Bohuslav Martinu: Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano and Timpani

 

Bohuslav Martinů

 

 

( 1890년 12월 8일 ~ 1959년 8월 28일)체코 작곡가.

 

Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano and Timpani

 

Radom Chamber Orchestra (ROK) and Beethoven Academy Orchestra (OAB)

perform under the baton of Maciej Zoltowski

 

 

Bohuslav Martinů's Double Concerto for Two String Orchestras, Piano, and Timpani (H. 271) was written in Switzerland in 1938 during deteriorating diplomatic relationships throughout Europe. Commissioned by Paul Sacher for the Basel Chamber Orchestra it reflects intense impressions, from both the composer's personal life and the political events of the time.

 

The Concerto is structured upon the Concerto Grosso, the three movements scored as 1. Poco Allegro 2. Largo 3. Allegro; its outer movements are characterized by a mood of anxiety expressed through syncopated rhythms, while its Largo centres upon a defiant, declamatory statement; the concerto as a whole lasting circa 21 minutes in total.

 

The cover of the manuscript score bears the dedication to my dear friend Paul Sacher to commemorate the quiet and fearful days spent at Schönenberg amongst the deer and the threat of the war.^[1] Martinů finished the last movement of the sketch on the same day of the signing of the Munich Treaty. It was first performed by the Basel Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Paul Sacher in Basel in February, 1940; Martinů travelled from Paris to attend the Basel performance, despite the difficult international situation. The Swiss composer Arthur Honegger was among the audience of its first performance.

It is rewarding to compare Martinů's Double Concerto with either the Divertimento for String Orchestra (Bartók), also commissioned by Paul Sacher for the Basel Chamber Orchestra in 1938, or Sir Michael Tippett's Concerto for Double String Orchestra (1938–39).