| Content | Karel Boleslav Jirák was delighted with Bohuslav Martinů's letter. He is glad that they agree. KBJ mentions that as director of Czechoslovak Radio and as a conductor he often promoted BM. KBJ mentions his friends [Boleslav] Vomacka, [Jaroslav] Křička, [Rudolf] Karel, [Otakar] Šín. As director of the CSRo, he necessarily made enemies and found it difficult to explain his actions to others. At the Academy of Performing Arts they have been waiting for the arrival of BM for the third year. It is said that BM did not come because he was offended that the government did not send a plane for him as it did for [Jan] Werich. The professorial staff of the master's school suggests BM first, then [Jaroslav] Řídký, [Pavel] Bořkovec, then Jirák. Bořkovec, although he never taught, is there thanks to [Václav] Talich, who considers him the best Czech composer. KBJ has a good place in Chicago and is respected there, but he is homesick, where he would perhaps be more valuable. If BM could write Jirák a recommendation for a professorship for the Czech Ministry of Education, perhaps that would dispel the excuse they have against KBJ. [Artur] Rodzinski will perform Martinů's CONCERTO GROSSO at the next concert and KBJ will write about the concert in Svornost and perhaps in Svobodny noviny. KBJ has read the book on BM by [Miloš] Šafránek and regrets that MŠ is not an expert on music and remains superficial in his analyses. Does BM classify Polička and his native region more as Bohemia or Moravia? KBJ feels that BM's music is fortunately more Dvořák and Bohemia than Janáček and Moravia. KBJ is not a Janáček person at all. |