Was just wondering if anyone out there knows any of Martinu's piano music - I came across recordings of his cello and piano music which I really like but was wondering what his piano music is like and whether it's worth trying to get hold of any....... I've looked on Boosey & Hawkes website but the sheet music for things like his Preludes/Movements/Sonata/Esquisses/Czech Dances/Fantasie et Toccata (is this for organ or piano?)/Fables/Marionettes etc is quite expensive so I was wanting to make sure it's worth getting before I splash out.......

I don't know much Martinu, although I like what I know - if that's any help.

One of his Spring in the Garden pieces was set for grade 7 a few years ago - it's listed as published by Barenreiter. If anyone has a spare grade 7 from 2001-2 ... Kind of charming in a slightly folk-y kind of way.

There's one on the Grade 8 syllabus this year - I haven't had anyone try it yet though (sorry - not much help!)

I liked that one so much I borrowed the book to play it in a concert - good fun waltz wandering around the keys. There's also one in Grade 6 which I think is from the same set, and that's a good one too.

I've been accompanying a friend in Martinu's trumpet sonata, which is v difficult but also a great piece. And I heard a very jazzy set he wrote for chamber group on TV a few years ago.

I'm becoming a bit of a Martinu fan actually, though my heart is still with Janacek (among composers from that part of the world).

The only Martinu I know of is the flute sonata, but I like that a lot... sorry, chocolate teapot time

Perhaps you could try getting some from the library first, or see if any is going cheap on ebay - it's amazing what you can find.

This site has sheet music for some of the pieces you listed, costs around $2 a piece:

http://everynote.intissite.com/composer_martinu.html

I bought a Naxos CD of his piano music, only a couple of weeks back, have to say i did'nt much care for it. Same day i bought Mompou vol 3 on Naxos...which i can't stop playing. Though only played the Martinu the once.

I am now inspired to try some Martinu, Im always looking for something different, thanks for the tips.
Mompou, I pay a lot ! I have lots of it. Most people would at least enjoy the 12 Cancion y Danzas or Fetes Lointains. All recorded on Naxos. Mompou is in fact Stephen Houghs favourite comoser. He deserves to be better known. The sheet music is also rather expensive published by Universal.

I think Hough has a disc on Hyperion of Mompou which i have'nt yet got. I was'nt aware Mompou was his favourite composer. The piece that really stood out for me was El Lago(the lake) from Paisages(landscapes), I heard Leif Oves Andnes playing it on his recent EMI compilation CD Horizons, and it had a hypnotic and enchanting effect. I went out the next day and had to buy an entire book at around £26 just to get that piece, as you said some of his music is on the Universal label, such as the three variations, but this book is Edition Salabert... turned out that there was quite a bit of other music in the book i wanted to play, like some of the variations on the Chopin prelude, and his own preludes. Have to say though, there's a fair amount of his other music that does'nt really appeal to me.

Ooh thanks for that tip, I have Paisages, will try tonight ! My edition is in fact Salabert, not Universal ( but still expensive)

Sorry my fault for switching the thread to Mompou, but I will try some Martinou soon as well .

One of my pupils has been learning the Pajero Triste by Mompou - beautiful piece about grade 5/6 level..... but I think that's the only piece by Mompou that I've come across so far....I shall have a look for some more!! Interesting about the Martinu recording - I heard a snippet of his piano sonata and wasn't too sure, but his Columbine Waltz (grade 6 - I was looking for more advanced stuff really though) is very cute.....and I like his cello and piano works (I have one as a mobile phone ringtone!!) so I may just buy some and see.......

not sure i know Pajero triste, I'll see if its on one of the CDs i have when i get home. I think i'll give the Martinu disc another try too.

There is a biography and full list HERE.

But please can we spell his name correctly - it's Bohuslav Martinů

John

Not on your link it isn't!!!

I know <expletive deleted> - I just like to get the spelling correct with people's names, diacritics included.

Aah well.

John

Of course, one can take Martinu to be a transliteration into English, which does not use diacritic marks, which would make u the correct symbol for the accurate pronunciation of Martinu in English (the other alternative would be Martinoo - better? Hmm...). U without the marking is pronounced differently in Czech, BUT... we ain't Czech... and as such most would be more likely to say "Martinu" correctly than the unfamiliar "Martinů"

....Or do you always refer to Чайкoв�кий, Стравин�кий, Проко�фьев, Рахманинов...?

Utility suggests Martinu is a perfectly adequate way of writing it in English for ease of pronunciation and understanding.

Which one's Shostakovich?

Шо�такович


(drat, I knew I'd miss someone out that I really shouldn't )

I don't do Cryllic (or Greek, as I've discovered these last 4 days). I got "somebody, probably Russian, possibly Tchaikovsky); "somebody else, also probably Russian"; "probably Prokofiev" and "probably Rachmaninov". Is there any chance you could provide the (what was the word? - Transliteration?) for those of us whose Russian isn't up to scratch?

Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, and Shostakovich. (To give pretty well accepted, I think, transliterations, though generally they can be transliterated several ways)

I'm very tired, I looked at Шо�такович and started typing Wocta.....

Spring is the garden is fun - very sweet and quite satisfying to play - Lot's of little sections to learn!

I know these. They are hard - DipABRSM? plus? - but fabulous.

Libor Novacek includes them on his first CD, you may find MP3 files on his site, www.libornovacek.com.

Good luck!