Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů

Posted by M H on December 08, 2020 - 12:50pm

Bohuslav Martinů
December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959

Today it is 130 years since birth of this great Czech composer
From Wikipedia
Martinů was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. The setting of Martinů's birth was unusual. He was born in the tower of the St. Jakub Church in Polička, a town in Bohemia, close to the Moravian border. The room of his birth is 36 m high and accesed by 192 stairs.

St.James Church were Martinů was born

Since 1923 Martinů lived abroad
1923–40: Paris
1941–53: US
1953–59: Europe
Martinů was a prolific composer who wrote almost 400 pieces.
One of his most important works is The Greek Passion (Czech Řecké pašije) an opera in four acts . The English-language libretto, by the composer, is based on Jonathan Griffin's translation of the novel The Greek Passion (or Christ Recrucified) by Nikos Kazantzakis, giant of modern Greek literature.

You can listen to a small part of it here

The Greek Passion by Bohuslav Martinu - Luiz-Ottavio Faria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEmkTUGvpaM

There has been many discussions about Martinů's personality, manners and possible Asperger syndrome.
He died in Liestal, Switzerland, on 28 August 1959. His remains were moved and buried in Polička, Czechoslovakia, in 1979.