Customer Reviews

Martinu: Memorial to Lidice; Field Mass; Symphony No. 4

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This is an excellent recording of 3 Martinu pieces associated with WWII. Enthusiasm for these pieces will be a direct function of enthusiasm for Martinu. If, like me, you think Martinu is the most underappreciated composer of the 20th century, this CD is really exciting. These pieces display some of Martinu's best features, notably his ability to produce powerfully lyrical music that is sufficiently different to constitute a novel experience. If anything, these works, particularly the Memorial and the Field Mass, are more conventional than some of his other works, possibly due to a desire to reach a broad audience. The Symphony #4 contains a great deal of beautifully expressive music with surprising and interesting use of the orchestra.

This recording is the bedrock of any decent Martinu collection. The Field Mass is not for the faint-hearted but it repays repeated listening. The Memorial to Lidice is a lesser masterpiece but worthy of the subject. But the Fourth, indisputably, is Martinu's greatest symphonic endeavour. From the first note to the last, it is illuminated with a radiance and a purity that are unique to this composer. Make no mistake: Marintu's Fourth is a masterpiece as much as any other work in the genre. Akin to Bruckner, for instance, the slow movement culminates in a Moment of Arrival with some numinous presence. If, as someone once said, music should make one better, then transfiguration awaits you for the price of a few farthings. Why wait?