Martinu, Bohuslav

Martinů, Bohuslav (bô`hsläf mär`tĭn), 1890–1959, Czech composer; studied at the Prague Conservatory. He played the violin (1918–23) in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Martinů lived in Prague from 1907 to 1923, in Paris from 1923 to 1940 and, fleeing the Nazis, moved to the United States in 1941. After 1946 he divided his time among Prague, Switzerland, and the United States, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1952. Extremely prolific, he was both analytical and intuitive in his composing style. Outstanding among his works are the operas The Miracle of Our Lady (1935) and Julietta (1938), a Concerto Grosso (1938), Symphony No. 6 (Fantaisies Symphoniques, 1955), Memorial to Lidice (1943) for orchestra, and a number of powerful quartets.

Bibliography

See biography by B. Large (1975).

---

Martinu, Bohuslav (Jan)

(born Dec. 8, 1890, Policka, Bohemia—died Aug. 28, 1959, Liestal, Switz.) Czech (Bohemian) composer. He started composing at age 10 but was expelled from the conservatory for neglecting his studies. His early pieces combined the influences of Czech folk music and French composer Claude Debussy's music. In Paris (1923–40) he gained a reputation for his colourful ballet scores and experimented with Neoclassicism, jazz, and ragtime. He composed many works, including six symphonies, operas (including Julietta, 1938), and large choral works (including The Epic of Gilgamesh, 1955), but he did little to promote his music.