Written at Cape Cod in his summer house. You can def. hear the waves of the Atlantic in this symphony. The work is dedicated to his friends Helen and William Ziegler, and was premiered on 30 November 1945 at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy.
I discovered the symphonies of Martinu in of all places Prague when I went to a Czech Philharmonic concert which included the wonderful 5th symphony. Made me investigate this unique and fascinating composer who should be heard far more often outside his native country.
@Casey Fan Thanks to recordings, I have much of his music, but in 50 years of attendance at symphonic concerts have never heard one of his works live. But, hopefully conductors like Orozco-Estrada will change that.
I remember the joy of discovering this composer. I was working late at my studio and Symphony #4 came on the radio. I knew immediately that this music would be very important to me, so I recorded it so i could listen to it until I had the chance to buy it. I learned so much about art by listening to this.
Thanks to Russia's invasion of Czechoslovakia we lucked out with Karel Ancerl escaping to Toronto, and for several years we heard plenty of Martinu's music...always stayed with me...
Wow! Fantastic performance! I am so glad I stumbled across this video. I have long loved this piece based on a record I acquired back in the 80's, but which had muddy sound from a too resonant space, and some imprecise rhythms amongst the ensemble, but the beauty and excitement of Martinu's music shined through it all. Now I have a new favorite performance! The clarity of this recording and the utterly precise playing and balance by the entire orchestra is just amazing. There is so much to hear in this symphony. Well done and congratulations to all the musicians! As some of the other commenters mention, I too hope that Martinu makes more frequent appearances on concert programs. Thank you so much!
We now have good HD videos of Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducting the hr-Sinfonieorchester in the first and fourth symphonies of this neglected Czech composer; I hope that this conductor intends to record the other four symphonies.
Fabulous performance, the strings were dynamically spot on every time. Praise to for a great audience. No idiots coughing, just absorbing this amazing music.
This symphony has been a favorite of mine since I heard Martin Turnovsky's fine recording some years ago; Orozco-Estrada's has the same expressive urgency, and the best interpretation yet! Martinu's distinctive style makes his music instantly indentifiable, and his sound-world is always pleasingly atmospheric, rhythmic and melodic. In his 4th, I especially love the bassoon solos in the second movement and the festive burst of energy in the finale.
Great performance. It's a pity that I was not in the concert hall in Frankfurt. I wish for the HR Sinfonieorchester and Andrés Orozco-Estrada a successfull continuation of their valuable work.
Ich begrüße diese großartige Orchester und alle deutschen Volk! Es ist immer eine große Freude, zu hören und eine schöne Komposition mit Aplomb von kompetenten und hochrangigen Musikern bewundern. In diesem Jahr wird es am Ende, hatte ich das Vergnügen, mehrere Konzerte des hr-Sinfonieorchesters zu besuchen und nicht begeistert mich selten mit solchem Geschick und Genauigkeit der Interpretationen. Ich habe zu danken, für Sie in der Lage waren Motivation und Freude in mein Leben zu bringen. Vielen Dank!
Sehr farbenprächtige Leistung dieser farbenprächtigen Sinfonie. Das Werk soll viel häufiger aufgeführt und viel höher geschätzt werden. Danke fürs wertvolle Hochladen mit möglichst hoher Tonqualität!
The Martinu 4th has always been the one that really got me. I think he's getting less & less neglected as time goes by but, jees, it sure isn't easy to find a live performance, especially if you live in Italy. Perhaps I'll retire to Brno.
So good to hear this wonderful work in a performance where its classical/baroque-inspired textures are so clearly balanced (as opposed to most overblown, over-reverberant recordings). The sensitive, shapely phrasing of the gentle themes (eg: 1st Mvt main theme, trio of the scherzo) very effectively clarify all of those tricky, syncopated rhythmic patterns. For once, the 3rd Mvt passage (starting at 22:22) is taken at the proper tempo..NOT TOO FAST, thus allowing the piano and clarinets to play their arpeggio figures where they make sense. Nice pacing/dynamic shaping in the finale, as the C Major march makes its appearance near the end (crazy syncopation is clear and buoyant). Didn't need the accelerando at the very end, though, which muddies up the clean, classical design. Very good. LR
Excellent performance, I have not heard this before but it follows the form of symphony 1, which I really love. Startling mid 3rd movement moment as the central theme begins.
Het is onbegrijpelijk dat de muziek én de symfonieen van Martinu nog steeds wordt verwaarloosd; wat mij betreft hebben ze dezelfde aantrekkingskracht als pakweg de Beethoven-symfonieen. Gelukkig schijnt er de laatste jaren toch meer waardering te komen voor 's mans muziek. Getuige deze uitvoering én de frequente cd-opnames van zijn muziek die worden uitgebracht.
Cette musique se déplie comme un livre d'images plein d'étoiles, où viennent filer les oiseaux, tourner les farandoles, claquer les crécelles et danser les sorciers.
@@jazzstandardman Modern and classical are a contradiction because no one today seems to write in the classical/romantic idiom Not sure what term you would use for today`s non pop music but the majority of it sure isn`t music - lol.
First line from the Wikipedia article: Bohuslav Jan Martinů was a Czech composer of modern classical music. You are all thinking about the contemporary "classical" music.
He should be reevaluated. You call this music? What a load of garbage! Bring back the romantic period and listen to some real music; Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Atterberg...
Come out of your cave and get some fresh air.Martinu has to be one of the most underated composers of the 20th Century along with Respighi.( he composed a huge amount of wonderful works apart from the Roman Trilogy).
I think Martinů will be the 21st century's major repertory for classical orchestras. This composer should be really reevaluated as a genius.
That is so true.
Just discovered him 3-4 years ago and he has become my favorite 20th century composer. He's truly a giant.
Written at Cape Cod in his summer house. You can def. hear the waves of the Atlantic in this symphony. The work is dedicated to his friends Helen and William Ziegler, and was premiered on 30 November 1945 at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy.
I've been a fan of Orozco-Estrada for some time now, but I really think this is the sort of repertory where he shines.
I discovered the symphonies of Martinu in of all places Prague when I went to a Czech Philharmonic concert which included the wonderful 5th symphony. Made me investigate this unique and fascinating composer who should be heard far more often outside his native country.
Full of life - the piece, and the performance.
Martinu is sadly neglected and has such a unique voice.
@Casey Fan Thanks to recordings, I have much of his music, but in 50 years of attendance at symphonic concerts have never heard one of his works live. But, hopefully conductors like Orozco-Estrada will change that.
I remember the joy of discovering this composer. I was working late at my studio and Symphony #4 came on the radio. I knew immediately that this music would be very important to me, so I recorded it so i could listen to it until I had the chance to buy it. I learned so much about art by listening to this.
Es exactamente la misma experiencia que tuve yo en 1990...
Great performance. My favourite Martinů symphony.
Estrada is really a genius, I like his conducting skills for this particular work, truly a beautiful performance indeed,thanks for posting
Ein wunderbar gespieltes wunderbares Werk! Martinů tut immer gut. Vielen Dank aus Tschechien, aus der Nachbarstadt von Martinů's Heimatsort Polička!
Thanks to Russia's invasion of Czechoslovakia we lucked out with Karel Ancerl escaping to Toronto, and for several years we heard plenty of Martinu's music...always stayed with me...
Wow! Fantastic performance! I am so glad I stumbled across this video. I have long loved this piece based on a record I acquired back in the 80's, but which had muddy sound from a too resonant space, and some imprecise rhythms amongst the ensemble, but the beauty and excitement of Martinu's music shined through it all. Now I have a new favorite performance! The clarity of this recording and the utterly precise playing and balance by the entire orchestra is just amazing. There is so much to hear in this symphony. Well done and congratulations to all the musicians! As some of the other commenters mention, I too hope that Martinu makes more frequent appearances on concert programs. Thank you so much!
We now have good HD videos of Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducting the hr-Sinfonieorchester in the first and fourth symphonies of this neglected Czech composer; I hope that this conductor intends to record the other four symphonies.
Prostě nepřekonatelné! Ohromně krásné dílo, zvlášť nádherné Allegro Vivo! Chlouba české země!
en el último movimiento el sonido compacto de la orquesta es maravilloso, para escucharlo muchas veces
Fabulous performance, the strings were dynamically spot on every time.
Praise to for a great audience. No idiots coughing, just absorbing this amazing music.
This symphony has been a favorite of mine since I heard Martin Turnovsky's fine recording some years ago; Orozco-Estrada's has the same expressive urgency, and the best interpretation yet! Martinu's distinctive style makes his music instantly indentifiable, and his sound-world is always pleasingly atmospheric, rhythmic and melodic. In his 4th, I especially love the bassoon solos in the second movement and the festive burst of energy in the finale.
Thank you, HR, for posting this rarely performed work by a sadly neglected 20C composer.
Sadlyy yess
Genial el director, y la orquesta impecable. Lo mejor para esta maravillosa sinfonía.
A true artistic masterpiece!
Thank you and congratulations to all, instrumentalists and dirigent .
Cordially .
Danke, dass Sie mir die fantastischen Werke dieses Komponisten näher gebracht haben. Ich bin begeistert.
Nothing like discovering yet another enjoyable listening experience.
Great performance. It's a pity that I was not in the concert hall in Frankfurt. I wish for the HR Sinfonieorchester and Andrés Orozco-Estrada a successfull continuation of their valuable work.
A great work by a composer with overwhelming gifts.
Ich begrüße diese großartige Orchester und alle deutschen Volk! Es ist immer eine große Freude, zu hören und eine schöne Komposition mit Aplomb von kompetenten und hochrangigen Musikern bewundern. In diesem Jahr wird es am Ende, hatte ich das Vergnügen, mehrere Konzerte des hr-Sinfonieorchesters zu besuchen und nicht begeistert mich selten mit solchem Geschick und Genauigkeit der Interpretationen. Ich habe zu danken, für Sie in der Lage waren Motivation und Freude in mein Leben zu bringen. Vielen Dank!
Sehr farbenprächtige Leistung dieser farbenprächtigen Sinfonie. Das Werk soll viel häufiger aufgeführt und viel höher geschätzt werden. Danke fürs wertvolle Hochladen mit möglichst hoher Tonqualität!
The Largo is something else. Incredible
Wonderful performance of a very fine 20th C symphony.
Sehr selten zu hören dieses Werk. Tolle Interpretation. Prima ORCHESTER 👍
A very good conductor for a colored score. An outstanding recording.
Fuerte y deslumbrante música.fantastica ejecución y direccion.
Bellissima sinfonia e condotta con.travolgente energia!
Elettrizzante incrocio archi e fiati nel finale del quarto. Eccezionale direzione, meravigliosi interpreti.
The Martinu 4th has always been the one that really got me. I think he's getting less & less neglected as time goes by but, jees, it sure isn't easy to find a live performance, especially if you live in Italy. Perhaps I'll retire to Brno.
Hermosa sinfonía, gran versión. Bravo
I greet you from Southern Germany
So good to hear this wonderful work in a performance where its classical/baroque-inspired textures are so clearly balanced (as opposed to most overblown, over-reverberant recordings). The sensitive, shapely phrasing of the gentle themes (eg: 1st Mvt main theme, trio of the scherzo) very effectively clarify all of those tricky, syncopated rhythmic patterns. For once, the 3rd Mvt passage (starting at 22:22) is taken at the proper tempo..NOT TOO FAST, thus allowing the piano and clarinets to play their arpeggio figures where they make sense. Nice pacing/dynamic shaping in the finale, as the C Major march makes its appearance near the end (crazy syncopation is clear and buoyant). Didn't need the accelerando at the very end, though, which muddies up the clean, classical design. Very good. LR
Une version tonique de la plus rarement jouée des six symphonies !
Happy to see it is in a decent published form. I played this once about 30 years ago and we played on photo copies of manuscript parts.
Martinů wird leider nicht oft wiedergegeben. Hier meisterlich dargeboten, Danke.
A wonderful work, by a great composer.
many thanks I hope he programs and you post Symphony No. 2 as well.
Excellent!
Excellent performance, I have not heard this before but it follows the form of symphony 1, which I really love. Startling mid 3rd movement moment as the central theme begins.
Yes, both are similar, yet this one is so much better that I feel like the 1st one is obsolete.
Het is onbegrijpelijk dat de muziek én de symfonieen van Martinu nog steeds wordt verwaarloosd; wat mij betreft hebben ze dezelfde aantrekkingskracht als pakweg de Beethoven-symfonieen. Gelukkig schijnt er de laatste jaren toch meer waardering te komen voor 's mans muziek. Getuige deze uitvoering én de frequente cd-opnames van zijn muziek die worden uitgebracht.
Great: German orchestras should play more Martinu - and Janacek!
The string chords at 3:20. Atmospheric. Profoundly beautiful.
Great performance!
Delicious!
Cette musique se déplie comme un livre d'images plein d'étoiles, où viennent filer les oiseaux, tourner les farandoles, claquer les crécelles et danser les sorciers.
❤
True.🤔
🦉@@darrylschultz9395
Great!
convincing performance.
I have Ken Russell to thank for knowing about Martinu.
Enjoyable...
Conducting move at the end so dramantic your hands will never twist
21:24
A few bars missing, so that they are obviously playing the first edition of the score, not the more recent version
Always kudos for playing original versions, as far as I'm concerned.
@@bomcabedal I couldnt agree more. Try the original version of Sibelius 5th. The last movement blew my mind when i first heard it.
The problem in this case is that the first edition wasn't accurate and that the later edition, based on the manuscript, is correct
Interpretação soberba!
0:28 is a good place to start.
Lucky you're here-people having to put up with 28 seconds of no music before the piece starts doesn't bear thinking about..🤔
Modern classical music belongs right in the trashcan.
Quite often, yes. Thankfully, this isn't modern classical music.
@@jazzstandardman Modern and classical are a contradiction because no one today seems to write in the classical/romantic idiom Not sure what term you would use for today`s non pop music but the majority of it sure isn`t music - lol.
@@paullewis2413 Very well said
First line from the Wikipedia article: Bohuslav Jan Martinů was a Czech composer of modern classical music.
You are all thinking about the contemporary "classical" music.
He should be reevaluated. You call this music? What a load of garbage! Bring back the romantic period and listen to some real music; Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Atterberg...
Come out of your cave and get some fresh air.Martinu has to be one of the most underated composers of the 20th Century along with Respighi.( he composed a huge amount of wonderful works apart from the Roman Trilogy).
Can't wait to hear your compositions.
The Troglodyte hath spoken.