BOHUSLAV MARTINU ° The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation The Bohuslav Martinů Institute The International Martinů Circle Opera Performances MAY—AUGUST Martinů’s 2007 Correspondence with / VOL. VII Zdeněk Zouhar / NO. Martinů & Sport 2 NEWS & EVENTS NEW BOOKS NEW CDs ts– Conten VOL. VII / NO.2 MAY—AUGUST 2007 e WelcomE —NEWS FROM POLIČKA —HISTORICAL RECORDING —THE BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ DAYS —NEW CONTRACT —INTERNATIONAL MARTINŮ CIRCLE r Operas JULIETTE IN GÖRLITZ • PETR VEBER, GÜNTER THIELE t Operas / News THE MARRIAGE • EVA VELICKÁ —MARTINŮ ENSEMBLE FROM SPAIN y ConcertS / News —MARTINŮ FEST IN POLIČKA • LUCIE BERNÁ —BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ PIANO QUINTETS u ConcertS / News A CONCERT BY THE APOSIOPÉE ENSEMBLE • GUY ERISMANN —FORTHCOMING CD h Interview WITH… JIŘÍ KOLLERT i Letters • EVA VELICKÁ DEAR FRIEND ZOUHAR: BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ’S LETTERS TO ZDENĚK ZOUHAR 1949–1959 j NewBooK • VÍT ZOUHAR MILOŠ ŠAFRÁNEK: ENCOUNTER AFTER FIFTY YEARS s News • ALEŠ BŘEZINA MARTINŮ REVISITED 2009 BUDAPEST SPRING FESTIVAL l Events / News • MARTINA FIALKOVÁ d ResearcH 2) New CDs &Books A ‘SPORTSMAN COMPOSER’? MARTINŮ, SPORT & SOKOL y • ANTHONY BATEMAN Bohuslav Martinů in Alassio, Italy 1952 © PBM me– b Welco THE BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ NEWS FROM POLIČKA INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER is published by the ON SATURDAY 14 April the traditional Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in collaboration MARTINŮ CIRCLE spring exhibition dedicated to Bohuslav with the Bohuslav Martinů Institute in Prague Martinů was opened in the Municipal Members receive the illustrated Bohuslav EDITORS Museum and Gallery in Polička. It will run Martinů Newsletter published three times Zoja Seyčková until 28 October 2007.The exhibition each year plus a special limited edition CD. Jindra Havlíčková usually focuses on a certain part of the The IMC is supported by the Bohuslav Lucie Berná composer’s work or life.This year’s is Martinů Foundation and Bohuslav Martinů TRANSLATION special in that it replaces the permanent Institute in Prague Martinů display, which was closed last Composer’s native room in the tower Hilda Hearne year due to the museum’s extensive of the St. James Church in Polička MEMBERSHIP PHOTOGRAPHS reconstruction. Gala opening of the AND SUBSCRIPTION The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation’s and Institute’s museum is planned for 2009, the year marking the fiftieth anniversary of Bohuslav INFORMATION archive, collections of the Municipal Museum – Martinů’s death. Since the museum is located in the building of the former school Bohuslav Martinů Memorial in Polička, attended by the young Martinů, in addition to a new permanent display it will also DUE TO THE STEEP RISE OF THE Anna Fárová’s archive, Zdeněk Zouhar’s archive comprise a reconstructed classroom in the style of the early 20th century. CZECH POST SERVICE PRICES we had to increase the IMC GRAPHIC DESIGN The short-term exhibition will guide its visitors through the composer’s childhood spent in the church tower, his studies in Prague, stays in Paris and America, return to subscription. Many thanks to all David E. Cígler Europe, and besides his fascinating fate it will, at least partially, acquaint them with his IMC members for understanding. PRINTING extensive oeuvre. All the material on display comes from the museum’s archives and YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION VIAPRINT includes music autographs, correspondence, a host of photographs, set designs, as well • For individuals: as Martinů’s witty self-caricatures and documentation about performance of his works PRICE 20 Euro / 25 USD / £ 14 UK at the present time. + 15 Euro / 20 USD / £ 10 UK postage CZK 50 (includes 3 issues of the BM Newsletter The Bohuslav Martinů Newsletter and a non-commercial CD recording is published three times a year. HISTORICAL RECORDING from the Bohuslav Martinů Days Festival COVER PHOTO WE HAVE acquired from Czech Radio Brno’s archives a unique recording of Bohuslav in Prague) Bohuslav and Charlotte Martinů in Cassis, France, Martinů’s opera Tears of the Knife, H. 169.The composer wrote this, his second, • For companies: 80 Euro / 100 USD June 1952 (the shadow belongs to the photographer opera in 1928 in Paris. However, it was only prepared and performed forty years later + 30 Euro / 50 USD postage – painter Rudolf Kundera) ©PBM in Brno under the baton of the conductor Václav Nosek, who also premiered in Brno (Subscription includes 10 copies of each EDITORIAL OFFICE another of Martinů’s avant-garde operas, Three Wishes or Inconstancy of the Life, issue of the BM Newsletter and three copies of the non-commercial CD The Bohuslav Martinů Institute H. 175 from 1929.The radio recording of Tears of the Knife was made in 1969, with recording from the Bohuslav Martinů Náměstí Kinských 3 stellar performances by L. Lesmanová (Mother), J. Jánská (Eleonora) and R.Tuček 150 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic (Satan).Václav Nosek conducts here the Orchestra of the Janáček Opera in Brno. Days Festival) tel.: +420 257 313 104, +420 257 320 076 fax: +420 257 323 761 AS A BONUS e-mail: [email protected] (and while www.martinu.cz THE BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ DAYS 2007 stocks last), > 3 December 2007 / Martinů Hall, Academy of Performing Arts, Prague subscribers ISSN 1214-6234 Concert of prize-winners from the 2007 Martinů Foundation Competition in the for 2007 will category of piano receive > a special 2CD 4 December / Martinů Hall, Academy of Performing Arts, Prague of Martinů’s The Kinton-Anagnoson Piano Duo „The Greek Martinů, Mozart, Stravinsky, Lutoslawski, Dvořák, Gershwin Passion“ in the 2006 National > 5 December / Gallery, Academy of Performing Arts, Prague Theatre Prague production HOMAGE TO ZDENĚK ZOUHAR conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek. Ensembles and artists to be specified. / Conductor Jaroslav Kyzlink Martinů, Zouhar For further details and for a free copy of the magazine – e-mail: THE PREVIOUS ISSUE > 14 & 15 December 2007 / Dvořák Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague [email protected] CLOSING CONCERT (Bohuslav Martinů Institute, Náměstí The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek Kinských 3, 150 00 Praha 5) Martinů, Hindemith Concert programme is subject to change Gregory Terian – UK members only, MUNICIPAL MUSEUM — For more information contact [email protected] / www.martinu.cz tel.: 01625 523326 BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ Mari Tokuda – members in Japan, MEMORIAL IN POLIČKA e-mail: [email protected] OFFERS short-term exhibitions dedicated to the life and work of THE BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ COMPLETE EDITION THE IMC CORDIALLY B. Martinů, a guided tour to Martinů’s ON THE 7th OF JUNE a contract was signed between WELCOMES THE NEW MEMBERS: birthplace in the St. James church The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation, on the one hand, and • Dr. Mark V.Sanderford, USA tower and for registered researchers b Bärenreiter-Verlag and Editio Bärenreiter Praha, on the other. • Rodney Martin, Luxembourg archive materials concerning Martinů. The subject of the contract is The Bohuslav Martinů • Jonathan Burton, UK Further information available at Complete Edition which will be edited by the Martinů Institute in Prague.The contract • Rodney Hughes, UK www.muzeum.policka.net has been signed after long negotiations and ensures the conditions regarding the • The Royal Scottish Academy of Music, UK and www.policka-mesto.cz publication and organisation of the edition.The Martinů Complete Edition will be • Prof. Pamela Howard, UK published in more then 100 volumes in over 50 years starting in 2009. BOHUSLAVMARTINŮNEWSLETTER2)2007 e s— Opera Juliette IN PETR VEBER the stage director framed the production of individual characters, while, on the GÜNTER THIELE in a film sequence and a verbal instruction contrary, Act Three in a suggestively about the law, dreams and cogitation and implemented “office of dreams” most THE THEATRE IN GÖRLITZ in the when he had the (somewhat trite) idea drew near to the mentioned Kafkaesque CONSIDERING the not so enthusiastic eastern part of the former East Germany of letting a modern omnipresent security Prague.The stage director accentuated opinions about some earlier productions is by no means a large stage, yet judging by camera “oversee” everything. the character of the omnipotent clerk, of Juliette, or the Key to Dreams, H. 253, this season’s programme and the resulting a little ironic, and by means of a red light in Germany, (see for instance Harry form of the most recent of the series of The stage director perhaps most flickering during the main hero’s repeated Halbreich’s book), it was with some performances of Martinů’s Juliette, or the departed from the original notions when harrowing attempts at penetrating back trepidation I entered the Görlitz Theatre, Key to Dreams, H. 253, (30 March) it it comes to the conception of the title to the world of dreams, he managed to and my misgivings were not alleviated either possesses a healthily ambitious ensemble. character herself.The Juliette rendered escalate the entire scene into a dramatic by the directors introduction before the Alongside Juliette and several other by the soprano Yvonne Reich was very apex. Subsequently, in the conclusion he actual performance nor the information operas, this season’s programme newly specific, dominant, dressed in bright red – managed to logically express the story’s that both the main characters were slightly contains The Bartered Bride too.This no seductive French phantom but an return to the starting point. indisposed. I did not understand then, or do Photos by Karen Stuke Karen Photos by Juliette (Yvonne Reich) Little Arab (Patricia Bänch) and Michel (Marc Horus) doesn’t necessarily reflect a major expressionistically unkind and aggressive The production was built around the so now, what new light the simultaneous gravitation towards Czech culture (after character from the German cultural tenor Marc Horus in the role of the reading and screening of a film of Kafka’s all, the town is closer to Poland than space. In singing terms, the role came off seeking, uncomprehending, desiring, naive parable ”Vor dem Gesetz” could cast over North Bohemia), but rather the fact that nicely within this conception’s intentions.