THE BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ FOUNDATION THE BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ INSTITUTE THE INTERNATIONAL MARTINŮ CIRCLE MR sir simon rattle january–april 2015 / vol.XV / no.1 about martinů opera juliette in zurich oratorio gilgamesh with the brno philharmonic reviews, publications, recordings the czech philharmonic news and martinů receive international contents opera awards 2015 nomination THE PRESTIGIOUS International Opera Awards, dubbed the “Opera Oscars”, have been bestowed 3 since 2013. Within approximately 20 categories, a team of specialists select the best opera MARTINŮ MEDALS companies, new productions, conductors, singers, choruses, as well as CDs and DVDs. The jury, made up of renowned figures working in the domain of opera (the journalists and 4 critics John Allison, Hugh Canning, George Loomis and Fiona Maddocks; the opera managers Sir Peter Jonas, Elaine Padmore and ILLINOIS FEBRUARY 2015 Nicholas Payne), have revealed their GREGORY TERIAN nominations for this year. And we are 5 delighted to announce that Bohuslav Martinů and Czech artists have been 6 shortlisted in one of the categories, Rediscovered Work: the Czech Philhar - BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ DAYS 2014 monic Orchestra with their concert MARTINŮ FESTTAGE IN BASEL performance of Bohuslav Martinů’s opera What Men Live By, H 336 (17, 18, and 19 10 December 2014 in Rudolfinum, Prague, as NOTHING IS AS IT APPEARS TO BE – a part of The Bohuslav Martinů Days 2014). JULIETTE IN ZURICH “I had no idea that the international LENKA ŠALDOVÁ jury was aware of our production,” said photo zdeněk chrapek photo 12 Jiří Bělohlávek and the soloists after the concert Jiří Bělohlávek, principal conductor of the performance of the opera What Men Live By Czech Philharmonic, in a press release. REMEMBERING “I will be waiting in suspense to see CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD whether we manage to clinch an award, but the mere fact that we were selected among the ALEŠ BŘEZINA best projects of 2014 has made all of us at the Czech Philharmonic very happy indeed.” Although the conductor Jiří Bělohlávek’s project has to face fierce competition, such as Opera 14 Rara’s recording of Donizetti’s Les Martyrs, Opera Southwest’s production of Francesco Faccio’s ROBERT C. SIMON / Amleto and Rossini’s Aurelianin Palmira staged in Pesaro, mere inclusion in this illustri ous com - BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ: A RESEARCH pany is a real honour for the flagship Czech orchestra, as well as for the excellent singers! AND INFORMATION GUIDE The Opera Oscar winners will be announced on 26 April 2015 at the Savoy Theatre in London. JUSTIN KRAWITZ We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed! www.operaawards.co.uk www.operaplus.cz Robert Rytina, abridged 16 WITH MAXIM RYSANOV ALEXANDRA STŘELCOVÁ salamandre presents a double LP dedicated to bohuslav martinů 17 THE FIRST ALBUM of the series Premières mondiales (World Premieres), released by the French label Salamandre, IVO KAHÁNEK EXCELS WITH is entirely dedicated to Bohuslav Martinů. It traces Martinů THE BERLIN PHILHARMONIC back to his time in New York and Paris. AT THE RUDOLF FIRKUŠNÝ FESTIVAL The release provides a great occasion to rediscover the famous La Revue de cuisine (Kitchen Revue), H 161, in its VLADIMÍR ŘÍHA original version. The amusing narrative of this love story between the Pot and the Lid is brough to life by Soňa 18 Červená in Czech and Vincent Figuri in French. Martinů’s sonatinas for trumpet and clarinet are featured WITH SIR SIMON RATTLE for the first time together on a single format. The remainder of the LPs is occupied by the beautiful Trio for Flute, Violon - 19 cello and Piano, H 300, and the world premiere recording GILGAMESH WITH of Martinů’s 1913 Three Melodramas, performed by the Ensemble Calliopée with narration by Vincent Figuri. THE BRNO PHILHARMONIC Production of this recording was supervised by Harry Halbreich, a renowned Martinů specialist JANA MICHÁLKOVÁ SLIMÁČKOVÁ and the author of the catalogue of Martinů’s works. The project was realized in partnership with the Bohuslav Martinů Institute in Prague and the Czech Centre in Paris. Orders: www.salamandre-productions.com 2 | martinůrevue12015 martinů medals highlights ON 19 DECEMBER 2014, Bohuslav Martinů Medals were awarded to two major Czech cultural figures: the stage director Jiří Nekvasil, for long-term devotion to Martinů’s stage works; and the composer Jiří Teml, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation, for promoting Martinů’s music. The ceremony took place at the Rudolfinum in Prague, following the concert given by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra to con clude the SMETANA’S LITOMYŠL FESTIVAL Bohuslav Martinů Days 2014 festival. www.festival.smetana-litomysl.com On 11 March 2015, after giving a per formance at the Rudolfinum, 11 June 2015 / 6.30 pm Julia Fischer received a Bohuslav > Castle Riding Hall, Litomyšl State Castle, Litomyšl, CZ Martinů Medal for outstanding The Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition (Bärenreiter) – interpretation of Martinů works. Festive launch of the first two volumes On 11, 12 and 13 March 2015, she played in Prague Violin Concerto (Volume 1: The Epic of Gilgamesh, H 351, No. 2, H 293, while at the previous Julia Fischer Volume 2: Symphony No. 4, H 305) year’s Prague Spring festival she had performed Sonata No 3, H 303 11 June 2015 / 8.00 pm and String Quartet No. 5, H 268. > Litomyšl State Castle, Litomyšl, CZ Julia Fischer also visited Symphony No. 4, H 305 – the Bohuslav Martinů Institute library, where she studied copies PREMIERE of the Critical Edition (B. Martinů Complete of the autographs of Violin Sonata Edition) No. 3 and Violin Concerto No. 2. Czech Philharmonic, Jiří Bělohlávek (Conductor) To our delight, she became a mem ber of the International Martinů Circle, thus joining the ranks of such illustrious artists as Jiří Bělohlávek, Mag - Jiří Teml dalena Kožená, Jakub Hrůša, Juliette or The Key to Dreams, H 253 Ivo Kahá nek, Karel Košárek, Christian Poltéra, the Martinů 21 June 2015 / 6.00 pm – PREMIERE Quartet and many others. 25 and 27 June 2015 / 7.30 pm The medals have been 3, 8 and 13 July 2015 / 7.30 pm awarded by the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation since 1995 to those > Opera House Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany who have made a significant www.oper-frankfurt.de contribution to the promotion Florentine Klepper (Director), Opera Frankfurt's Orchester, of Martinů’s life and work. Sebastian Weigle (Conductor) The recipients include many distin guished personalities. Soloists: Juanita Lascarro, Kurt Streit and others A complete list can be found Jiří Nekvasil Three One Act Operas: at www.martinu.cz photo zdeněk chrapek photo The Knife's Tears, H 169 Comedy on the Bridge, H 247 Twice Alexander, H 255 OBITUARY) 4, 6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16 and 17 July 2015 / 7.30 pm hope castagnola bogorad > Opera House Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany www.oper-frankfurt.de 7.9.1921–7.1.2015 Beate Baron (Director), Opera Frankfurt’s Orchester, Hartmut Keil (Conductor) WHEN Bohuslav Martinů escaped to the US in 1941, he came to live in a small apartment Hope´s family Soloists: Anna Ryberg, Sebastian Geyer, Elizabeth Reiter, had in their home in Jamaica Estates, Queens, NY. Katharina Magiera, Maren Favela and others In November of that year, Hope witnessed the first great success of Martinů in the US when Koussevitsky pre - 12 July 2015 / 1.00 pm miered his Concerto Grosso in Boston. A few weeks later > Operahouse (Holzfoyer), Frankfurt am Main, Germany Martinů dedicated a piano com position to her entitled www.oper-frankfurt.de “Merry Christmas 1941 to Hope Castagnola”. This charm ing little piece has already been recorded OPER FINALE 2015: Symposium about B. Martinů five times. Together with her recollections on Martinů with participants from the areas musicology, in the documentary “Martinů and America” (2000), the piece will help to critique/journalism and opera memorialize the name of Hope Castagnola Bogorad for all lovers of the music of Martinů. ❚ martinůrevue12015 | 3 new illinois february 2015 recording a martinů first performance / GREGORY TERIAN from the Midwest and operates mostly in Central Illinois. I gather that the orchestra and conductor In 2013 Toccata Classics released a CD of early relished the task of bringing this music to life Martinů orchestral works, never previously after a lapse of almost a century. The recording recorded. The major work featured was the Little sessions took place over the first two days of Dance Suite H 123 of 1919, a curious title for a work February 2015. of some forty minutes duration. It was performed Igor Kalnin, Concertmaster of the Sinfonia da by the Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Ian Hobson. Camera, was captivated by the melodic beauty of This recording was the first of a projected six the work. He found a richness in Martinů's writing volume series. The second disc is due to be released which reminded him of Dvořák, with melodic shortly and will feature the first performance of lines which were always graceful. He particularly a ballet score dating from 1916. enjoyed working on the violin solos which he found The origins of this enterprise can be credited to technically challenging, but written with great Michael Crump who studied music at New College understanding of the vocal nature of the instru - Oxford in the early 1980s. After graduating, he went ment. When the orchestral rehearsals began, on a short tour of Europe, playing viola in an orches - he was impressed even more by the elegance and tra formed of students from the University. One of emotional intensity of the work and believes that the works performed was Martinů's Oboe Concerto. Stín is a hidden treasure within Martinů's creative He became captivated by the composer's music legacy.