Catalogue # ONYX4061

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Martinu: Symphonies Nos. 1-6

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BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiří Bělohlávek

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CD - 3 discs

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Recorded live at the Barbican in London, these recordings\nrepresent the first complete CD cycle of Martinu’s symphonies\nconducted by Jiří Bělohlávek. The critically acclaimed concerts\nwere given to mark the 50th anniversary of Martinu’s death in\n1959.

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Martinu’s six symphonies are a major contribution to\n20th-century symphonic literature, and yet are still undervalued.\nSpanning the years before, during and after the Second World War,\nthey capture the turmoil, hopes and fears of the composer and his\nhomeland – a homeland that suffered unimaginable cruelties under\nthe Nazis. At the end of the war, Martinu was the only major Czech\ncomposer of his generation to have survived.

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Yet through the underlying currents of menace in the later\nworks, the irrepressible Czech spirit survives, and the country’s\nfolk music is never far from the surface in these powerful and\nsincere works. As conductor Jiří Bělohlávek says ‘I personally love\nall of Martinu’s symphonies for the rich, colourful orchestration\nand undeniable Czech flair which always prevail in them, despite\nthe fact that they also reflect the musical developments of their\ntime.’

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