100 years of Martinů: The Little Dance Suite
2019 sees the 60th anniversary of the death of Bohuslav Martinů, and 2020 the 130th anniversary of his birth. As part of the anniversary celebrations, this site is launching a new series entitled "100 years of Martinů", dedicated to works written or first performed one hundred years ago. These first noteworthy compositions by Martinů will be examined by leading Czech and foreign musicologists. Michael Crump begins the series with a short overview of the Little Dance Suite, H 123.→ More
The Plays of Mary at the Smetana's Litomyšl
Tonight, performace of the opera The Plays of Mary by Bohuslav Martinů will take place at the Smetana's Litomyšl International Opera Festival. The opera will be staged in the successful production of Janáček's Opera of the National Theater in Brno. The performance will take place in the castle courtyard from 9.30 pm.→ More
Tribute to the theremin at the Prague Spring
Concert of the Prague Spring festival called “Tribute to the theremin” will take place on 24 May 2019 in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague. Its focal point will be Fantasia for Theremin, Oboe, String Quartet and Piano, H 301 by Bohuslav Martinů, featuring famous Carolina Eyck, Bennewitz Quartet, oboist Alžběta Jamborová and pianist Karel Košárek. The program of the concert will also include Martinů's String Quartet No. 3, Butterflies and Birds of Paradise, String Quartet in G major by Joseph Haydn, and the world premiere of composition æther by Jakub Rataj.→ More
Martinů Songs reviewed
At the beginning of 2019, a successful album with Martinů's songs was released by Supraphon (Songs on One Page, H 294, Songs on Two Pages, H 302, New Slovak Songs, H 126, and The New Chapbook, H 288), featuring soprano Martina Janková, baritone Tomáš Král and pianist Ivo Kahánek. In addition to the praiseworthy reviews of magazines and music web sites, such as Diapason, Le Monde, MusicWeb International, or Gramophone, the album received Diapason d’Or.→ More
Oboist Martin Daněk wins Prague Spring Competition with Martinů
Czech oboist Martin Daněk takes first prize from this year's Prague Spring International Music Competition. The jury selected him as the winner after the final day, during which the last four contestants performed on May 13 in the Dvořák Hall the Concerto for Oboe and String Orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra, H 353 by Bohuslav Martinů. Finalists were accompanied by the Chamber orchestra of the Prague Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ondřej Vrabec. In addition to the first prize, Martin Daněk won the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Prize for the best performance of Martinů's piece.→ More
Complete Cello Sonatas recorded by Nouzovsky and Wyss are out now
After an album with complete works for cello and orchestra by Bohuslav Martinů, released in 2017, one of the most prominent Czech artists, Petr Nouzovský, comes with another album with works by the Czech composer. Together with the legendary pianist Gérard Wyss, they recorded Martinů’s cello sonatas from 1939 to 1952 for ArcoDiva label. The album was presented on May 6 at the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in Prague.→ More
Juliette for the first time in Ostrava
The progressive director duo SKUTR (Martin Kukučka and Lukáš Trpišovský) has prepared a surrealistic work by Bohuslav Martinů, Juliette or The Key of Dreams, H 253 with the ensemble of the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre and guest soloists. The premiere of the opera will take place at the Antonín Dvořák Theatre on Thursday 11 April at 6:30 pm, and the second performance will follow on Saturday 13 April. The National Moravian-Silesian Theatre's first ever production of this opera will honor the 60thanniversary of the composer's death and the anniversary of his birth in 2020.→ More
The Bohuslav Martinů Revue is out now
The Bohuslav Martinů Revue has released its first issue of 2019. The volume covers a diverse spectrum of content including reviews of the Bohuslav Martinů Days, an obituary honoring musicologist Graham Melville-Mason, a feature on Japanese pianist Yukiko Sawa, exciting news regarding the Bohuslav Martinů Wikipedia page, and much more!→ More
Operatic masterpiece Juliette 'dusted off' in New York
The US premiere of the Czech version of Bohuslav Martinů’s opera Juliette took place on Friday, 22 March in Carnegie Hall. The performance of the American Symphony Orchestra, conductor Leon Botstein, soloists Aaron Blake, Sara Jakubiak, David Cangelosi, Alfred Walker and many others, reviewed, for instance, New York Times and Opera Wire..→ More
Diapason d'Or for Martinů: Songs
Recently, Supraphon’s recordings with music of Bohuslav Martinů have been praised both home and abroad. This month is not any different, Bohuslav Martinů: Songs, recorded by soprano Martina Janková, baritone Tomáš Král and pianist Ivo Kahánek, received a positive review in the April edition of Diapason magazine and, also, the highest of its awards - Diapason d’Or.→ More
The US premiere of Juliette in Carnegie Hall
On 22 March 2019, the American Symphony Orchestra will premiere Bohuslav Martinů’s opera Juliette (The Key to Dreams), H 253 in the United States under the baton of Leon Botstein. ’The concert performance of Martinů´s most successful opera will take place in Czech in Carnegie Hall, New York City. Soprano Sara Jakubiak will perform the role of Juliette and the role of, Michel will be sung by tenor Aaron Blake.→ More
The one who helped Martinů to return home. Emil Leichner passed away
At the age of 80, the eminent piano teacher, pianist, former long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation and great proponent of the music of Bohuslav Martinů Prof. Emil Leichner passed away. To commemorate his artistic legacy, we are publishing an interview by Věroslav Němec that Harmonie magazine recorded with Mr Leichner three years ago, when he was awarded the Medal of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation.→ More
The Greek Passion in the upcoming season of the National Theatre Brno
On 6 March, the National Theatre Brno presented a program for the upcoming 2019/2020 season at its press conference. Included in the program are three of Martinů’s works: The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Plays of Mary and Three Fragments from Juliette. In the next season, fans of Martinů's music can look forward to hearing another production – his opera The Greek Passion. Tickets will be on sale March 11, 2019.→ More
Angel Award goes to the album with What Men Live By and Symphony No. 1
The Czech music Angel Award announced this year a new “Classical music" category hto honor the best classical album of the previous year. During yesterday's ceremony, this award went to the recording of the pastoral opera What Men Live By and Symphony No. 1 by Bohuslav Martinů. The Supraphon album, which was recorded by the Czech Philharmonic, Martinů Voices, choirmaster Lukáš Vasilek, soloists Ivan Kusnjer, Petr Svoboda, Jan Martiník, Lucie Silkenová, Ester Pavlů, Jaroslav Březina, Lukáš Mareček, and narrated by Josef Špaček, was the last Martinů recording of the famous conductor Jiří Bělohlávek.→ More
New issue of Martinů Revue is out!
The final issue of the Martinů Revue for 2018 is now available. The volume contains a story about Jiří Bělohlávek's last recording of music by Martinů, an photo exhibition of the composer, excerpts of recent publications, and details about outstanding concerts featuring Czech classical music.→ More
Martina Janková: Martinů Songs a dream come true
Three renowned artists – the soprano Martina Janková, the baritone Tomáš Král and the pianist Ivo Kahánek – made a recording of Bohuslav Martinů's Songs for Supraphon which was released in February. We asked Martina Janková a couple of questions about the new release, about the co-operating artists as well as about her plans for the future.→ More
Bohuslav Martinů enthusiasts gather on Facebook
The International Martinů Circle has decided to launch a Facebook Group, 'Bohuslav Martinů enthusiasts', and we very much hope that you will join us. You may be aware of several Martinů pages on Facebook already but the Facebook Group will be very different. Instead of just reading information, you will be able to interact with other enthusiasts, share your opinions on Martinů's music, draw the attention of others to your favourite recordings or videos, advertise performances, arrange to meet other members at Martinů events or even canvas opinions by conducting a poll. In short, it is an excellent tool for bringing Martinů fans closer together and spreading the word about his extraordinary legacy.→ More
Last album of Jiří Bělohlávek with the music of Martinů collects awards
In the autumn of last year, Supraphon released the last album of conductor Jiří Bělohlávek with the music of Bohuslav Martinů. Since then, the recording with one-act opera What Men Live By and Symphony No. 1 has been collecting awards both home and abroad, such as Choice of the Harmonie magazine, Recording of the Week by Presto Classical, Diapason Découverte awarded to the rare discoveries, and Disc of the Month by Opera Magazine. The album also recorded, besides Jiří Bělohlávek, the Czech Philharmonic, Ivan Kusnjer, Petr Svoboda, Jan Martiník, Lucie Silkenová, Ester Pavlů, Jaroslav Březina, Josef Špaček (narrator), Lukáš Mareček and Martinů Voices (chorus master Lukáš Vasilek) perform in the recording.→ More
Martinů Songs released by Supraphon
A new album of Bohuslav Martinů’s Songs on One Page, H 294, Songs on Two Pages, H 302, New Slovak Songs, H 126, and The New Chapbook, H 288, as performed by the soprano Martina Janková, the baritone Tomáš Král and the pianist Ivo Kahánek, will be released by Supraphon on 8 February 2019.→ More
Bohuslav Matoušek celebrates his 70th birthday with complete music of Bohuslav Martinů for violin and orchestra
The eminent Czech violinist Bohuslav Matoušek is releasing a set of four CDs with Bohuslav Martinů’s complete concert works for violin and orchestra, care of London-based Hyperion Records. The compositions were recorded in collaboration with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Christopher Hogwood.→ More
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