| Content | František Bartoš has just returned from the Prague premiere of 2. SYMPHONY, which he attended with Karel Novák. The work caused great joy and long-lasting applause. It is a completely different world, yet it is very Czech, only stripped of the German heaviness. They appreciate him for leaving and thus separating himself from the so-called official orientation, which was far from German. Twenty years ago they forced this one path. Those who were aware of the power of the French "clarté", which was Bohuslav Martinů and after him "we of Mánes", were almost declared traitors to the nation. Today this has changed and it could not be said that progressiveness must be measured by Wagner's Tristan. "East or West" is the correct motto. However, recently there was an extra-Russian premiere of Shostakovich's 9th, and how about the 2nd. SYMPHONY BM close! With KN, right after 2. SYMPHONY they said that BM's work is definitely Czech. It's true that there was a time when BM had a "damn international face", but that's behind him, it's just according to FB he temporarily had to deny what was so far passed off as typically Czech. Now he has arrived at his Czech expression. The plays about MARY, SPALICE and even JULIETTA were a synthesis of Czech, French and dreamily exotic. In the 2nd SYMPHONY, FB recognizes that BM is at the finish line and at the right place in the development of Czech music. It is the leading place that will determine the Czech character of modern music. For the first time Smetana gave Czechness to our music. He mastered what is necessary to be equal to the world (he drew on Liszt, Wagner and Chopin) and transformed it into a Czech form. Antonín Dvořák had a different recipe (he followed Brahms, Liszt, Wagner and Smetana), Vítězslav Novák (he went through Brahms, Debussy and folk song) or Leoš Janáček. And now it's BM. Maybe FB will write something similar in an article soon, just not so openly.
On 22 Feb, he writes a letter thanking ČF for the happy news about the gift of cigarettes [based on a letter from BM in the meantime, BarF 1946-02-07?] Everyone is looking forward to the donation and BM. They are counting on his attendance at the [Prague Spring] festival, although he will be back in the USA in July. Like Rudolf Firkušný and Jarmila Novotná, he will receive an invitation from the Ministry of Information. He will also receive an invitation from the CF. Charles Munch has requested his 1st SYMPHONY for festival concerts, does he agree? Firkušný and Novotná will also be asked to include his works. Think about organizing a course, or at least a lecture on Compositions. A course would be good in view of the conservatory. Pavel Bořkovec is treated like a BM there. But an action committee of listeners, who have already won over Václav Talich, have submitted a petition demanding both BM and Bořkovec. Rafael Kubelík did SYMFONIA very nicely, there will certainly be reruns, and FB gives the dates of the radio broadcasts. He also sends the programme from the reruns. CF also does the Field Mass and then the LIDICE. His SEXTET was at the Art Talk concert yesterday. It is not yet settled with Talich, Jan Löwenbach has more information. Is he still indebted to Melantrich? Shouldn't he have something for the Music Matrix? What about "PEOPLE'S SONGS, LETTERS ON ONE AND TWO PAGES"? Couldn't his publisher send something published during the war to Tempo for review? He has Miloš Šafránek's book. He's in contact with Maria Martinů. BM's biography will appear both in Tempo directly and separately. Did the CN send a greeting from František Muzika? The handwritten question asks if he has any baritone songs. FB is to accompany Zdeněk Otava at concerts in the Polička, Svitavy and Boskovice districts. Otava comes from Vítějeves and FB from Brno. The lecture on 8 December was not. František Popelka, who sent FB a lovely "Memory" [BM brochure], wrote to the ČF and wants a triple program of each BM performance for the special "Hall of Master BM" in the Polička Museum. FB will see that he gets programs from other concerts as well. |