General information
Type of the document Letter
SenderMartinů, Bohuslav
Sender (corporation)
Sender‘s locationRome
Send date17.11.1956
RecipientNovák, Jan
Recipient (corporation)
Recipient‘s locationBrno
Note on Recipient‘s locationBrno, Žižkova ulice 1
LanguageCzech
Acquiredcopy from Czech Museum of Music, Jan Novák collection, 2019
Owner of the sourceČeské muzeum hudby
Call number at IBMNovJ 1956-11-17
Content and physical description
ContentBohuslav Martinů thanks Jan Novák for his letter from Warsaw. He received a letter from [František] Smetana from China and Moscow. JN is to greet [Břetislav] Bakala, whom BM often talks about, with [Frank] Rybka, who keeps BM informed of events in New York. BM writes about modern music and the struggle for new musical expression. BM has heard a few samples recently and thinks they say hop before they skip. The future will decide if this is the music of the future. The lesson is not to take it too seriously. What BM said to Jan Novak in New York still applies, but the situation is now convoluted. I don't think JN can get behind BM now. Neither will [Miloslav] Bures, on whose lyrics BM wrote a new composition - ROMANCE FROM THE SMOKE OF THE BRAMBOROUS NATI [i.e. LEGEND FROM THE SMOKE OF THE BRAMBOROUS NATI]. BM does not know whether the premiere will be as soon as he expected. Does JN know Bures? BM asks for a little Italian-Czech dictionary to be sent, they used to be such cheerful little red books, not red. BM sends his regards to [Zdeněk] Zouhar and friends. BM and [Charlotte Martinů] greet JN and Eliska [Nováková].BM asks for some material from which to find out what possibilities the pull harmonica has (what can be played in the bass, how quickly the key can be changed, etc.). He needs this for an opera where the harmonica works [?].
Total number of leaves2
Number of pages bearing text2
Fixationtypescript and handwritten signature
Markingsunder the main text handwritten note by BM
Attachmentsenvelope attached
Digitisation
Quality of digitisationNot professional colour
Digitized atCzech Museum of Music
Date of digitisation2019

Preview only available at the Institute.

Location as subject
China
Moscow
New York, NY
Warsaw
Person as subject
Bakala, Břetislav
Bureš, Miloslav
Hanslick, Eduard
Martinů, Charlotte
Nováková, Eliška
Rybka, Frank
Smetana, František
Zouhar, Zdeněk
Composition as subject
The Legend of the Smoke from Potato Tops, H 360
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