Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
Mon, Feb 14 2011, 11:04AM
As he sneaked in the back door whilst we were talking about Weber, it´s only fair to bring him centre stage before we go any further. Martinu composed about 400 works, of which I am familiar with about a dozen. The 6 symphonies are all worth a listen and get progressively better, ending with an extraordinary work, one of the most strangely beautiful and beautifully strange pieces of the 20th century. The Memorial to Lidice is one of the most moving orchestral pieces I have ever heard. The Greek Passion is a wonderful opera that works on all levels, and I have no doubt that it would be enjoyed immensely by anyone who likes opera, if it were ever performed, but that´s another story.
Other pieces I´ve heard that I liked but I don´t know very well are the Frescoes of Piero della Francesca, the Epic of Gilgamesh; Julietta; the 4th Piano Concerto, and the Nonet he wrote in the last year of his life.
He wrote an immense amount of chamber music, none of which that I´ve heard (Nonet aside) has made any lasting impression on me. His jazzy neoclassical stuff I don´t like, but I could say that for a lot of Neoclassical works, I can´t listen to Pulcinella without thinking, ah Igor what are you doing?
At his best Martinu has an unmistakably singular, colourful and powerful voice that I would urge anyone to investigate if they don´t already know him.
What other pieces or recordings would people recommend?
Mon, Feb 14 2011, 7:11PM
#2
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
Thanks Durob. Further to the discussion on the Weber strand I bought the recent Belohlavek/Czech PO recording of the 5th and 6th Symphonies, and enjoyed them (without feeling I'd yet grasped them). Your wonderfully evocative description of the 6th makes me eager to return to it.
I was saying before about finding it difficult to get a 'steer' on the symphonies. Of course a musical work stands or falls by the strength of out connection with the music, but as a way in, does anyone have thoughts on how I could approach Martinu's moods, structures, influences and so on?
Mon, Feb 14 2011, 8:34PM
#3
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
The 4th Piano Concerto is an impressive piece. There's an interesting disc of his ballets - Spalicek, Spectre's Bride, Romance of the Dandelions, The Primrose - on Supraphon. Not quite top-drawer Martinu but very pleasant. I agree re. neo-classical Martinu. Just can't get into works like The Parables and Estampes. The Field Mass is a masterpiece, a perfect example of restrictions inspiring a composer. Instrumentation is limited to those a field unit of the army would possibly carry - brass, percussion and a harmonium. Text is a perfectly-judged mix of poetry by Mucha and texts from the bible. A very moving work. Go for the Belohlavek version in preference to the Mackerras, one of Sir Charles' rare misfires.
More than once I've seen reference made to the drug mescalin during discussion of the 6th Symphony. Whether that's sheer coincidence or there is in fact some connection, I can't recall. It's certainly a trippy piece and an amazing work in every respect.
Martinu is atrociously served on dvd. There's a lip-synched film of the Greek Passion and that's it as far as I know. We very badly need a Julietta, surely one of the most haunting operas ever written.
Tue, Feb 15 2011, 12:00AM
#4
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
The double concerto for strings and timpani is a dark and powerful work - written as the Nazis marched into Czechoslovakia.
The symphonies, and les Fresques are wonderful luminous rhythmic works.
Cello concertos are satisfying
P
Tue, Feb 15 2011, 9:58AM
#5
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
A very interesting question John, and a very difficult one to answer. All I can say is that approaching Martinu depends very much on which he is wearing. His most interesting music for me bears the influence mostly of Stravinsky, Bartok and Janacek. If you listen to the fragments from Julietta they are more than a little indebted to the Rite of Spring. Some of his magical orchestral sounds put me in mind of Bartok´s night music, but they are wholly his. Like Janacek he seems to use those strange Moravian and Bohemian melodies, but he takes all of these influences and creates something new and different. Clearly late Romanticism was also a strong influence, but he puts a quirky spin on it with unusual harmonies and wonderfully colourful orchestration.
Tue, Feb 15 2011, 1:36PM
#6
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
The 6 symphonies are all worth a listen and get progressively better, ending with an extraordinary work, one of the most strangely beautiful and beautifully strange pieces of the 20th century.
Whose recordings would you recommend - either as a 'set' or as individual symphonies?
I don't have any of Martinu's symphonies yet, so would appreciate a pointer to get me over the initial paralysis of deciding whose version(s) to go for :-)
He wrote an immense amount of chamber music, none of which that I've heard (Nonet aside) has made any lasting impression on me.
I do like the String Quartets, although as they span his compositional styles I can understand why you might not like all of them. Try the fifth again (the Panocha String Quartet do a fine rendition).
The two Cello Concertos are pleasant enough - the start of the first one sounds bizarrely like the theme music for a Western to me - but they wouldn't be in my top howevermany of cello works.
The Concerto for Two Pianos & Orchestra is huge fun - and as it's contemporary with the Symphonies you might like it, too.
But the two Violin Concertos are my favourites (of Martinu's works that I've heard so far, that is). I've got the Josef Suk, Czech Phil, Vaclav Neumann Supraphon recording, and it's hard to imagine it being bettered.
Tue, Feb 15 2011, 7:46PM
#7
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
That´s two recommendations for the Violin Concertos, I shall have to check them out. The only complete set of the Martinu symphonies I have is an old 4lp set of Neumann with the Czech Philharmonic. I also have the last two with the Memorial to Lidice on the Supraphon Ancerl Gold CD collection, a wonderful single CD. I´m not able to comment on the new cats, but elsewhere Tagalie spoke highly of Bryden Thompson´s set on Chandos at a very good price.
I mean to give the String Quartets another go, and I know exactly what you mean about that first Cello Concerto, like Bonanza or something, but I don´t think I´ll be listening to either of those concertos again.
Tue, Feb 15 2011, 7:51PM
#8
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
Whose recordings would you recommend - either as a 'set' or as individual symphonies?
I don't have any of Martinu's symphonies yet, so would appreciate a pointer to get me over the initial paralysis of deciding whose version(s) to go for :-)
The two Cello Concertos are pleasant enough - the start of the first one sounds bizarrely like the theme music for a Western to me - but they wouldn't be in my top howevermany of cello works.
The symphonies are quite lucky on record, going back through Belohlavek, Neumann to Ancerl and Turnovsky. All Supraphon or recorded in Supraphon-style venues with those long reverbaration times. So lots of sheen on the violins which comes across as edginess on the older recordings. But regardless of price the Thomson set on Chandos is my favourite and it happens to be cheap. It was my first venture away from Czech orchestras in Martinu and I wondered if I was going to have to forgo some of that 'authenticity'. No such thing. All the rhythmic vitality, joy and singing qualities are there and Thomson seems to me to hold them together as symphonies better than anyone else. One of my biggest record-buying surprises.
Strange you should say that about the first cello concerto because it's the second that opens like an old western to my ears. I agree they're not his best music nor are they the greatest cello concertos though I'd put the second and the Concertino streets ahead of the first.
The connnection, real or imagined, between classical and film music gives food for thought. Prokofiev's VC 1, in the finale, sounds like a direct cull from some 'ol romantic movie until you realize it predates sound in films by a decade or so. Lots of Dvorak sounds a bit filmy and Walton was often tagged with writing like a movie composer (aside from the stuff he actually did produce for films). Makes you wonder who was copying whom.
Tue, Feb 15 2011, 8:07PM
#9
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
Thanks to all so far. I'm finding the discussion of possible recordings and ways-in very helpful. I dug out my long-acquired (but not much played) Chandos CD of Belohlavek in the Concerto for Double String Orchestra, Timpani and Piano this morning. It's a powerful recording, indeed, of a powerful work (I have recent memories too of an LSO concert performance under my near-namesake John Eliot Gardiner). Haunting to think it was finished on the day the Munich agreement (beginning Hitler's carve-up of Czechoslovakia) was signed.
I also bought a complete Martinu symphony cycle with the Bamberg SO under Neeme Jarvi on Brilliant Classics a couple of years ago. Originally (and still) on BIS, but this cost me about £12 I seem to remember. I bought it for future investigation - for now, I suppose.
Tue, Feb 15 2011, 9:00PM
#10
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
I´m sure a lot of people, used as they are to generic, stock in trade Hollywood movies, probably think, if and when they hear Mahler for example that he´s a rip off of John Williams.
Late Romanticism is the basic template for all movies these days. You can almost write it yourself as you watch it. Romantic embrace cue lush strings, action calls for brass and percussion, parting lovers that has to be the oboe or slow piano melody, sweeping scenes of nature anything pseudo Irish will do the job. It´s lamentable how narrow and similar music tends to be in films nowadays. The fact that directors like Hitchcock and Kubrick thought a lot about the vital importance music plays in a film, and that a lot of their films are unforgettable is not a coincidence for me.
Another thing that seems to be completely unused today is silence, an incredibly powerful tool for creating atmosphere in a film, and it seems that only tonal music will do. As a kid I used to love those old Hammer Horror soundtracks; it was only later that I discovered that they were mostly atonal and some serious composers like Frankel were responsible for writing them.
Wed, Feb 16 2011, 1:51PM
#11
RE: dubrob
You are so right about this; I think the music for the Lord of the Rings trilogy a prime example of this pseudo-romantic soup.
I don't know if you're familiar with any anime, but Joe Hisaishi, who usually does the soundtracks to films by Hayao Miyazake, manages to cross all sorts of musical boundaries, including solo voice, orchestra, synthesizers and percussion, mixing Western and Japanese idioms. Listen if you can to his soundtrack to My Neighbour Totoro, which is simply wonderful and blends all these things with humour and pathos. The perfect antidote to poor soundtracks; Miyazake's films are also unafraid of using extended periods of silence - the catbus/rain scene in Totoro is one of the most magical in all cinema.
Getting back to the subject in hand, one of my favourite Martinů works is the Toccatta e due canzoni - I have Hogwood's recording on Arte Nova, generally available for around a fiver.
Wed, Feb 16 2011, 7:17PM
#12
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
The sound technician for Kieslowski's Trois Couleurs - Rouge talks about the director's deliberate use of silence in the film.
One very beneficial aspect of this Composer of the Week focus is it's forcing me to revisit recordings I haven't listened to in a while - this time the Martinu cello works with orchestra, last week the Lutoslawski 2nd and 4th symphonies. Which makes me realize there's a dividing line in my listening experience. All through my working career I endured at least 1 1/2 hours of car commuting per day, made passable by playing tapes - usually of cds I'd recently bought. This way I got to know so many pieces and took the time to gain some understanding of works that at first made no sense. The Carter second quartet comes to mind. Since retiring I haven't had this luxury/imposition and I'm finding more than a few cds in my collection, bought in recent years, that demand further listening.
Given that my car now spends most of its time parked, perhaps I can use my Sansa Clip to this end, but I don't want to be one of those dorks wandering around wearing headphones, nodding to some beat and humming out of tune. Still, if you can't be ridiculous when you're an old fart, when can you be?
Wed, Feb 16 2011, 11:03PM
#13
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
Dork on Tagalie, I spend a lot of time wandering around wearing headphones, massive things, although I don´t nod or hum, at least to the best of my knowledge. I find listening to music while walking, admittedly not barging through rush hour pedestrian traffic, leads to really concentrated listening. I think the mind, especially the ever aging mind, can drift if your sitting down. When you are outside and moving you need to be more alert. You would think there would be too many distractions, but I don´t find this to be the case.
I started this post also to focus my own listening, and it seems to be working, good to know that it helps others too.
Thu, Feb 17 2011, 9:38PM
#14
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
... regardless of price the Thomson set on Chandos is my favourite and it happens to be cheap. It was my first venture away from Czech orchestras in Martinu and I wondered if I was going to have to forgo some of that 'authenticity'.
I do know what you mean. When in doubt I usually go for an orchestra/soloist/conductor of the matching nationality. (There's another thread waiting in there :-)
But, then, Mackerras did a fantastic job with Janáček, so...
No such thing. All the rhythmic vitality, joy and singing qualities are there and Thomson seems to me to hold them together as symphonies better than anyone else. One of my biggest record-buying surprises.
Well, I opted to get the RSNO/Bryden Thomson set. It'll be a while before I've listened to all six properly, but no.1 seems suitably full of vim and vigour where it's called for, and, as you say, it's all held together very well.
And I may yet get the Czech PO/Ancerl recording of 5 & 6 (plus the Memorial to Lidice), as it seems to be very highly regarded.
Fri, Feb 18 2011, 12:59AM
#15
RE: Composer of the week : Bohuslav Martinu
And I may yet get the Czech PO/Ancerl recording of 5 & 6 (plus the Memorial to Lidice), as it seems to be very highly regarded.
The Ancerl is very good, as is most of what he did, but the sound is a bit scrawny and I find Martinu, like Mahler, really needs top quality recording. Mind you, my copy of the Ancerl is an old vinyl pressing and perhaps they've done much to improve it since.
Agree totally re. Mackerras in Janacek. Andrew Davis is excellent too.
I continually get blown away by how good the SNO is these days, not only in that Martinu set but in the recent Roussel cycle and their Bruckner recordings. They seem to be able to turn their hand to any composer and sound thoroughly at home.
The violin concertante works all recorded by Hyperion.
A lot of neo-classical stuff among that lot, though.
Try the two violin concertos.
There is a powerful performance of the Frescoes from Ancerl and the Czech PO on Supraphon coupled with the Parables which is good.