Symphony No. 2 (Martinů)

Bohuslav Martinů's Symphony No. 2, H. 295, was composed from May 29 to July 24, 1943 under a commission from the Czech community in Cleveland. It was premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf on October 28 that year, which marked the 25th anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia,^[1] then downgraded to a Czech protectorate and Slovak puppet state under German occupation.

The work, which has been linked with Antonín Dvořák's 1889 Symphony No. 8 due to its innocently pastoral character,^[2] is the shortest of Martinů's six symphonies, lasting ca. 24 minutes, and the only one that ends in its original tonality, D.^[3] It consists of a flowing Allegro, a serene Andante, a martial scherzo and a bright finale.

1. Allegro moderato
2. Andante moderato
3. Poco allegro
4. Allegro

Although the quiet theme opening the Allegro moderato seems to promise a sonata form, Martinů dispenses with both a second theme and the expected development section.^[4] The Andante is the most successful and least ambitious slow movement in all of Martinů's symphonies. It is even more nostalgic in character than is ever found in Dvořák, expressed by phrases of a folk-like simplicity exchanged between woodwinds and strings.^[5]

Recordings

• Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 2; Fantaisies symphoniques (Symphony No. 6). Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Václav Neumann, cond. Recorded at the Supraphon Studio, House of Artists, Prague, 17, 20, and 22 March 1977 (Symphony No. 2) and 9–14 January 1976 (Symphony No 6). LP recording, quadraphonic. Supraphon 1410 2096. Prague: Supraphon, 1977. Reissued on LP, quadraphonic. Pro Arte PAL-1019. Cassette, stereo. Pro Arte PAC-1019. CD, stereo. Pro Arte/Supraphon PAL-1019. Minneapolis: Pro Arte Records, 1981. Symphony No. 2 reissued in stereo on CD, together with Martinů's Symphony No. 1, on Supraphon 11 1966-2 011. Czech Republic: Supraphon, 1994.
• USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony — Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Yedang, 1985.
• Bamberg Symphony — Neeme Järvi. BIS, 1987.
• Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 2. Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester (DDR), Claus Peter Flor, cond. Recorded 21–24 February (No. 1) and 29–30 May (No. 2), 1989, at Christus Church, Berlin, DDR. BMG Classics. CD recording, stereo. RCA Victor RD 60154. Cassette tape, stereo. RCA Victor Red Seal 60154-4-RC. [N.p.]: RCA Victor Red Seal, 1990.
• Bohuslav Martinů Symphony No. 2; Symphony no. 6 (Fantaisies symphoniques). Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bryden Thomson, cond. Recorded in the Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, 20–21 August 1990. CD, stereo. CHAN 8916; Chandos; Cassette, stereo. ABTD 1524. Colchester, Essex, England: Chandos, 1991.
• Ukrainian National Symphony — Arthur Fagen. Naxos, 2001.
• Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor "From the New World". Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 2. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi, cond. SACD recording, stereo. Telarc 60616. [Cleveland]: Telarc International Corporation, 2005.
• Bohuslav Martinů: Symphonies Nos. 1–6. Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimír Válek, cond. Recorded Prague, Czech Radio, Studio A, 2006. 3-CD set. Supraphon SU 3940. Prague: Supraphon, 2008.
• Martinů: The 6 Symphonies. BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiří Bělohlávek. Recorded live at the Barbican Hall, London, 3 October 3 (No. 1) and 9 October (No. 2), 2009; 19 February (No. 4), 19 March (No. 5), 17 April 17 (No. 3), and 8 May (No. 6), 2010. 3-CD set. Onyx 4061. [London]: Onyx Classics, 2011.

References

1. Book on the symphonies published in 2010 by Michael Crump, pages 210 and 425.
2. Review of the Czech Philharmonic / Neumann release by Rob Barnett in musicweb-international.com
3. Work profile in Guide de la Musique Symphonique, by F.R. Tranchefort et al., page 462
4. Introduction to the symphonies of Martinů published in Melómano 14, no. 144 (July–August 2009): 58–62 by Martín Llade.
5. Survey article in Tempo, new series, nos. 55–56 (Autumn–Winter): 19–26, 31–33 (titled "Martinu the Symphonist") by Peter Evans, citation on page 30.

Further reading

• Crump, Michael David. 1986. "The Symphonies of Bohuslav Martinu: An Analytical Study". M.Litt. diss. Birmingham: University of Birmingham.
• Crump, Michael. 2010. Martinů and the Symphony. Symphonic Studies, no. 3. London: Toccata Press. ISBN 9780907689652.
• Evans, Peter. 1960. "Martinu the Symphonist". Tempo, new series, nos. 55–56 (Autumn–Winter): 19–26, 31–33.
• Halbreich, Harry. 2007. Bohuslav Martinů: Werkverzeichnis und Biografie, second, revised edition. Mainz, London, Berlin, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, and Toronto: Schott. ISBN 9783795705657.
• Layton, Robert. 1966. "Martinů and the Czech Tradition". In The Symphony: Vol. II: Elgar to the Present Day, edited by Robert Simpson, pp. 218–29. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
• Llade, Martín. 2009. "Las sinfonías de Bohuslav Martinů". Melómano: Revista de Música clásica 14, no. 144 (July–August): 58–62.
• Powell, Larson. 2007. "Sound as Form: Martinů's Symphonies". Music and Society in Eastern Europe, no. 2 (December): 77–115.
• Rathert, Wolfgang. 2009. "Die Sinfonien von Bohuslav Martinů: Ein Beitrag zur amerikanischen Musikgeschichte?" Musik-Konzepte neue Folge (November, special issue: Bohuslav Martinů), edited by Ulrich Tadday, 113–26. Munich: Edition Text + Kritik.
• Šafránek, Miloš. 1962. Bohuslav Martinů, His Life and Works, translated by Roberta Finlayson-Samsourová. Prague: Artia; London: Allan Wingate.