| Content | Karel Šebánek writes that he was saddened by the news of Bohuslav Martinů's illness. He wishes him a speedy recovery and a successful New Year 1959. He informs BM that the National Theatre intends to stage MIRANDOLINA at the beginning of the year and that it is to be performed in Berlin in April under the direction of Isha Krejčí and directed by Václav Kašlík or Bedřich Feuerstein. Today Zuzana Růžičková-Kalabisová plays the CONCERT FOR CEMBALO AND SMALL ORCHESTRA, which has already been performed on the Bratislava radio. The KS is awaiting the promised news, the violists are still looking for something to reproduce. He also informs that he has commissioned two suites for orchestra from the SPALICE. The first of these lasts a total of 21 minutes and contains the following movements: 1. Overture, 2. Dance with the Hare, 3. In the Black Prince's Palace (i.e. Dance of the Shadows - Lion - Sparrowhawk - Mouse - Transfiguration and Dance of the Cat in the Shoes), 4. Cinderella's Ball at the Castle, 5. Wedding Polka. The second suite has a musical duration of 23 minutes and consists of the following movements: 1. The Dance of the Devils, 2. The Shoemaker's Capricious Customer, 3. The Market (Dance of the Horse - Dance of the Bumblebee), 4. The Princess's Deliverance (Black Town - The Unhappy Princess - The Butterfly's Struggle with the Giant), 5. The Dance of the Court Ladies, Dance of the Country Girls, 6. In the Enchanted Castle (The Black Man, Dance of Death), 7. The Shoemaker and Death. For the seventh part, KS is not sure of the title, he still hesitates between The Enchanted Mussel and How the Cobbler Came to Heaven. He asks BM to agree with the above choice of suites. He also asks for the libretto for GREEK PASSIONS to be sent to him, the National Theatre is very interested in it, but it would have to have an acceptable text. KS has only seen the score of Act I two years ago with Rafael Kubelík. He advises BM to always reserve with the publisher the right to deposit one performance material for performances in the CSR and also any concessions in rental fees. Leoš Janáček also had this arrangement. The SONATA FOR FLUTE AND PIANO was included as a compulsory composition in the competition for musical instruments and there is a problem with its procurement for foreign artists. KS writes about the material epidemic concerning ROMANCE FROM THE PAMPEL and LEGENDS FROM THE SMOKE OF THE BAMBOARD NATI. The Panton publishing house (Union of Czechoslovak Composers) would like to publish both pieces, but there are no manuscripts. He asks BM to whom he sent them and asks him to send new copies. Informs of [Ernst] Roth's serious illness, to whom he called about MIRANDOLINA - KS did not know they did not have it. Novák's quartet presents the SMITH QUARTET No. 5 and the SMITH QUARTET No. 6, but still has not performed the CLAIR QUINTET. He therefore secured a better performance - the Prague City Quartet (they won a prize in Liège) in the Chamber Society and on the radio. KS believes that BM's biographer [Miloš Šafránek] has some of the manuscripts they are looking for. He asks why he does not provide them for printing, or at least provide a copy for running. He encourages BM to send him a proof copy of what he has already written so that BM can make his own judgment about it, since his new book is not very successful. KS has even heard criticism that the book should be called more like Biographer and B. Martinů. KS would like to talk to the author, but he is avoiding it. KS thinks this is a great pity and there are plenty of others who would have done it better and with love for BM and his work. KS will talk to BM about this again in person on a future trip when he is unable to go to France. At the end of the letter, KS salutes Cherlotte Martinů and adds a note that the performance of the CONCERT FOR CEMBALO AND SMALL ORCHESTRA the previous day was very successful and praises the performer ZR.
The letter contains two handwritten inscriptions. He also informs that the Novák Quartet often plays BM's works. The second entry is from Jaroslav Doubrava, who also joins in the wishes and looks forward to new BM compositions. |