Hard to believe but true: it is here for the first time that Bohuslav Martinu’s concertante compositions for violoncello have been brought together on a...

Hard to believe but true: it is here for the first time that Bohuslav Martinu’s concertante compositions for violoncello have been brought together on a double album. Along with the two Cello Concertos, Petr Nouzovský and the Plzen Philharmonic under Thomas Brauner also perform the Concertino and the Sonata da Camera – a richly colored portrait of this composer whose playful treatment of his musical creations continues to fascinate us even today. Deeply rooted in the Bohemian musical tradition, Martinu’s compositions combine rhythmic sophistication, traditional folk motifs, and a classical understanding of form. His concertante works were inspired both by the Baroque concerto grosso and the romantic virtuoso concerto. And of course by Paris: French neoclassicism centering on Stravinsky and the Groupe des Six has left behind clear traces. From the early Concertino- Martinu’s first concertante composition of all- to his second Cello Concerto, a work whose premiere the composer no longer lived to experience, Petr Nouzovsky and the Pizen Philharmonic cover an exciting spectrum depicting a rich and fulfilled artist’s life. Here we encounter a lyrical and pastoral atmosphere as well as rhythmic vitality of dance character- a delightful composer’s portrait of the highest entertainment value.