Martinů reviews

There’s no reason why an Austrian or a German orchestra shouldn’t play Martinů’s six astonishing symphonies, as well as the Czechs (or Brits under a Czech conductor, in the late Jiří Bělohlávek’s magnificent second cycle). After all, Jakub Hrůša, next in line to set his seal on these masterpieces, told me in interview that one of his major discoveries recently was to find such a thing as a common middle-European sound world, and Martinůoften fits that identity with his homesick thoughts of Moravia from exile in America and Switzerland.

There’s no reason why an Austrian or a German orchestra shouldn’t play Martinů’s six astonishing symphonies, as well as the Czechs (or Brits under a Czech conductor, in the late Jiří Bělohlávek’s magnificent second cycle). After all, Jakub Hrůša, next in line to set his seal on these masterpieces, told me in interview that one of his major discoveries recently was to find such a thing as a common middle-European sound world, and Martinůoften fits that identity with his homesick thoughts of Moravia from exile in America and Switzerland.

A welcome recording of two ‘black-sheep’ cello concertos: Shostakovich’s elusive, tragi-comic Second, and another Second, a splendid work by Martinů. Few recordings exist of the latter, which was never performed in Martinů’s lifetime after he failed to secure Gregor Piatigorsky as soloist. Written in 1945, it combines an open-road, American breeziness with soulful, Czech glow. Christian Poltéra gives a blazing account, bringing both eloquent shape and tonal richness to his melodic line.

Sol Gabetta is likely to be more often recorded in the Elgar Cello Concerto than the player with whom it’s become indissolubly associated, Jacqueline du Pré. Which is no bad thing: Gabetta is not the sort of artist to carve an interpretation in stone, marbled as this performance undoubtedly is. But if fame allows her to bring attention to masterpieces in the shade like Martinů’s First Concerto, then so much the better.

Three consecutive years have brought with them CD revelations about the greatest 20th-century composer who is yet to be widely celebrated as such. In 2015, Maxim Rysanov shone a light upon Martinu’s works featuring solo viola and now, following Supraphon’s essential 2016 recordings of the last (mini) opera Ariane and the complete piano trios, comes a cumulatively stunning presentation of four late cantatas.

Three consecutive years have brought with them CD revelations about the greatest 20th-century composer who is yet to be widely celebrated as such. In 2015, Maxim Rysanov shone a light upon Martinu’s works featuring solo viola and now, following Supraphon’s essential 2016 recordings of the last (mini) opera Ariane and the complete piano trios, comes a cumulatively stunning presentation of four late cantatas.

'The disc as a whole is another unmissable addition to the Martinů discography'

Martinů

Concerto in D for Two Violins and Orchestra; Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra; Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra

Deborah Nemtanu, Sarah Nemtanu (violin), Magali Demesse (viola), Momo Kodama, Mari Kodama (piano); Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra/Lawrence Foster

Pentatone PTC 5186 658 (hybrid CD/SACD)   62:52 mins

Martinů’s dream drama needs to be heard in the language of the audience wherever it’s played – in this case German at the enterprising Frankfurt Opera; there’s much spoken dialogue and the recitative-like writing adapts to the bewitching orchestral textures, often rapidly, rather than following Janáček’s pure speech-melody. This sits well alongside the first recording in the original Czech and Mackerras’s realisation of scenes and fragments in French.

The Martinů revival enjoyed a serious boost with the release of the Smetana Trio’s complete recording of the Piano Trios. For those who are still feeling their way towards a joined-up understanding of the composer’s character – or characters, plural – from passing familiarity with his mature operas and symphonies, Ian Hobson and Sinfonia Varsovia’s world premiere performance of The Shadow offers further insight into the composer’s developing voice and magpie ear.

Cellist Christian Poltéra and conductor Thomas Dausgaard give Dvoπák’s Cello Concerto a lusty warmth and spontaneity in Berlin’s Jesus-Christus Kirche. The acoustic is resonant but detailed, and the atmosphere crackling with vitality. The outer movements are swift without ever sounding snatched, while characterful horn and wind solos grace the effortlessly-sung slow movement. There are lovely moments in the finale, an especially well-balanced duet with violin and solo cello, which leads into cello passages of violinistic brightness and agility.

Viola player Maxim Rysanov’s all-Martin∞ disc was my favourite recording from last year’s listening (reviewed August 2015), and it’s already obvious that the music for piano trio performed here by the Smetana Trio is going straight on the shortlist for 2016. Martinu’s chamber music reveals originality at every turn; there’s so much of it, but each new discovery – sonata, duo, trio, quartet, serenade – seems to unveil a gem.