Bohuslav Martinu: Czech Rhapsody for baritone, chorus, organ and large orchestra (1918)

Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by/ Orquesta Sinfónica de Praga dirigida por Jiri Belohlavek. Choir/coro: Kühn Mixed Choir. Barítono/baritone: Ivan Kusnjer. Bohuslav Martinu is the Czech modernist composer by excellence. Trained by none other than Josef Suk, Martinu was to develop his own compositional style after the 1920’s. However, most of his early pieces show already great talent. One of this is the Czech Rhapsody for baritone, chorus, organ and large orchestra. Written after Czechoslovakia’s independence in 1918, the Rhapsody was inspired after patriotic subjects such as St. Wenceslas Chorale that is used as leitmotiv and the poem Bohemia by Jaroslav Vrchlicky sung by the baritone. The Rhapsody became quite popular among concertgoers and President Tomas Masaryk, and thus represents Martinu’s first great success. Bohuslav Martinu es el compositor modernista checo por excelencia. Entrenado por nadie más que Josef Suk, Martinu desarrollaría un estilo muy personal