Martinù: What Men Live By - Symphony No. 1

$23.99
Label
Supraphon
Release Date
October 19, 2018
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      MARTINU, BOHUSLAV
    • ORCHESTRA / ENSEMBLE
      Czech Philharmonic
    • PERFORMER
      Belohlavek
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      October 19, 2018
    • UPC
      099925423322
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      SU4233-2
    • LABEL
      Supraphon
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      1
    • GENRE
      Classical
    Works ⌄

    1. Overture

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Tschechische Philharmonie

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    2. Scene 1: In a certain town there lived an old man

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Martinů Voices, Tschechische Philharmonie

      Performer: Josef Špaček, Petr Svoboda, Lucie Fiser Silkenova, Ester Pavlů, Jaroslav Březina

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    3. Scene 2: His wife and his child had died

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Martinů Voices, Tschechische Philharmonie

      Performer: Josef Špaček, Ivan Kusnjer, Petr Svoboda, Lucie Fiser Silkenova, Ester Pavlů, Jaroslav Březina

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    4. Scene 3: The morning, Avdeitch rose before daylight …

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Martinů Voices, Tschechische Philharmonie

      Performer: Josef Špaček, Ivan Kusnjer, Jan Martiník

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    5. Scene 4: My Dear, I say, my dear

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Martinů Voices, Tschechische Philharmonie

      Performer: Josef Špaček, Ivan Kusnjer, Lucie Fiser Silkenova

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    6. Scene 5: Let him go!

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Martinů Voices, Tschechische Philharmonie

      Performer: Josef Špaček, Lukáš Mareček, Ivan Kusnjer, Lucie Fiser Silkenova, Ester Pavlů

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    7. I. Moderato

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Tschechische Philharmonie

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    8. II. Scherzo: Allegro - Trio: Poco moderato

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Tschechische Philharmonie

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    9. III. Largo

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Tschechische Philharmonie

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

    10. IV. Allegro non troppo

      Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

      Ensemble: Tschechische Philharmonie

      Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek


Jirí Belohlávek (1946-2017) was an important worldwide ambassador of Bohuslav Martinu's music. For the Supraphon label alone he recorded nearly forty of Martinu's symphonic compositions, concertos, and stage works, and many of these were world premiere recordings. Despite large-scale plans, this recording also represents both the highpoint and the conclusion of Belohlávek's noteworthy discography of Martinu's works. The premiere recording of the opera-pastoral What Men Live By was made from three concert performances in December 2014. Martinu composed it to his own libretto in America at the turn of 1951-52, and he had a clear idea concerning it's performance: "It must not be played 'pathetically', but joyfully... The text strongly tempts one to come up with a very serious, 'deep' conception, but that is not what I had in mind. To me, it is a rather joyful work, and what the listener must feel is not some sort of religious moral (lesson), but instead joy. The moral is in fact in the joy." This recording of the Symphony No. 1 was made in January 2016, and it joins the earlier releases of Symphonies Nos. 3-6. It was part of a planned but unfortunately unfinished complete set of Martinu's late orchestral works. Belohlávek's tenure with the Czech Philharmonic during the last five years of his life was a very happy time for both parties, and it led to the development of new qualities in the orchestra's sound. This recording shall endure as living proof of what was a very special constellation of humanity and artistry.