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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Graham Melville-Mason turned 85 this year

Graham Melville-Mason is surely well known to all lovers of Czech music. This British musicologist, writer and organizer led British Dvořák Society and also worked as an honorary advisor of the Prague Spring Festival. At the beginning of March, he celebrated his 85th birthday which did not escape attention of cellist and member of the Martinů Quartet Jitka Vlašánková, longtime friend of this great promoter of Czech music and music of Bohuslav Martinů.
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Extraordinary, skilful and atmospheric music. Gramophone's Editor's Choice for Madrigals

The March issue of the prestigious Gramophone magazine brings another great news for Czech music. Gramophone awarded the recording of Bohuslav Martinů’s Madrigals by Martinů Voices and choirmaster Lukáš Vasilek Editor's Choice. An album with six choir cycles was released by Supraphon in January 2018.
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Diapason d'Or for the Epic of Gilgamesh

The new recording of the Epic of Gilgamesh released by Supraphon last October received another prestigious award. In the February issue of the most prominent French magazine Diapason, it received the Diapason d'Or. The album, which features the Czech Philharmonic under the baton of Manfred Honeck, the Prague Philharmonic Choir and soloists, has since release been awarded the Disc of the Week (BBC Radio 3), the Sunday Times (Album of the Week) or the Sunday Times (Album of the Year).
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The festive launch of the fifth volume of the Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition

The director of the Bohuslav Martinů Institute Aleš Březina and violinist and composer Pravoslav Kohout launched the fifth volume of the Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition on March 6. This volume contains critical edition of String Quartets Nos. 4 – 7 which Martinů composed between 1937 and 1947. The festive launch took place at the Bedřich Smetana Museum where the Stamic Quartet performed Martinů’s String Quartet No. 7 (Concerto da camera), H 314.
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