Bohuslav Martinů

20th Century · 1890–1959

Bohuslav Martinů grew up in a church tower in the small Czech town of Polička, where his father was the bell-ringer and fire watchman and the family lived in the tower room. He played violin from childhood, was expelled from the Prague Conservatory for neglecting his studies, and moved to Paris in 1923, where he absorbed jazz and the modern French style. In 1941 he fled the war to the United States and never lived in his homeland again.

He wrote at an astonishing pace: six symphonies, dozens of concertos, operas, ballets, and chamber music of every kind, most of it driven by bright rhythmic energy and a homesick Czech songfulness.

Start with the Double Concerto, written in 1938 under the shadow of the Munich crisis, then the Frescoes of Piero della Francesca for his glowing later orchestral sound.

218 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

Cello Sonata no. 2, H.286
Musique de Chambre no. 1, for clarinet, violin, viola, cello, harp and piano, H.376
Nonet for Wind Quintet, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass, H.374
Violin Sonata no. 3, H.303
3 Madrigals for Violin and Viola, H.313, "Duo no. 1"
4 Nocturnes, for cello and piano, H.189
4 Promenades, for flute, violin and harpsichord, H.274
5 Bergerettes, for piano trio, H. 275
5 Madrigal Stanzas, for violin and piano, H.297
6 Pastorales, for cello and piano, H.190
7 Arabesques, for cello and piano, H.201, "Études rhythmiques"
Ariette, for cello and piano, H.188b
Bergerettes, for piano trio, H.275
Cello Sonata no. 1, H.277
Cello Sonata no. 3, H.340
Concerto for Violin and Piano, H.13
Duo no. 1 for Violin and Cello, H.157
Duo no. 2 for Violin and Cello, H.371
Duo no. 2 for Violin and Viola, H.331
Fantasia for Theremin, Oboe, String Quartet, and Piano, H.301
Flute Sonata, H.306
La Revue de cuisine, jazz suite and ballet for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, cello and piano, H.161
Madrigal-Sonata for Flute, Violin and Piano, H.291
Piano Quartet, H.287
Piano Quintet no. 1, H.229
Piano Quintet no. 2, H.298
Piano Trio no. 1, H.193, "5 Short Pieces"
Piano Trio no. 2 in D minor, H.327
Piano Trio no. 3 in C major, H.332
Piece for 2 Cellos, H.377
Posvícení, for flute and strings, H.2
Quartet for Oboe, Violin, Cello and Piano, H.315
Quintet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas and Cello, H. 164
Scherzo, for flute and piano, H.174a
Serenade no. 2 for 2 Violins and Viola, H.216
Sextet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas and 2 Cellos, H.224
Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, 2 Bassoons and Piano, H.174
Sonata for 2 Violins and Piano, H.213
Sonata for Flute, Violin and Piano, H.254
Sonatina, for clarinet and piano, H.356
Sonatina for 2 Violins and Piano, H.198
Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, H.356
Sonatina for Trumpet and Piano, H.357
String Quartet no. 1 in E flat minor, H.117, "French"
String Quartet no. 2, H.150
String Quartet no. 3, H.183
String Quartet no. 4, H.256
String Quartet no. 5, H.268
String Quartet no. 6, H.312
String Quartet no. 7, H.314, "Concerto Da Camera"
String Trio no. 1, H.136
String Trio no. 2, H.238
Suite Miniature for Cello and Piano, H.192
Tri jezdci, for string quartet, H.1
Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano, H.300
Variations on a Slovak Folksong, for cello and piano, H.378
Variations on a Theme by Rossini, for cello and piano, op. 290
Viola Sonata, H.355
Violin Sonata in C major, H.120
Violin Sonata no. 1, H.182
Violin Sonata no. 2, H.208
Violin Sonatina, H.262

Keyboard

3 Czech Dances, for 2 pianos, H.324
3 Czech Dances, H.154
3 Esquisses on Modern Dances, H.160
3 Lyric Pieces, H.98
4 Movements, H.170
4 Pieces, H.205
5 Esquisses de Danses, H.220
5 Waltzes, H.5
6 Esquisses, H.203
6 Polkas, H.101
8 Preludes, H.181
16 Etudes and Polkas, H.308
Adagio, H. 362, "Memories"
A Fairy-Tale of Goldilocks, H.28
Albumleaf, H.241
A Sea Fantasy, H.100
Bagatelle, H.323
Barcarolle, H.326
Black Bottom, H.165
Borová: 7 Czech Dances, H.195
Butterflies and Birds of Paradise, 3 pieces, H.127
Chanson triste, H.36
Dumka no. 1, H.249
Dumka no. 2, H.250
Dumka no. 3, H.285bis
Evening at the Shore, 3 little pieces, H.128
Fables, H.138
Fantaisie and Toccata, H. 281
Fantasie, for 2 pianos, H.180
Film en Miniature, cycle of pieces, H.148
Foxtrot, H.126bisA
Foxtrot narozený "na Ruzku", H.122
From Andersen's Fairy-Tales, H.42
Improvisation, H.333
Instructive Duo for the Nervous, H.145
Jeux, 6 easy pieces, H.206
Le Noël, 3 pieces, H.167
Les Bouquinistes du quai Malaquais, H.319
Les Ritournelles, 6 pieces, H.227
Mazurka, H.284
Merry Christmas 1941
Nocturne, H.95
PAR T.S.F., H.173bis
Piano Sonata, H.350
Piece for the Little Evas, H.242
Piece without Title, H.141
Pièce for piano, H.222
Prelude, H.85
Prelude no. 2 in F minor, H.86
Pro tanec, H.158
Pruvod kocek v noci slunovratu, H.122
Prélude, H.140
Puppets, Book 1, H.137
Puppets, Book 2, H.116
Puppets, Book 3, H.92
Scherzo, H.138bis
Song Without Words, H.46
Spring in the Garden, H.125
The Fifth Day of the Fifth Moon, H.318
Window onto the Garden, H.270

Orchestral

Cello Concerto no. 2, H.304
Double Concerto, H.271 For 2 string orchestras, piano and timpani
Frescoes of Piero della Francesca, H.352
Harpsichord Concerto, H.246
Oboe Concerto, H.353
Piano Concerto no. 4, H.358, "Incantations"
Symphony no. 1, H.289
Symphony no. 3, H. 299
Symphony no. 6, H.343, "Fantaisies symphoniques"
Toccata e due canzoni, H.311 For chamber orchestra
Violin Concerto no. 2, H.293
3 Ricercari, H.267
Composition for large orchestra, H.90
Concertino for Piano and Orchestra, H.269
Concertino for Piano Trio and Strings, H.232
Concertino in C minor for Cello, Wind and Brass Ensemble, Percussion, and Piano H.143
Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra, H.292
Concerto for Piano Trio and Strings, H.231
Estampes H. 369
Le Départ, symphonic interlude from the opera Les trois souhaits, H. 175a
Les rondes, for piano and orchestra, H.200
Malá tanecní suita H.123
Nocturne, for orchestra no. 1 in F sharp minor, H.91
Overture for Orchestra, H.345
Památník Lidicím, H.296, "Memorial to Lidice"
Piano Concerto no. 1 in D major, H.149
Piano Concerto no. 2, H.237
Piano Concerto no. 3, H.316
Piano Concerto no. 5, H.366, "Fantasia concertante"
Rhapsody-Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, H.337
Sinfonietta La Jolla in A major, H. 328
Symphony no. 2, H.295
Symphony no. 4, H.305
Symphony no. 5, H.310

Stage

Hry o Marii, opera, H.236
La revue de cuisine, jazz suite and ballet for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello, and piano, H.161, "Kitchen revue"
Le jour de bonte, opera, H.194
Spalícek, ballet, H.214

Vocal

2 Ballads, for contralto and piano, H.228
2 pisne, H.31
2 pisne na ruskou poezii, H.135bis
2 pisnicky v narodnim slohu, H.14
2 Songs on Negro Folk-Poetry, H.226
3 Christmas Songs, H.184bis
3 detske pisnicky, H.146
3 Goethelieder, H.94
3 pisne na francouzske texty, H.88
3 Songs for the Cabaret 'Cervená sedma', H.129
3 Songs on Poems of Apollinaire, H. 97
3 ukolebavky, H.146bis
4 Children's Songs and Rhymes, H.225
4 Songs to Czech Poetry, H.282bis
6 prostych pisni, H.110
7 Songs on Two Pages, H.302
A Bouquet of Flowers, H.260 Songs for soloists, children's choir, choir and chamber orchestra
Az budeme stari, H.10
Best Wishes for Mummy, song for voice and piano, H.279bis
Ceske hadanky, H.277bis
Ctyri pisne na slova ceske lidove poezie, "Songs for a Friend of My Country"
Divci sny, H. 22
Fleur de pêcher, H.213bisB
Gilgames, oratorio for soloists, chorus and orchestra, H.351
Jak mily cas, H.106
Kde jsem to byla
Kdysi, song for voice and piano, H.69
Koleda milostná, H. 259
Komarova svadba, H.75
Konec vsemu, H.43
Kracim, kracim mezi vrchy, H.74bis
L'Automne malade, H.213bisA
La Nuit, song for voice and piano
Líbej, Milá, Líbej, song for voice and piano, H.27
Mesice, for voice and piano H.135
Mrtva laska, H.44
Naladova kresba, H.29
Nez se nadejes, H.6
Nové slovenské písne, H.126
Nový spalícek, H.288, "New Chap-Book"
Ohnivý muz, song for voice and piano, H.71
Pastel, song for voice and piano, H.8
Pisen na starospanelsky text, H.87
Pisen o hubickach, H.27bis
Pisen prvniho listopadu, H.72
Polní Mse, cantata for baritone, male chorus, winds, piano, harmonium and percussion, H.279
Proc zoubky tvé tak smály se...
Písen, for voice and piano, H.79
Písničky na jednu stránku, H.294
Slzy, H.41
Spící, song for voice and piano, H.19
Stara pisen, H.74
Stesti to dost, H.81
Velikonocní, for voice and piano, H.230
Vim hajicek, H.273
V noci, H.30
Vocalise-Etude for middle voice and piano, H.188
V zahrade na hrade, song for voice and piano, H.77

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