Symphony No. 2 (Martinů)

Instrumentation#

The Second Symphony is scored for two flutes, piccolo, three oboes, three clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (triangle, side drum, bass drum, cymbal, tam-tam), harp, piano, and strings.

Recordings#

• Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 2; Fantaisies symphoniques (Symphony No. 6). Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Václav Neumann, cond. Recorded at the Supraphon Studio, House of Artists, Prague, 17, 20, and 22 March 1977 (Symphony No. 2) and 9–14 January 1976 (Symphony No 6). LP recording, quadraphonic. Supraphon 1410 2096. Prague: Supraphon, 1977. Reissued on LP, quadraphonic. Pro Arte PAL-1019. Cassette, stereo. Pro Arte PAC-1019. CD, stereo. Pro Arte/Supraphon PAL-1019. Minneapolis: Pro Arte Records, 1981. Symphony No. 2 reissued in stereo on CD, together with Martinů’s Symphony No. 1, on Supraphon 11 1966-2 011. Czech Republic: Supraphon, 1994.
• USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony — Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Yedang, 1985.
• Bamberg Symphony — Neeme Järvi. BIS, 1987.
• Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 2. Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester (DDR), Claus Peter Flor, cond. Recorded 21–24 February (No. 1) and 29–30 May (No. 2), 1989, at Christus Church, Berlin, DDR. BMG Classics. CD recording, stereo. RCA Victor RD 60154. Cassette tape, stereo. RCA Victor Red Seal 60154-4-RC. N.p. : RCA Victor Red Seal, 1990.
• Bohuslav Martinů Symphony No. 2; Symphony no. 6 (Fantaisies symphoniques). Scottish National Orchestra, Bryden Thomson, cond. Recorded in the Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, 20–21 August 1990. CD, stereo. CHAN 8916; Chandos; Cassette, stereo. ABTD 1524. Colchester, Essex, England: Chandos, 1991.
• Ukrainian National Symphony — Arthur Fagen. Naxos, 2001.
• Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor “From the New World”. Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 2. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi, cond. SACD recording, stereo. Telarc 60616. Cleveland : Telarc International Corporation, 2005.
• Bohuslav Martinů: Symphonies Nos. 1–6. Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimír Válek, cond. Recorded Prague, Czech Radio, Studio A, 2006. 3-CD set. Supraphon SU 3940. Prague: Supraphon, 2008.
• Martinů: The 6 Symphonies. BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiří Bělohlávek. Recorded live at the Barbican Hall, London, 3 October (No. 1) and 9 October (No. 2), 2009; 19 February (No. 4), 19 March (No. 5), 17 April (No. 3), and 8 May (No. 6), 2010. 3-CD set. Onyx 4061. London : Onyx Classics, 2011.

Further reading#

• Crump, Michael David. 1986. “The Symphonies of Bohuslav Martinu: An Analytical Study”. M.Litt. diss. Birmingham: University of Birmingham.
• Crump, Michael. 2010. Martinů and the Symphony. Symphonic Studies, no. 3. London: Toccata Press. .
• Evans, Peter. 1960. “Martinu the Symphonist”. Tempo, new series, nos. 55–56 (Autumn–Winter): 19–26, 31–33.
• Halbreich, Harry. 2007. Bohuslav Martinů: Werkverzeichnis und Biografie, second, revised edition. Mainz, London, Berlin, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, and Toronto: Schott. .
• Layton, Robert. 1966. “Martinů and the Czech Tradition”. In The Symphony: Vol. II: Elgar to the Present Day, edited by Robert Simpson, pp. 218–29. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
• Llade, Martín. 2009. “Las sinfonías de Bohuslav Martinů”. Melómano: Revista de Música clásica 14, no. 144 (July–August): 58–62.
• Powell, Larson. 2007. “Sound as Form: Martinů’s Symphonies”. Music and Society in Eastern Europe, no. 2 (December): 77–115.
• Rathert, Wolfgang. 2009. “Die Sinfonien von Bohuslav Martinů: Ein Beitrag zur amerikanischen Musikgeschichte?” Musik-Konzepte neue Folge (November, special issue: Bohuslav Martinů), edited by Ulrich Tadday, 113–26. Munich: Edition Text + Kritik.
• Šafránek, Miloš. 1962. Bohuslav Martinů, His Life and Works, translated by Roberta Finlayson-Samsourová. Prague: Artia; London: Allan Wingate.