel, music by Ales Brezina

Zapomenute koncentracni tabory (Forgotten Concentration Camps, 2007)
Documentary, directed by Lukas Pribyl, music and music selection by Ales Brezina

Chava Alberstein – Lemele (NMC Israel 2006)
music arrangements and production by Ales Brezina

Mgr. Zoja Seyčková

Zoja Seyčková attended a grammar school in Prague and studied information and library science at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy of Charles University in Prague (state exams in 1989). In 1982 she began working in the technical library at the company ČKD Polovodiče. Following maternity leave from 1994 to 2000, she worked in the information department of the Information Centre of Foundations and Other Non-profit Organisations (http://www.icn.cz, now www.neziskovky.cz) as a librarian and head of the “Database of Financial Sources for Non-profit Organisations” project. She also worked as head of the library at the private University of New York in Prague.

Since 2001 she has been working at the Bohuslav Martinů Institute, where she is responsible for the library and updating of the website. From 2003 she works also as a deputy director. She has participated in several workshops focused on publishing music materials. At a workshop in May 2003 she gave a paper titled “Processing and accessing copies of Bohuslav Martinů’s autographs at the Library of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation”. She participated in the creation of a new version of the website www.martinu.cz and coordinated a project aimed at displaying the online catalogue of the Library of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation and the catalogue of Martinů’s works on www.martinu.cz.

On the basis of analyses carried out by musicologists at the Bohuslav Martinů Institute, she created databases for scientific description of Martinů’s correspondence (Martinů’s letters to other persons and letters written by other persons to Martinů) and scientific description of autographs of scores and other music documents written in Martinů’s hand.

Furthermore, she has organised excursions for groups of visitors, schools etc. (for example, within the Open Day), participated in preparations of press conferences for the Bohuslav Martinů Fest annually held in Prague (liaising with journalists and the festival participants), and monitored press reviews. Over the long term, she has trained and coordinated the activities of musicology and library science students gaining specialist experience at the Bohuslav Martinů Institute in work with databases.
 
Since 2004 she has been an chief-editor of the Bohuslav Martinů Newsletter, (from 2009 Martinů Revue) which is published 3 times a year (from 2022 twice a year) in English.

She is also in charge of the website www.martinu.cz and the promotion of the institute, foundation and IMC, and above all information about the life and work of Bohuslav Martinů. She coordinates and controls external workers who publish information and articles on the website and on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Since 2005 she has been the secretary of the Czech National Section of the International Association of Music Libraries (IAML), participating in foreign conferences annually held by the IAML. At a conference in Gothenburg in 2006 she gave a paper in which she introduced the “Online Catalogue of Bohuslav Martinů Compositions”.

In 2022, she was the main organizational coordinator of the International IAML Congress in Prague, held in the premises of the Municipal and National Library, which was attended by over 300 visitors from all over the world.

She was the PR manager and information specialist of the “Further Education of Music Editors” project (implementation 2006-2008) supported by the European Social Fund. 

Language skills: English, French, passive German, Russian.

 

Mgr. et Mgr. Kateřina Nová, PhD.

Kateřina Nová studied cultural management at Masaryk University in Brno and musicology at Charles University. She is also continuing her doctoral studies here. In addition to her university education, she completed a one-year research stay in Indonesia or a course in museum propaedeutics. She already worked at the Bohuslav Martinů Institute from 2005–2010 and now again from 2022. In the meantime, she worked at the National Museum – Antonín Dvořák Museum as a curator, later deputy head and then as head of the museum. She devotes herself to Czech music of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially the figures of Antonín Dvořák and Bohuslav Martinů, and is also the secretary of the Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Endowment Fund.

Mgr. et Mgr. Marek Pechač

Marek obtained master degrees in Musicology (Palacký University, Olomouc) and Culture Management (Masaryk University, Brno). Presently, he is a PhD student at the Palacký University where he is writing his dissertation on the personality and work of Jan Löwenbach. 

He works at the Bohuslav Martinů Institute since 2010, currently as a coordinator of the source research. He is the co-editor of the Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition’s volume Quadruple Concertos (Bärenreiter Praha, 2018) and editor of the upcoming volume containing compositions Toccata e due canzoni and Sinfonietta La Jolla (2025).

Mgr. Jitka Zichová

After completing her studies at the Grammar School in Sladkovského Square in Prague in 1996, she began attending the Prague Conservatoire. She studied the oboe in the class of Professor František Xaver Thuri, graduating in 2002. At the same time, she studied at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy of Charles University (Czech Studies, 1996-1999). Subsequently, she attended the Institute of Musicology of Charles University, from which she graduated in 2007 with a master’s degree after having written her thesis on the topic “Miroslav Venhoda, new madrigal singers, Prague Madrigal Singers and creation for these ensembles”, in which she also paid significant attention to Bohuslav Martinu’s works.

Since graduating, she has performed both as a solo oboist and with numerous orchestras (the South Bohemia Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Ceské Budejovice, Praga Sinfonietta, the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra), chamber ensembles (Czech Madrigal Singers, Prague Church Soloists) and choirs (Pueri gaudentes, Prague Singers, University Artistic Ensemble of Charles University Prague).

She has worked on transcriptions and corrections of scores by, for example, O. A. Tichý, F. X. Thuri, etc. (including production of performance materials), participated in the preparation of the scores of several chorales for the complete edition of A. Dvorak’s works. She has also devoted to production activity, especially when it comes to organising sacred music concerts and festive church services (the Podblanice Autumn festival, Svatá Hora u Pribrami, the Royal Premonstratensian Canony at Strahov, the Roman Catholic Parish in Stribro, St Henry – Prague 1, the All Saints Church – Prague Castle).

She has been working in Bohuslav Martinů Institute from 2010, at present as a coordinator of Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition and musical editor.

Languages: English, German.

Mgr. Martin Ledvinka

Martin works as a musicologist at the Institute since 2011, focusing mainly on development and administration of the Institute’s Online Database of Sources and source-research for the Bohuslav Martinu Complete Edition. He also manages the online store eshop.martinu.cz and supports scholars from around the world reaching the Institute for information concerning their research on Bohuslav Martinů. Next to his musicological career, he works with kids and children’s groups in his project Healing Game (www.healing-game.cz).

Mgr. Natálie Krátká, DiS.

Following her graduation from the Evropská Grammar School in Prague, she enrolled in a musicology course at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University. The Erasmus study programme allowed her to broaden her knowledge of the field at Leipzig University. She also studied classical singing at the Teplice Conservatory (Barbora de Nunes-Cambraia).

She works at the Bohuslav Martinů Institute as a source researcher since 2020. She is currently focused on preparing source materials for the planned monograph Making Real Theatre.

In 2022, she discovered a previously unknown composition by Bohuslav Martinů, Romance for violin and piano, H 186bis (1930), in the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. In 2025, she became its editor in collaboration with the music publisher Bärenreiter Praha.

She also performs concerts and teaches. Furthermore she writes articles for the music website Opera Plus and publishes scholarly papers in journals such as Knihy a dějiny (Library of the Czech Academy of Sciences) or Martinů Revue (IBM and IMC).

Language skills: English, German – active, Latin – passive

Mgr. Pavel Žůrek, PhD.

Mgr. Pavel Žůrek, Ph.D. (1979) studied musicology at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno. He completed his studies in Brno in 2017 with a doctoral examination. During his studies, he specialized in the music of the Benedictine Order in the Czech lands (especially in the Rajhrad Monastery) and source research of music from the 17th to the 20th century in various institutions (Department of History of Music of the Moravian Museum in Brno, Moravian Library in Brno) with a focus on cooperation with the Répertoire International des Sources Musicales. 

Since 2013 he has been working as a musicologist at Bohuslav Martinů Institute. First of all, as a source researcher, he participated in the creation of a new database of sources and correspondence. Since 2014, he has been working at  institute mainly as an editor of BMCE ( The Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition). He is a member of the BMCE Editorial Board and author of the volume of the opera Mariken de Nimègue (2023), and co-author of the  volumes of String Quartets II (2017), Quadruple concertos (Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra, 2018), and Concerto da Camera / Rhapsody Concerto (2019). He is the co-author of a monograph with a critical edition of the correspondence of Bohuslav Martinů and Jan Novák, The Artist Must Never Lose Courage. Jan Novák and Bohuslav Martinů in the Light of the Correspondence (1947-1959) from 2021.


 

Romana Pohořalá