Martinu: Chamber Music

Bohuslav Martinu (Composer), Daniel Adni (Performer), Kathryn Selby (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Daniel Adni, Kathryn Selby
• Composer: Bohuslav Martinu
• Audio CD (September 17, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B0000014AR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,049 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #7 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Strings > Viola

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent Martinu album, November 27, 2002

By 

T. Murphy (San Jose, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martinu: Chamber Music (Audio CD)

In an Amazon.com review of a different CD (the Naxos recording of Martinu's flute trio), someone parenthetically took a cheap shot at the pieces on this album, calling them "vacuous and annoying."

Well, don't let that idiot put you off this CD. These pieces might not be as instantly accessible as some of Martinu's other chamber works, but they are all excellent pieces of music. I can see how the intensely contrapuntal textures and idiosyncratic melodic lines may seem overwhelming initially, but after a few listens these features disentangle themselves- the music is often 'busy', but this is because it is very detailed and (I think) beautiful. The Quartet for Oboe, Violin, Cello, and Piano is very fresh and lively, and the Piano Quartet No. 1 gets better every time I hear it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine Selection of Martinu Chamber Works, January 12, 2004

By 

R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martinu: Chamber Music (Audio CD)

This is an interesting selection of Martinu chamber works featuring very good performances. Works are chosen from relatively early in his career (the String Quintet, 1927), from his period in America (the Piano Quartet #1, 1942; the Oboe Quartet, 1947), and from late in life (the Viola and Piano Sonata #1, 1955). This is a lot of very interesting and lovely music. The Sonata is a particular favorite of mine.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Artist Whose Time Will Come, February 28, 2006

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martinu: Chamber Music (Audio CD)

Bohuslav Martinu seems to polarize even lovers of contemporary music. While there are those who dismiss his output as superficial, there are equally vociferous societies who maintain blogs on the internet that make Martinu an icon. Where he actually falls is probably somewhere in the middle, though this lovely album of his chamber music hopefully will convince some doubters of his worth.

Anyone living in the Southern California area has grown to know Martinu through the auspices of KUSC music guru Jim Svejda whose nightly broadcast Music Shelf opens with the third movement (Allegretto poco moderato) of the Martinu Piano Quartet No. 1 - that splendid piano solo that is gradually joined b the pulsating and quirky strings. It is a 'popular favorite' among Svejda's devotees and garners more questions to the radio station staff than any other question posed! The Piano Quartet is here performed by Rainer Moog (piano), Daniel Adni, Young-Chang Cho and Isabelle van Keulen and captures all the playful business of this charming work.

The other works on this well-recorded album include the Quartet for oboe, violin, cello & piano with Charmian Gadd, Joel Marangella, Alexander Ivashkin, Kathryn Selby, the lyrically dreamy Sonata for viola & piano with Daniel Adni, viola and once again Rainer Moog, piano. The final offering is one of the folk song inspired Quintet for 2 violins, 2 violas & cello with Charmian Gadd, Solomia Soroka, Rainer Moog, Young-Chang Cho, Theodore Kuchar.

For an introduction to the music of this strong composer this fine CD recorded at the 1994 Australian Festival of Chamber Music is a fine starting point. And then on to the symphonies... Recommended. Grady Harp, February 06