Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien & Cornelius Meister - Martinu: The Symphonies (2017)

Martinu has suffered the fate of not enjoying the same popularity and wide appeal like Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák und Leoš Janáček on the podium. This often goes so far that his singular skill is referred to, but that the wealth of his oeuvre in all the salient genres is hardly familiar. For decades, Martinů had shied away from composing a symphony. The first one was finally to be written in the USA in 1942, followed by another one every year until 1946 (the sixth was only added to the work catalogue in 1953). For this reason, there is sometimes talk of the ‘American’ symphonies. The symphonies do mirror the events of the time, but at the same time long passages must be regarded as absolute music.

TRACKLIST

CD1
01. Symphony No. 1, H. 289: I. Moderato
02. Symphony No. 1, H. 289: II. Scherzo. Allegro-Trio. Poco moderato
03. Symphony No. 1, H. 289: III. Largo
04. Symphony No. 1, H. 289: IV. Allegro non troppo
05. Symphony No. 2, H. 295: I. Allegro moderato
06. Symphony No. 2, H. 295: II. Andante moderato
07. Symphony No. 2, H. 295: III. Poco allegro
08. Symphony No. 2, H. 295: IV. Allegro

CD2
01. Symphony No. 3, H. 299: I. Allegro poco moderato
02. Symphony No. 3, H. 299: II. Largo
03. Symphony No. 3, H. 299: III. Allegro-Andante
04. Symphony No. 4, H. 305: I. Poco moderato
05. Symphony No. 4, H. 305: II. Allegro vivo-Trio. Moderato-Allegro vivo
06. Symphony No. 4, H. 305: III. Largo
07. Symphony No. 4, H. 305: IV. Poco allegro

CD3
01. Symphony No. 5, H. 310: I. Adagio-Allegro
02. Symphony No. 5, H. 310: II. Larghetto
03. Symphony No. 5, H. 310: III. Lento-Allegro
04. Symphony No. 6, H. 343 "Fantaisies symphoniques": I. Lento-Allegro
05. Symphony No. 6, H. 343 "Fantaisies symphoniques": II. Poco allegro
06. Symphony No. 6, H. 343 "Fantaisies symphoniques": III. Lento