GRAMOPHONE RECORDING OF THE MONTH OCTOBER 2011

Recorded live at the Barbican in London, these recordings represent the first complete CD cycle of Martinu’s symphonies conducted by Jiri Belohlavek. The critically acclaimed concerts were given to mark the 50th anniversary of Martinu’s death in 1959.

Martinu’s six symphonies are a major contribution to 20th-century symphonic literature, and yet are still undervalued. Spanning the years before, during and after the Second World War, they capture the turmoil, hopes and fears of the composer and his homeland – a homeland that suffered unimaginable cruelties under the Nazis.

At the end of the war, Martinu was the only major Czech composer of his generation to have survived.

Yet through the underlying currents of menace in the later works, the irrepressible Czech spirit survives, and the country’s folk music is never far from the surface in these powerful and sincere works. As conductor Jirí Belohlávek says, ‘I personally love all of Martinu’s symphonies for the rich, colourful orchestration and undeniable Czech flair which always prevail in them, despite the fact that they also reflect the musical developments of their time.’

‘The piece won an ovation in this performance, which was marked by consistently virtuosic playing from the orchestra and a sense of easy command from Belohlavek that typifies his control over the music of his homeland. You would have to look long and hard to find this level of advocacy for any composer.’ - The Guardian on the 4th Symphony.