General information
Type of the document Letter
SenderMartinů, Bohuslav
Sender (corporation)
Sender‘s locationNew York, NY
Send date12.04.1948
RecipientSacher, Paul
Recipient (corporation)
Note on Recipient‘s location[?]
LanguageFrench
AcquiredPaul Sacher Stiftung
Owner of the sourcePaul Sacher Stiftung
Former call number at IBM49/193
Call number at IBMSac 1948-04-12
Content and physical description
ContentEvents in Czechoslovakia changed Bohuslav [and Charlotte] Martinů's plans. BM does not plan to travel to Prague now, although they have already booked a place on the ship. BM did not hear from Paul [and Maje] Sacher for a long time because he was still waiting for a better understanding of the situation. It is possible that he and ChM will eventually go to Europe - to Paris and perhaps to Basel to see PS - but for now they will wait during April to see what happens next.
BM describes his position in Czechoslovakia: He is considered a famous Czech composer there and is expected to take up a professorship at the Academy of Performing Arts. BM apparently has to decline this for health reasons, and he might not feel comfortable there given all the changes taking place.
BM has several manuscripts in Czechoslovakia. He is particularly fond of the score of JULIETTA, which he considers one of his best works. The piece exists only in manuscript, which cannot be transcribed. A piano extract with Czech text has been published in Melantrich. It may be that BM will fall out of favour in Czechoslovakia because of his long stay in the West. He would therefore like to be sure that the manuscript is safely stored; he may need it in the USA. He asks Sacher to pick up the score on his eventual trip to Prague and leave it with him. Melantrich and Karel Šebánek have it (BM gives addresses). If PS would have the score sent, it would be appropriate via the embassy.
BM doesn't work much and soon gets tired. He wrote a concerto for piano and orchestra [CONCERT FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA No. 3] for Rudolf Firkušný, originally intended for the Prague Spring Festival.
BM is delighted with the news from PS. He has heard the excellent response to Sacher's Paris concert [possible performance of TOCCATA E DUE CANZONI 11 Dec 1947, see Sac 1947-12-01] and has spoken to Ernest Ansermet about PS.
Total number of leaves1
Number of pages bearing text1
Fixationtypescript, handwritten signature
Digitisation
Quality of digitisationNot professional black-and-white
Digitized atBohuslav Martinů Institute
Date of digitisation2017

Preview only available at the Institute.

Location as subject
Basel
Czechoslovakia
Paris
Prague
USA
Person as subject
Ansermet, Ernest
Firkušný, Rudolf
Martinů, Charlotte
Sacher, Maja
Šebánek, Karel
Corporation as subject
Akademie múzických umění v Praze
Melantrich
Pražské jaro
Composition as subject
Juliette (The Key to Dreams), H 253
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3, H 316
Toccata e due canzoni, H 311
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