Composers
Bohuslav Martinu
Article by Thomas D. Svatos
Despite the fact he spent his last two decades in exile, Bohuslav Martin&#; (&#;) was among the most prolific composers of the twentieth century. Born in a church tower above the Czech&#;Moravian Highlands, he established himself in both Prague and Paris before the Nazi invasion of France forced him to flee to the United States. He became a star in the U.S. during the s, but returned to Europe permanently in His folk&#;cantata The Opening of the Wells () became enormously popular in Czechoslovakia, dealing with themes of purity, rebirth, and the pain of exile.
Life
Bohuslav Martin&#; was a Czech composer of Austro&#;Hungarian, Czechoslovak, and then American citizenship. His father&#;s dual occupation of fire watchman and shoemaker accounts for his childhood living atop the tower at St. Jacob&#;s Church in the Eastern Bohemian town of Poli&#;ka. Later in life, Martin&#; explained the objectivity of his music from this early experience, seeing people and places only from afar. He left Poli&#;ka for Prague in to study violin at the Prague Conservatory. A hopeless stud
Bohuslav Martinu
Bohuslav Martin&#; (Czech pronunciation:&#;[&#;bo&#;uslaf &#;marc&#;nu&#;]&#; (listen)) (December 8, – August 28, ) was a prolific BohemianCzechcomposer, who wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works.
Martin&#; was born in Poli&#;ka, Bohemia. He became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and taught music in his home town. In Martin&#; left Czechoslovakia for Paris, and deliberately withdrew from the Romantic style in which he had been trained. In the s he experimented with expressionism and constructivism, and became an admirer of current European technical developments, exemplified by his orchestral works Half-time and La Bagarre. He also adopted jazz idioms, for instance in his Kuchy&#;ské revue ("Kitchen Revue"). Of the post-war avant-garde styles, neo-classicism influenced him the most. He continued to use Czech and Moravian folk melodies throughout his oeuvre, usually nursery rhymes—for instance in Otvírání studánek ("The Openin
Bohuslav Martinu life and biography
The Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu was the most important composer of his generation in the former Czechoslovakia.
Bohuslav Martinu was the son of a small-town shoemaker who was also the custodian of a church tower used as a fire-lookout station. Bohuslav was born in the tower and spent his childhood there. The composer suggested that this physical detachment from the usual childhood experiences helped to form his introspective and reflective nature. Violin lessons from a village teacher revealed his strong musical aptitude, and when he was 16 he went to Prague to attend the conservatory. He did not respond well to the rigid training and was soon expelled.
In spite of his failure at the conservatory, Martinu became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, a post he held from to , except for the war years (), when he returned to his native village. His early works include the Czech Rhapsody () and the ballet Istar (). Realizing that he needed more formal training in composition, he returned to the conservatory to study with Josef Suk.
With the aid of a government grant Martinu went to Paris in , where he lived for the next 17 y
-
- Composes the radio operas Hlas lesa (The Voice of the Forest) and Veselohra na moste (The Comedy on the Bridge) for Prague Radio. The National Theater in Brno gives the premiere of Hry o Marii, for which Martinu receives a Czechoslovak State Prize. Rudolf Firkusny premieres the Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra with the Czech Philharmonic under Vaclav Talich.
- Composes the operas Divadlo za branou (The Suburban Theater), premiered the same year at the National Theater in Brno, and most notably Julietta aneb Snar (Julietta, or The Key to Dreams), which he will complete in January
- Meets the composer Vitezslava Kapralova, who will later become his pupil and lover. Composes the cantata Kytice (Garland) and also the Concerto grosso for chamber orchestra, which he dedicates to Charles Münch.
- In March the premiere of Julietta at the National Theater in Prague. Composes a series of fine works including Tre ricercari for chamber orchestra, the Concertino for piano and orchestra, and the String Quartet No. 5. On the day of the Munich Accord (29 September) completes the Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani on commission for Paul Sacher.
-
Biographies you may also like
Narco tv pablo escobar biography Pablo Escobar played by Wagner Moura (seasons ), Colombian drug lord and head of the Medellín Cartel. He is married to Tata and has a close relationship with his mother and .
Nigel nicolsons biography virginia woolf orlando Which is how Nigel Nicolson’s biography, Virginia Woolf came into my life. In May, W&N republished the bios of four rather famous artists in their Great Lives series – VW, .
Shebah ronay biography channel Shebah Ronay was born in in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Reunion (), Game-On () and Love Hurts (). She is married to Jonathan Yeo.
Platillo volante de hitler biography No hablaba de naves extraterrestres, sino que de una llamativa y singular solución aerodinámica para despegues verticales y altas velocidades. ¿Qué hay de real en esto?Missing: biography.
Enibaby4 biography of michael jackson Michael Jackson, known as the King of Pop, stands as one of the most influential entertainers in history. His career spanned four decades, significantly impacting music, dance, .
Bona de mandiargues octavio paz biography Octavio Paz's multifaceted work left an indelible mark on Mexican and world literature. His insights into identity, culture, and the human condition continue to inspire and provoke Missing: bona de mandiargues.