Volume 6, Issue 1 The Kapralova Society Journal Spring 2008 A Journal of Women in Music Letters to Kaprálová and Other Correspondence of Bohuslav Martinů in the Music History Department of the Moravian Museum in Brno Kateřina Maýrová Despite its relatively short history, the was also Martinů's friend, so here I shall Music History Department of the Moravian only refer to the most important issues dis- Museum in Brno holds a highly respected cussed. What should be mentioned above place among specialized archives thanks all, are the efforts, over the course of sev- to the modern conception of its acquisi- eral years, by Prof. Kunc, who became tions program and administration. The in- head of the Brno State Conservatory in stitution owes its foundation to the initiative 1923, to recruit Martinů as a professor of of Dr. Vladimír Helfert (1886-1945), a mu- composition. The first document revealing sic historian with a far-sighted conception the composer's reaction to this appealing of the tasks of modern musicology, who in offer is a letter dated 15 December 1928 1919 began systematically building a mu- in Paris: sical archive within the regional museum. In addition to a valuable collection of early Dear Sir: manuscripts of musical tablatures, the I have received your parcel (the Special points of interest: core of the museum's musical holdings Quartet)1 and, of course, I consent to consists of music manuscripts and prints your having had a copy made of my from the eighteenth and nineteenth centu- composition. As to the job opening, al- American women composers ries, archives of various musical associa- though my situation here is not excel- of choral music tions, and materials from the estates of lent by any means, I shall not apply for Moravian composers of the twentieth cen- the position because I have different tury. Over the course of time, this mu- plans, which, though they don't guaran- seum has also assembled a significant tee me a living, I must pursue [to] the quantity of written, non-musical archival end and struggle to bring to fruition. materials pertaining to Czech composer You will appreciate that when I have Bohuslav Martinů, including very valuable risked everything I cannot run away and interesting correspondence between from this, even if it is for a position so him and composers, performers, theatrical attractive as the post succeeding artists, teachers, and critics associated Janáček. Since I have held out so long Inside this issue: with Brno's musical life. I will hold out to the end, especially be- Immensely important as a source of cause my plans are going well […] K. Maýrová: Letters to Kaprálová 1 facts is Martinů's correspondence with the and Other Correspondence of Bo- Czech composer, music critic, organizer of Prof. Kunc attempted several more times, huslav Martinů in the Music His- Brno musical events, and long-time direc- both verbally and in writing, to get the tory Department of the Moravian Museum in Brno tor of the Brno State Conservatory, Prof. composer interested in his proposal to Jan Kunc (1883-1976). His written com- nominate Martinů professor of composi- G.D. Cannady: American Women 6 munication with Martinů is documented in tion at the Brno State Conservatory. The Composers of Choral Music a collection of twenty letters and one post- definitive answer - once again negative - card from Martinů, covering the period came in a letter Martinů wrote in Paris on from 31 January 1928 to 14 August 1935, 23 March 1932. Publications 5, 12 and eight typewritten copies of Kunc's re- Another area of communication, on sponses, dated from 5 January 1929 to 19 which Martinů's correspondence with Kunc August 1935. The content of this corre- focused, included the possibility of having spondence has already been aptly de- Martinů's new works performed in con- scribed by the Brno composer, pedagogue certs and entered in a variety of composer and musicologist Dr. Zdeněk Zouhar, who competitions. In the years between the Page 2 The Kapralova Society Journal Bohuslav Martinů: Letters to Kaprálová wars, Martinů lived in Paris very modestly and any award, thing tremendous and beautiful [was meant to happen]. especially the one that carried with it a financial reward, After all, I have been expecting you for a long time, my meant a most welcome addition to his household budget, Little Fairytale, I knew that one day you would appear in especially after he married Charlotte Quennehen (1894- my life and bring me strength and happiness, and also, 1978) in 1931. of course, a few of those bugs and boogeymen. And if I Another valuable acquisition of the Music History De- hesitate and ponder sometimes, it's not for my sake but partment of the Moravian Museum is the very personal yours, my dear girl. I ask myself whether I have the correspondence between Martinů and the composer right to request that you join your life with mine when Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915-40), his twenty-five years there are so many obstacles, serious and unsurmount- younger pupil. They first met in Prague in the spring of able. And that is why I hesitate because I wouldn't want 1937. Over the course of the ensuing year, during you to reproach me some day, after you'll have come to Kaprálová's stay in Paris where she studied conducting know life better (although you're already experienced) with Charles Munch at the École Normale de Musique, and after you'll have seen that your inclination toward Martinů, a married man by that time, gave in to the irre- me is not a mere fantasy of a girl. And don't be angry, sistible charm of his private composition student and fell you don't have to get upset right away - I know I have hopelessly in love with her. The thirty-seven letters and already said this many times. Oh, my Little Flower,* my one picture postcard Martinů wrote to Kaprálová between Little Seahorse,* you have caused such a confusion in 11 September and 31 December 1938, plus a single letter my little head, and I must have been a cause of several from 5 June 1940 written to her when she was succumb- bitter moments of yours [...] ing to a sinister illness in a Montpellier hospital (fig. 1) pro- vide a testimony to this amorous passion. In the fateful Another interesting set of letters held in the com- year of 1938, when the Nazis of Germany no longer con- poser's collection are the six letters Martinů wrote between cealed their desire to rule the world and when the powers 1935 and 1938 to Prof. Gracian Černušák (1882-1961), of Western Europe facilitated the realization of Adolf Hit- one of the most important musicologists, music critics, and ler's plans with their cowardly stance, Martinů - otherwise lexicographers in Brno. Prof. Černušák began following always a private, introverted man - experienced a double the development of Martinů's compositional talent as early disillusionment. After the sacrifice of Czechoslovakia in as in the mid-1920s, and in his reviews in Lidové noviny Munich he was bitterly disappointed by the policies of (The People's News) and Listy Hudební matice - Tempo France, in whose cultivated and enlightened spirit he had (The Music Fund Journal) he tried to provide an objective, always believed. And in his private life, he was hurt by his unbiased evaluation of the composer's works. Martinů ap- woman idol, whose image he had once envisioned so preciated Černušák's responsible approach in assessing splendidly in the heroine of his operatic masterpiece Juli- artistic achievements of his as well as those of other com- etta. posers. The open and friendly relationship between Mar- As a sample of the letters that Martinů sent to tinů and this otherwise feared music critic is evidenced in Vítězslava Kaprálová I would like to cite the one written 'on a letter Martinů wrote in Paris on 16 February 1936 and Monday evening' [probably 19 December 1938 in Paris]: which reads almost like a confession: Vitulenko,* Dear friend, I am writing to you again because I'd like you to My heartfelt thank you for your letter that was so think about me a lot and remember me, and because it dear to me. I'm taking a moment upon my return [from seems to me that I'll be sad here [without you] during Prague] to give you my impressions of the Prague per- the holidays, but then I will remember that you are formance [of the opera Hry o Marii (The Plays of Mary)] happy at home and that you love your Špalíček,* and and to tell you about things that are associated in some that you are looking forward to seeing him, or not. And way with my future work. The opera made a very pow- tell me, tell me, my Little Song,* would you like to be al- erful impression on the Prague audience but it made ways with me? Keep telling me that, will you? I would me realize once again what a pleasure it is to work in like it so much if one day we had Christmas for the two Brno and how flexible they are there, where everything of us, for the two of us alone, or at most with a tiny cry- is somehow taken completely as a matter of course, ing thing, would you want that? You know, my Fairy- and how hard it is to work in Prague against the rigid tale* I am convinced that you would be happy with me conventions and desire for everything to be comfort- and that I would do anything to make you content, smil- able.