Bohuslav Martinů in the upcoming season of the National Theatre Brno

The National Theatre Brno revealed its program for the 2018/2019 season, in which it will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the death of Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959). During the season, it will stage one premiere of Martinů’s opera and two other productions from previous years.
→ More

Serving orchestral goodies. Martinů's early music in reviews

At the end of last year, a new album from Toccata Classics with early orchestral works vol. III by Bohuslav Martinů was released. The album contains two short pieces Dream of the Past, H 124 or Ballade (after Böcklin’s picture Villa by the Sea), H 97 and the symphonic triptych Vanishing Midnight, H 131. Album recorded by Ian Hobson with Sinfonia Warsaw and pianist Agnieszka Kopack is now reviewed by music magazines.
→ More

Jiří Bělohlávek: Recollection

Supraphon has released a huge collection of recordings by Jiří Bělohlávek, which were created between 1971 and 2016. It is a collection of pivotal and unknown recordings as well, which were recorded by the Brno Philharmonic, the Czech Philharmonic, the Prague Philharmonia, or the Prague Symphony Orchestra. “The selection of Jiří Bělohlávek’s recordings was made less than a year after his passing away. It above all serves to recollect the extraordinary musician and human,” said Matouš Vlčinský, Supraphon’s prouducer.
→ More

Symphony No. 4 in the Prague Spring Festival

On June 1, 2018, American conductor David Robertson and Czech Philharmonic will perform Martinů during the Prague Spring Festival. The music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will conduct in Municipal House Bartók’s Bluebeard's Castle and the famous Symphony No. 4, H 305 by Bohuslav Martinů. „This will be my first time conducting the 4thSymphony, but the resonance of playing it in the Prague Spring is wonderful,“ says David Robertson.
→ More

Diapason d'Or goes to Martinů's Madrigals

After the Gramophone magazine awarded the recording of Bohuslav Martinů’s Madrigals by Martinů Voices and choirmaster Lukáš Vasilek Editor's Choice, another prestigious magazine praises the new album released by Supraphon. In the May issue of the Diapason, Madrigals received the Diapason d'Or.
→ More

Prague Spring laureate Václav Petr was given Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Award

The young Czech cellist Václav Petr was awarded 2nd prize from this year's Prague Spring competition, which is even more valuable because the first prize was not awarded. Václav Petr, who has been the concert master of the Czech Philharmonic since 2014, left behind in the final round contestants from Austria, Ukraine or South Korea. Besides the 2nd prize, he won a special prize of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation for the best performance of the piece written by Martinů.
→ More

Martinů for the first time in Zambia

At the beginning of May, Martinů’s music was performed for the first time in Zambia during the first year of the Lusaka Art Festival, which was founded by Zambian enthusiasts and several embassies. Cellist Martin Sedlák, who won the Bohuslav Martinu Foundation Competition in 1997, performed Variations on a Theme of Slovak Folk Song, H 378 by Bohuslav Martinů together with pianist Latvian Agnes Eglina.
→ More

New issue of Martinů Revue (1.2018) is out! Now also in digital version

The first issue of Martinů Revue of 2018 was published and as always it contains all the latest news, reviews and interviews concerning the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů, as well as information on recent publications and newly released albums with his music. It is now available in digital version.
→ More

Songs thrice lost

When Bohuslav Martinů composed his Three Songs after Poems by Guillaume Apollinaire, (H 197) in 1930 for the singer Anna Pečírková, he probably did not foresee that the songs would be lost three times over in the following years - and that they would be found again three times. The first loss occurred in 1933, a few days before the first performance, but the songs were successfully discovered in time for Pečírková and her accompanist Václav Štěpan to perform them as planned in Prague’s Mozarteum. The manuscript was lost for a second time in 1944, when the Gestapo burst into Anna Pečírková's flat. The manuscript and other things belonging to her were packed up; she herself was taken to Terezín and later to the concentration camp at Ravensbruck. Fortunately, all turned out well and she survived the war. Miraculously, Miloš Šebánek discovered the manuscript in a second-hand bookshop after the war and brought it back to Pečírková. It was lost for a third time when the singer loaned it to Miloš Šafránek in 1949 and he failed to return it. In the end, the three songs were discovered last year in the estate of Czech choirmaster Miroslav Košler, later to be purchased by the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation.
→ More

Martinů fest 2018

From May 6, 21st Martinů fest 2018 will take place in Polička. Apollon Quartet, the Prague Castle Guard and Police Orchestra, soprano Gabriela Beňačková or pianist Karel Košárek will perform works mostly by Bohuslav Martinů. The festival will begin with a commemorative act at the Bohuslav Martinů’s grave and with the opening concert at Tyl House, where Martinů's Opening of the Springs will be performed.
→ More

Die Haghe Sanghers will perform in Polička

On April 29th, the Dutch male choir Die Haghe Sanghers, founded almost a century ago, will perform at the Tyl House, Polička. The choir is closely associated with Bohuslav Martinů, as he originally composed the cantata Mount of Three Lights, H 349 for male choir, baritone and organ for Haghe Sanghers. The Mount of Three Lights has been a part of Haghe Sanghers‘ repertoire for more than 60 years since 1955, when it was premiered in Bern. The cantata will be performed on Sunday in Polička, together with compositions by Bedřich Smetana, Karel Bendl, Edward Grieg and Leoš Janáček.
→ More

Recording of the Month goes to Bouquet of Flowers

The recently released recording of the Bohuslav Martinů’s Bouquet of Flowers, which was recorded by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Tomáš Netopil, has received award Recording of the Month by the MusicWeb International. The new recording by Supraphon with Jan Novák's Philharmonic Dances was recorded also by soloists Kateřina Kněžíková, Michaela Kapustová, Jaroslav Březina, Adam Plachetka, the Prague Philharmonic Choir, and Kühn's Children's Choir.
→ More

Concertos released by Pentatone

The new album with Martinů’s double-concertos and concerto for solo instruments and orchestra has been released by Pentatone label. Soloists are women only, sisters Momo and Mari Kodama perform Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, H292, as well as sisters Deborah and Sarah Nemtanu who perform Concerto in D major for two violins and orchestra, H329. Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, H 337 is played by violist Magali Demesse. The new CD is recorded by Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Lawrence Foster.
→ More

The Greek Passion for the first time in Russia

On April 19, the Greek Passion by Bohuslav Martinů was staged for the first time in Russia in Ekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Director of the first version of the opera is Thaddeus Strassberger and conductor of the production is the current Chiefconductor of the Ekaterinburg Opera Oliver van Dohnanyi.
→ More

Bohuslav Martinů in the upcoming season of the Czech Philharmonic

The Czech Philharmonic presented a complete program for its 123rd season at the press conference. In 2019, it will commemorate the 60th anniversary since the death of Bohuslav Martinů, whose name will be regularly appearing on concert programs. In Prague‘s Rudolfinum, Martinů’s pieces will be conducted by the names such as Jakub Hrůša, David Robertson, Semyon Bychkov or Jiří Rožeň. His works for soloists and orchestra will be performed by violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann or oboist Jana Brožková.
→ More

A momentary opening of the heavens. Two symphonies by Bohuslav Martinů performed by the Czech Philharmonic

For three days late this March, Prague’s Rudolfinum was almost exclusively devoted to Bohuslav Martinů. Besides a rendition of Arnold Schoenberg’s Piano Concerto Op. 42, Jakub Hrůša, President of the International Martinů Circle, led the Czech Philharmonic through two of Martinů’s symphonies – Symphony No. 3 and Fantaisies symphoniques (Symphony No. 6). The performance was part of a project to record the symphonic works of Martinů for Supraphon and to create a complete audiovisual series of his symphonies. Read the enthusiastic reviews of the concert published in Harmonie, Opera Plus, and iDNES.cz.
→ More

Two symphonies in Rudolfinum

The Czech Philharmonic will present on March 28 - 30 works of two European composers who were forced to emigrate to the United States because of the World War II. Under the baton of Jakub Hrůša, Symphony No. 3, H 299 and Fantaisies Symphoniques (Symphony No. 6), H 343 by Bohuslav Martinů will be performed at the Prague Rudolfinum. The program will also include the Piano Concerto Op. 42 by Arnold Schönberg performed by Japanese pianist Mitsuko Uchida.
→ More

Bohuslav Martinů's letters dedicated to Polička

Town Museum and Gallery Polička received an unique gift - a complete set of original letters written by Bohuslav Martinů to his friend Frank Rybka. The descendants of a composer's friend living in America have decided to dedicate letters to the museum. Now the letters were moved to Czech Republic and became part of the most extensive collection of manuscripts of the famous Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů.
→ More

František Pospíšil passed away at the age of 83

On March 11, violinist, pedagogue and conductor František Pospíšil passed away at the age of 83. Pospíšil premiered Bohuslav Martinů's Bergerettes for violin, cello and piano, H 275 with Foerster Trio thanks to his meeting with Charlotte Martinů. The Bergerettes were recorded for Czechoslovak Radio in 1965.
→ More

Final volume of Martinů's Songs by Naxos

The fifth and final volume of the complete songs by Bohuslav Martinů has been released. Featuring mezzosoprano Jana Hrochová (Wallingerová) and pianist Giorgio Koukl as in previous volumes, the album released by Naxos offers more than 30 songs written in the first half of the 20th century. It also includes 3 Songs after Poems by G. Apollinaire, long thought to be lost but rediscovered just few weeks before recording. „The music is surely the highlight of all the edition's five volumes,“ says Jana Hrochová.
→ More