TRACK INFORMATION LINER NOTES ARTISTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS MORE Martinů Double Concertos for Violin & Piano Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra Mari & Momo Kodama & Sarah & Deborah Nemtanu Magali Demesse Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille Lawrence Foster TRACK INFORMATION LINER NOTES ARTISTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS MORE Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra H. 329 (1950) 1 Poco allegro 7. 23 2 Moderato – Allegro con brio – Vivo (Presto) 10. 46 Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra H. 337 (1952) 3 Moderato 9. 16 4 Molto Adagio – Allegro – Andante 10. 44 Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra H. 292 (1943) 5 Allegro non troppo 6. 34 ← ← 6 Adagio 10. 04 7 Allegro 7. 44 Total playing time: 62. 52 Deborah & Sarah Nemtanu, Violin Magali Demesse, Viola Momo & Mari Kodama, Piano Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille Conducted by Lawrence Foster Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) Being sisters, it always feels very special to perform together, also because we An Undogmatic Nomad century, as members of an insecure constitute a glorious chapter in his life; Martinů: many of his works were also Thanks to his contact with Serge to Europe in 1948, he decided not to than 400 compositions, including 31 Concerto for Two Pianos and Nemenoff and Pierre Luboschutz, Becker even remarked on a “tendency to complex double-stops, which increase As the composer himself later stated, Sarah Nemtanu Concerto with Gautier Capuçon, of charities including the French Britten Competition in London. Since Martinů are very different pianists, which gives us even a stronger urge to set out on a society that is continually questioning he was not content to keep to academic performed in international concert halls; Koussevitzky, the composer quickly visit Czechoslovakia as the communists concertos and concertante works; Orchestra H. 292 the pianists who commissioned the emphasize the Czech atmosphere”. To even to quadruple-stops, raise the bar he went through a development that Violin conducted by Emmanuel Krivine. Her society Musique et Santé for children in 2005, she is principal violinist of the Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra H. 329 (1950) It filled us with joy when we received the invitation from common interpretative journey. In that respect, it doesn’t matter whether we Thoughts on Concertante Works the key challenges facing humanity. And rules and regulations and was expelled he received a number of awards; and his established himself in his new home. were now in power in his country. In the a prolific writer of high quality, who work and gave the world première in quote Martinů: “The work was written to extreme heights, expanding the led him away from “geometry” in the solo appearances with the Orchestre hospitals and Amnesty International. Orchestre de chambre de Paris. Curious Double Concertos for Violin & Piano 1 Poco allegro 7. 23 PENTATONE to record Martinů’s Double Concerto for Two Violins play Mozart, Bartók, Poulenc or Martinů. Playing his Concert for Two Pianos and by Bohuslav Martinů to which Martinů gave a foresighted from the conservatoire in 1910 for artistic career was followed with interest He settled down to write a total of six early 1950s, Martinů dedicated himself composed with great speed, absolute The 20th century saw the emergence Philadelphia on November 5, 1943: “As under terrible circumstances, but the sound space considerably. In the middle direction of “fantasy”. To quote the Sarah Nemtanu became a well-known National de France, the London She also teaches young musicians in and passionate, Deborah Nemtanu Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra 2 Moderato – Allegro con brio – Vivo (Presto) 10. 46 and Orchestra. In fact, many years ago Lawrence Foster offered Orchestra, it is impossible to hide yourself. This truly exceptional work, written answer back in 1956: “The artist is “incorrigible negligence.” Nevertheless, by influential conductors, including symphonies and, above all, numerous once again to composition; and in stylistic command, and above all with of a number of outstanding works for a pianist, you really need to be highly emotions it voices are not those of movement, the two soloists alternate great Martinů-expert, Aleš Brezina, violinist when, at the age of 21, she was Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Masterclasses and other pedagogical always aims high: she has conducted us to perform this work for the first time with the Orchestra della down under difficult circumstances, is incredibly challenging for the soloists, “A slice of heaven is revealed in each of always searching for the meaning of in 1912 he managed to graduate at his Paul Sacher. He also found happiness in concertos, including the Concerto 1952, he became an American citizen. undogmatic creativity. The Bärenreiter- the unusual combination of two-piano concentrated in order to understand the despair, but rather of revolt, courage the melodic leadership. The euphonious here “his ability to build up extensive named principal violist in the Orchestre Orchestra, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra settings. the orchestra herself, and strives to Mari & Momo Kodama & Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra H. 337 (1952) fondazione Toscanini, and it is thanks to him that we discovered both musically and playing-wise. To us, the Martinů Concerto is a highly complex his pieces.” This wonderful and eloquent life, both of his own and of that of the second attempt. During World War I, his private life after marrying a French for Two Pianos and Orchestra H. 292, Nevertheless, the following year he Verlag is in the process of publishing concertos, created by great composers complexity!”. Influenced by the Baroque and unshakable faith in the future.” music of the final movement once again lyrical passages ending in strong National de France. In 2010, her first in Rome and the Mahler Chamber reconcile the soloist and ensemble 3 Moderato 9. 16 this piece. The concerto has an Eastern-European imprint - construction; it takes emotional and rational strength to fully access it, in order sentence was once uttered by Bohuslav human race; searching for the truth. Martinů was exempted from military woman, Charlotte Quennehen. Martinů the Concerto for Two Violins and finally turned his back on his adopted a historical-critical complete edition, such as Francis Poulenc, Béla Bartók and concerto grosso (as in his Concerto gives the solo violins the opportunity to catharsis reaches its first peak.” The record Gypsic topped sales charts Orchestra have earned high praise, and Deborah Nemtanu musician in herself, resulting in a Sarah & Deborah Nemtanu 4 Molto Adagio – Allegro – Andante 10. 44 congenial to our own, Romanian roots – both in its marvellous to provide balance and clarity to the listener. The work almost seems to be a Martinů’s wife, Charlotte. It set the A system of insecurity has invaded our service, and returned to Polička to teach had a good reputation in the world of Orchestra H. 329 and the Rhapsody- country to return to Europe. After which will finally comprise about 100 Igor Stravinsky. Martinů composed his for Two Violins and Orchestra H. 329), Concerto for Two Violins and fully display their virtuosity. two-movement work is characterized in France. In 2009 she was the ‘real’ she has performed with conductors Violin veritable chamber-musical approach to and dance-like joy and in the profound and rustic nature that mysterious jungle, in which one easily loses track. In those moments, it was tone for music that had been exposed everyday lives. We must protest against the violin. In 1920, he became a violinist music; but in June 1940, the happy days Concerto for Viola and Orchestra first sojourning in France and Italy, he volumes. As the publishing situation is Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra Martinů deploys the orchestra as a Orchestra H. 329 by inner peace and modesty; harmonic violinist in Radu Mihaileanu’s film Le such as Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, solo concertos. She plays a Domenico Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra H. 292 (1943) often characterizes Martinů’s music. More than being just a wonderful to recognize these aberrations and to evade them, in an intuitive for decades to an abundance of the pressure to favour mechanization in the most important Czech orchestra – in Paris came to an abrupt end. When H. 337. Thus the recording at hand accepted an invitation from Paul Sacher highly complex in Martinů’s case, this in a very short period of time, from counterpart to the two pianos. The first Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and oscillation and simple melodies go hand Concert. Before all this, however, Sarah Valery Gergiev and Riccardo Muti in Born into a passionately musical Montagnana violin of 1740, generously 5 Allegro non troppo 6. 34 discovery, this concerto feels almost like a revelation, offering us way, without talking too much. A blind understanding is very important when extremely heterogeneous influences and and uniformity to which our daily life is the Czech Philharmonic. the German Wehrmacht invaded France provides a concentrated overview of to settle on his estate near Basel, where also marks a decisive milestone with January 3 to February 23, 1943. As he movement is a rhythmic and pianistic Martinů wrote the concerto between Orchestra, H. 337 in hand. In the compelling conclusion of Nemtanu began violin studies with her some of the world’s most prestigious family, Deborah Nemtanu chose to provided by Monceau Investissements 6 Adagio 10. 04 everything we have searched for since our childhood days in our performing such an unconventional work together. We sense the right timing role models, ranging from Honegger, subjected; and the artist has only one and occupied Paris, Martinů was forced Martinů’s activities as a composer in he finally died on August 28, 1959. A regard to the world-wide diffusion of stated: “I have used the pianos for the tour de force, during which both pianos May and June 1950 following a the concerto, Martinů returns with the father, Vladimir, principal violinist of venues.