Martinu: Symphony No. 1 (1942)

This page lists all recordings of Symphony No. 1 (1942), by Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959) on CD. Generally, more recent CDs are listed first, but with priority given to items that are in stock.

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Martinu:

Symphony No. 1 (1942)

Double Concerto for Strings, Piano & Timpani

Jaroslav Saroun (piano), Václav Mazacek (timpani)

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Jirí Belohlavek

Chandos - CHAN8950

(CD)

$17.49

In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day.

Martinu:

Symphony No. 1 (1942)

Symphony No. 2

Bamberger Symphoniker, Neeme Järvi

BIS - BISCD362

(CD)

$17.49

Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days.

Martinu:

Symphony No. 1 (1942)

Symphony No. 2

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaclav Neumann

Supraphon - 1119662

(CD)

$13.49

Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days.

Martinu:

Symphony No. 1 (1942)

Symphony No. 6 'Fantaises symphoniques'

Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Fagen

"Arthur Fagen and his Ukrainian orchestra give convincing accounts of both symphonies, and with the help of a sympathetic recording, they achieve that wonderfully luminous, glowing sound which is a special feature of Martinu's orchestral music" - BBC Music Magazine

Naxos - 8553348

(CD)

$6.99

Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days.

Martinu: Symphonies Nos. 1-6

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Valek

The sextuplet of Martinu symphonies originated within a very short time frame (Symphonies Nos. 1-5 within a mere five years – from 1942 to 1946 in the USA; Symphony No. 6, designated Fantaisies symphoniques, was completed in 1953) at a time when the composer enjoyed general acclaim and was bursting with creative energy. It was as if only on a new continent, where he was driven by war and was warmly welcomed, could Martinu muster up the courage to plunge into this classical form and seek to catch up on what he had “missed out on” until then.

Supraphon - SU39402

(CD - 3 discs)

$35.99

In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day.

Martinu - Complete Symphonies

Martinu:

Symphonies Nos. 1-6

Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi

As with all enormously prolific composers, Martinuº’s works are uneven in quality; but his symphonies are generally held among the outstanding 20th-century examples of the genre. All six were written in the USA, the first five in consecutive years from 1942 – the shadow of war can be heard in several march-like movements – but they frequently reveal the composer’s Czech origins, particularly in the stirring slow movements which become darker and more probing as the cycle progresses. The textures and rhythms have a percussive energy that derives both from his formative years of study in Paris in the 1920s and from the prominent use of a piano within the orchestra.

“The Bambergers play for all they are worth for Järvi, who brings out Martinu’s individual qualities and secures a remarkable degree of clarity.” Gramophone Magazine