Chamber Music for 6–9 Instruments I

Bohuslav Martinů:
LES RONDES, H 200
SERENADE No. 1, H 217
SERENADE No. 3, H 218
STOWE PASTORALS, H 335
NONET No. 2, H 374

The Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition IV/4/1
Edited by Jitka Zichová
BA 10574, cloth band score (25,5 x 32,5cm)

· First ever scholarly-critical edition
· Detailed preface and critical commentary by the editor (Eng/Cz)
· Facsimiles section presenting important sources

This volume of the Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition comprises chamber music compositions for mixed wind and string ensembles. With the exception of one of the works (Nonet No. 2), the combinations are unusual – the septet Les Rondes, H 200, is written for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, two violins and piano; Serenade No. 1, H 217, is for clarinet, horn, three violins and viola; Serenade No. 3, H 218, is for oboe, clarinet, four violins and cello; the nonet Stowe Pastorals, H 335, is for five recorders, two violins, clarinet and cello. These uncommon instrumentations are in line with Bohuslav Martinů’s other chamber works, especially in his Paris works from the 1920s to 1930s, which are notable for their experimentation in both sound and form. Only the Nonet No. 2, H 374, retains the standard instrumentation. The compositions originated between 1930 and 1959, thus encompassing most of Bohuslav Martinů’s creative periods.

The festive launch of the volume took place on Monday, 17 October 2016, in Czech Museum of Music in Prague.

Distribution