Marvelous quartet, one of the great string quartets of the 20 th century together with for example the first of Bloch and the eight of Shostakovich. Magnificent performance !
The musicologist who created the Martinu catalog, Harry Halbreich, said that Martinu was superior in chamber music. I am not a musicologist but a simple amateur, but I agree 100% with his judgment. As for orchestral music, his 6th symphony is essential. The others are quite interesting but do not reach the peak of the sixth, original, risky, but still tonal (Martinu never went on to atonality, although he expanded it). I warn you that Martinu also composed more circumstantial works, more "craftsman" (especially in some concerts of the 40s, such as the concert for two violins and the concert for violin and piano (which I adore and I never tire of listening to, especially its intermediate slow movement, but indeed it is a "minor" work).
No composer could write more aggressively energetic music than Martinu, and this quartet is a fair example of the fact. Its intense sobriety adds to its initial unattractiveness; its serious mien becomes more grating than congenial. But it IS Martinu, ensuring that it is a work of integrity, merit, and lasting value.
At 11:13 - the end of the second movement - there is a direct quotation of the "pisnicka" theme of Viteszlava Kapralova. This theme appears in her song Easter (accompanying the text "it is a sad little song") and piano piece Pisnicka, and is similar to a theme in her own earlier string quartet which is also echoed, less exactly, in this movement. Once you know this, the pisnicka theme suggests itself as a resolution at many points in the movement, making me suspect that the entire 2nd movement has been based on a harmonic sequence extrapolated from this theme of Kapralova's. Pisnicka was Martinu's pet name for Kapralova, and it is a matter of record that she inspired the writing of this quartet, which Martinu only allowed to be published two years before his death.
Although this does not quite match the heights that Berg, Britten, Bartok, Ligeti's No.1, Shostakovich and other acknowedged masters of 20th century tonal quartet writing could reach, this is a fine piece and deserves to be heard more often. Worth someone doing a version for full string orchestra.
I think it belongs up at the peak. None of his other quartets is at this level, though; he was very uneven, with many pieces having one or two weak movements. But his slow movements are routinely magnificent; he just had uncanny gifts. And his peak pieces--the Toccata e due Canzone, Double Concerto, last four symphonies, and so forth, belong at the summit of 20th century music. In my view, he finally got things together in about 1932; from that point on, very few composers of the century wrote as many outstanding works as Martinu did.
Marvelous quartet, one of the great string quartets of the 20 th century together with for example the first of Bloch and the eight of Shostakovich. Magnificent performance !
I absolutely MUST get to know more works by Martinu - they're great!
The musicologist who created the Martinu catalog, Harry Halbreich, said that Martinu was superior in chamber music. I am not a musicologist but a simple amateur, but I agree 100% with his judgment. As for orchestral music, his 6th symphony is essential. The others are quite interesting but do not reach the peak of the sixth, original, risky, but still tonal (Martinu never went on to atonality, although he expanded it). I warn you that Martinu also composed more circumstantial works, more "craftsman" (especially in some concerts of the 40s, such as the concert for two violins and the concert for violin and piano (which I adore and I never tire of listening to, especially its intermediate slow movement, but indeed it is a "minor" work).
No composer could write more aggressively energetic music than Martinu, and this quartet is a fair example of the fact. Its intense sobriety adds to its initial unattractiveness; its serious mien becomes more grating than congenial. But it IS Martinu, ensuring that it is a work of integrity, merit, and lasting value.
At 11:13 - the end of the second movement - there is a direct quotation of the "pisnicka" theme of Viteszlava Kapralova. This theme appears in her song Easter (accompanying the text "it is a sad little song") and piano piece Pisnicka, and is similar to a theme in her own earlier string quartet which is also echoed, less exactly, in this movement.
Once you know this, the pisnicka theme suggests itself as a resolution at many points in the movement, making me suspect that the entire 2nd movement has been based on a harmonic sequence extrapolated from this theme of Kapralova's. Pisnicka was Martinu's pet name for Kapralova, and it is a matter of record that she inspired the writing of this quartet, which Martinu only allowed to be published two years before his death.
As discussed here: rateyourmusic.com/list/rm508/50ish_essential_string_quartets_for_fun_and_profit/
Although this does not quite match the heights that Berg, Britten, Bartok, Ligeti's No.1, Shostakovich and other acknowedged masters of 20th century tonal quartet writing could reach, this is a fine piece and deserves to be heard more often. Worth someone doing a version for full string orchestra.
The key word in this post is "acknowledged".
I think it belongs up at the peak. None of his other quartets is at this level, though; he was very uneven, with many pieces having one or two weak movements. But his slow movements are routinely magnificent; he just had uncanny gifts. And his peak pieces--the Toccata e due Canzone, Double Concerto, last four symphonies, and so forth, belong at the summit of 20th century music. In my view, he finally got things together in about 1932; from that point on, very few composers of the century wrote as many outstanding works as Martinu
did.