General information
Type of the document Letter
SenderMartinů, Bohuslav
Sender (corporation)
Note on Sender‘s location[?]
Send date15.04.1957
RecipientSacher, Paul
Recipient (corporation)
Note on Recipient‘s location[?]
LanguageFrench
Language 2English
AcquiredPaul Sacher Stiftung
Owner of the sourcePaul Sacher Stiftung
Former call number at IBM49/285
Call number at IBMSac 1957-04-15b
Content and physical description
ContentBohuslav Martinů informs Paul Sacher that he has not yet received the original score of [EPOS ON GILGAMEŠ] from Universal Edition. Nothing works without Alfred Schlee's presence in the publishing house. He asked them again to send it. He regrets that he cannot yet proofread the piano excerpt and send it to Sacher. At first glance there are not many errors in the vocal parts, but he would prefer to work it out from the manuscript. There is an error in the alto part on page 9, BM will correct it when he sees the manuscript. Is the baritone part too high, especially in the third movement?
BM is unable to proofread the text reliably - it is written in Old English and BM gave his book [The Epic of Gilgamesh] to Sacher. He didn't want to scare him with his idea of execution.
He attaches notes on the edition for PS to comment on. He gives them in English because he is preparing them in that form for the Universal Edition:
The commentator does not stand outside the action, but is part of the dramatic action and provides communication between the singers and the audience. He does not just sit passively, but moves around the stage (as do the other characters). The singers have more than one role, and differentiation must be ensured by different groupings of actors and changes of setting depending on the text. The singers should not sit and stand up all the time just for their part, but neither should they play a big show. They can use suggestive gestures and talk together. All this, of course, within the confines of a concert performance. It is not a motionless oratorio, but an old ritual that requires some freedom.
BM and Charlotte Martinů salute PS and Maja Sacher.
Total number of leaves1
Number of pages bearing text2
Fixationtypescript, handwritten signature
Digitisation
Quality of digitisationNot professional black-and-white
Digitized atBohuslav Martinů Institute
Date of digitisation2017

Preview only available at the Institute.

Person as subject
Martinů, Charlotte
Sacher, Maja
Schlee, Alfred
Corporation as subject
Universal Edition
Composition as subject
The Epic of Gilgamesh [auth.], H 351
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