B. Martinů - Fantaisie et Toccata, (Firkušný)

0:00 – Fantaisie 7:14 – Toccata In 1940, after having been warned by Rudolf Firkušný about the arrival of the gestapo, Martinů’s family fled from Paris and after an unsuccessful attempt to cross the borders they found their temporary home in Aix-en-Provence. The environment of the university city was encouraging and Martinů soon started composing again. Firkušný lived in the nearby Marseille and would often come over for a visit. He received a marvelous gift – The Fantaisie et Toccata is undoubtedly one of the climatic works of Martinů’s French period. It maintains continuity and neobaroque expression but at the same time finds itself being on the cusp of his very own modernist style. (roughly translated from Jaroslav Mihule’s book) Composer: Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959) Pianist: Rudolf Firkušný Czech piano music playlist -