Martinů: Rhapsody-Concerto, Viola Sonata, 3 Madrigals & Duo No. 2

Featuring

Jiří Bělohlávek
Maxim Rysanov
Alexander Sitkovetsky
Katya Apekisheva
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Martinů

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Composition History

Martinů's Rhapsody-Concerto for viola and orchestra was commissioned in 1952 by violist Jascha Veissi, whom the composer had met in Paris.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Although Martinů ended his career as a violinist, his performing years gave him a profound understanding of stringed instruments, which influenced the rich textures of his orchestral and chamber music.

Instruments

Maxim Rysanov, the violist on this recording, plays a Giuseppe Guadagnini viola from 1780, which is on loan from the Elise Mathilde Foundation.

Compositional Technique

Martinů's Rhapsody-Concerto, like some of his earlier chamber works, has only two movements, a structural choice that liberated his formal schemes and allowed them to develop unpredictably.

Composition History

Martinů was inspired to write his two duos for violin and viola after attending a concert where Joseph and Lillian Fuchs performed Mozart's works in the same genre.

Composer Biography

Bohuslav Martinů, a Czech composer, was expelled from the Prague Conservatoire in 1910 for not applying himself to his studies, despite initially seeming destined for a virtuoso violin career.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The Rhapsody-Concerto foreshadows a later trend in Martinů's work towards what he called 'fantasy,' characterized by sudden changes in mood and texture and a more vivid orchestration style.