Podcast #24: BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ: The Symphonies

In this episode, Jens and Joe turn to Bohuslav Martinů, focusing on his six symphonies — works that sound “American” in spirit even though their composer was born in a Czech church tower. Written in the U.S. for the great American orchestras, these scores show how the former “lazy boy” from rural Bohemia came to write some of the most compelling symphonic music of mid‑20th‑century America.Chapters

0:22   Introduction
1:12   A Bird’s‑Eye View
3:05   Biographical Notes
6:31   An American Chapter: The Symphonies
9:25   The Recording Session
13:06   Almost Conventional?
15:07  Symphony No. 2 (1943)
16:42  Memorial to Lidice (1943) – Symphony No. 3 (1944)
20:21  Symphony No. 4 (1945)
22:10  Comeback to Europe
24:32  Symphony No. 6 (1954)
27:33  Different in Style
29:18  Conclusion

Featured Recordings

C5320  Bohuslav Martinů – The Symphonies
Discover now: https://Naxos.lnk.to/C5320!Podcast

C71053  Bohuslav Martinů – Lidice / Concertos
Discover now: https://Naxos.lnk.to/C71053!PodcastFeatured Artists

• Cornelius Meister

• James Conlon

• ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra

• Gürzenich‑Orchester Köln

Recommended Persons

Antonín Dvořák - Josef Suk - Leoš Janáček

With:
Jens F. Laurson (Journalist) and Johannes Kernmayer (Producer)

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