Bohuslav Martinů

Bohuslav Jan Martinů (Czech: [ˈboɦuslaf ˈmarcɪnuː] ; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores, and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal, and instrumental works. He became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and briefly studied under Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk. After leaving Czechoslovakia in 1923 for Paris, Martinů deliberately withdrew from the Romantic style in which he had been trained. During the 1920s he experimented with modern French stylistic developments, exemplified by his orchestral works Half-time and La Bagarre. He also adopted jazz idioms, for instance in his Kitchen Revue (Kuchyňská revue). In the early 1930s he found his main fount for compositional style: neoclassicism, creating textures far denser than those found in composers treating Stravinsky as a model. He was prolific, quickly composing chamber, orchestral, choral, and instrumental works. His Concerto Grosso and the Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano and Timpani are among his best-known works from this period. Among his operas, Juliette and The Greek Passion are considered the finest. He has been compared to Prokofiev and Bartók in his innovative incorporation of Czech folk elements into his music. He continued using Bohemian and Moravian folk melodies throughout his oeuvre, for instance in The Opening of the Springs (Otvírání studánek). His symphonic career began when he emigrated to the United States in 1941, fleeing the German invasion of France. His six symphonies were performed by all the major US orchestras. Martinů returned to live in Europe for two years starting in 1953, then was back in New York until returning to Europe in May 1956. He died in Switzerland in August 1959.

Martinů: The Symphonies - 2026-05-15T00:00:00.000000Z

Urban Pulse - Rhythms and Sounds from the Roaring City - 2026-02-27T00:00:00.000000Z

Winter Adagios - 2026-01-20T00:00:00.000000Z

Classics Discoveries - 2025-12-24T00:00:00.000000Z

Sweet Lullabies - Classical Music to Gently Fall to Sleep - 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000000Z

L'atelier des pianistes - J'apprends le piano - 2025-11-21T00:00:00.000000Z

The Pianists' Workshop - 2025-09-22T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: String Quartets Nos 2, 3, 5, 7 - 2025-09-19T00:00:00.000000Z

The Complete Works for Cello and Piano - 2025-06-20T00:00:00.000000Z

L'atelier des pianistes (The Pianists' Workshop) - 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000000Z

Fantasie - Violin Pearls - 2025-01-20T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Piano Quartet, Cinq pièces brèves (Piano Trio No. 1), Piano Trio No. 2 - 2024-12-20T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Sonata, Arabesques, Duo, Czech Rhapsody - 2024-09-06T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Violin Sonata No. 3, 5 Madrigal Stanzas - 2024-09-06T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Cello Sonata No. 1, Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor "Cinq piéces bréves" - 2024-08-16T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Flute Sonatas - 2024-08-16T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Piano Trio No. 3 in C Major, Bergerettes - 2024-01-26T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů & Suk: Piano Quartets - Dvořák: Bagatelles, Op. 47 - 2023-12-29T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinu: String Quartets - 2023-12-27T00:00:00.000000Z

Ančerl Gold Edition 34. Martinů: Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 6, Memorial to Lidice - 2023-11-15T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra, Violin Sonata No. 3, Five Short Pieces - 2023-09-08T00:00:00.000000Z

Ančerl Gold Edition 12. Martinů: Piano Concerto No. 3, Bouquet of Flowers - 2023-08-18T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů, Krása & Kalabis: Harpsichord Concertos - 2023-02-03T00:00:00.000000Z

Slavic Rhapsody - 2023-02-01T00:00:00.000000Z

Martinů: Cello Sonatas - 2022-11-18T00:00:00.000000Z

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