Martinů; Foerster; J. Novák - Cello Concertos (Jiří Bárta)

Information

Composer: Bohuslav Martinů; Josef Bohuslav Foerster; Jan Novák

• Martinů - Cello Concerto No. 1, H. 196
• Foerster - Cello Concerto, Op. 143
• J. Novák - Capriccio for Cello and Small Orchestra

Jiří Bárta, cello

Prague Philharmonia

Jakub Hrůša, conductor

Date: 2009

Label: Supraphon

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Review

First the music: there are two wonderful pieces here and one dud. Martinu’s Concerto No. 1 easily is the finest of the two he wrote, a lively and immensely appealing work that deserves to be far better known. The Novák (composed in 1958) also is delightful, jazzy, and full of the sort of wry humor that somehow seems specifically Czech. The dud is the Foerster, a late work (1931) by a composer who lived practically forever (1859-1951). Its three movements are all slowish (even the final Allegro moderato), and the opening Andante sostenuto e funeste sounds boring and unmotivated. Happily, it’s only 20 minutes long.

Jirí Bárta is a fine cellist and he plays all three works with complete confidence. If I find him more committed in the Martinu and Novák pieces, it may be because they are simply more interesting to begin with. The accompaniments under Jakub Hrusa are well-judged and responsive to the soloist. Unfortunately, Bárta is recorded much too closely, which makes his breathing and gasping a counterpoint to the music itself. This happens all the time these days, and it’s really inexcusable. If the repertoire interests you, then I can recommend this disc with the reservations noted. [7/7/2009]

— David Hurwitz

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Bohuslav Martinů (December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He was a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and briefly studied under Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk. Martinů was a prolific composer who wrote almost 400 pieces. Many of his works are regularly performed or recorded, among them his oratorio The Epic of Gilgamesh, his six symphonies, concertos, chamber music, a flute sonata, a clarinet sonatina and many others. Martinů's notable students include Alan Hovhaness, Vítězslava Kaprálová, Jan Novák and many others.

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Josef Bohuslav Foerster (30 December 1859 – 29 May 1951) was a Czech composer educated at the Prague Conservatory, where he later became a professor and director. He served as an organist and music critic in Prague, Hamburg, and Vienna. From 1893 to 1903, he lived in Hamburg, befriending Gustav Mahler and teaching at the conservatory. Foerster composed primarily for chorus and solo voice, often using religious texts. His works include five symphonies and operas such as Nepřemoženi, Srdce, and Bloud. While influenced by Mahler's Romanticism, his lyrical style reflects the legacy of Dvořák and Smetana.

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Jan Novák (1921–1984) was a Czech composer . He trained at top Czech institutions and later at Tanglewood with Aaron Copland and in New York with Bohuslav Martinů. Returning to Czechoslovakia in 1948, Novák's 1950s works reflected Martinů's influence, while his 1960s compositions explored dodecaphony, aleatoricism and Latin texts. Following the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, he emigrated to Italy and later settled in Germany. Novák's extensive oeuvre includes orchestral, chamber and vocal pieces, an opera, ballets, music for theatre, film and radio plays.

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Czech cellist Jiří Bárta studied in Prague, Cologne and Los Angeles. A winner of several national competitions, he received the Europäische Förderpreis für Musik and the Rostropovich-Hammer Award. His global concert career spans Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. He has performed at major festivals and in renowned venues like Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Tokyo's Suntory Hall. As a recording artist for Supraphon and Hyperion, his work has earned critical acclaim, including Gramophone Awards. Bárta currently plays a 2012 cello by Dietmar Rexhausen.

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