The idea of writing an extensive work combining vocal and instrumental forces for Paul and Maja Sacher came about as early as 1940, but for various reasons its implementation was postponed for another fifteen years. During his first post-war trip to Europe in the summer of 1948, Martinů spent two weeks at the Schönenberg Estate near Basel as a guest of the Sachers. During this visit he revived his plans for the composition of a cantata, and together with his host he determined its subject. He decided to base his libretto on one of the oldest literary documents of history, the extensive Ancient Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh from the Third Dynasty of Ur (2112–2004 BC), which draws on oral traditions. On 18 February 1955 Martinů reported that he had finished the piece that very day. During the compositional process Gilgamesh evolved from a “Secular Cantata” into something that “is not an oratorio […] nor a cantata […], it is simply an epic”. The musical language of The Epic of Gilgamesh only rarely exceeds the framework of extended tonality, mostly with each short section revolving around one tonal centre. The solo sections of the Epic reveal a knowledge of the “stile recitativo” of Cavalieri’s allegory La Rappresentazione di Anima, et di Corpo; the choral parts reflect his studies of the early ars antiqua period of the development of polyphony, especially the works of Pérotin and the Parisian School of Notre-Dame.
The premiere of The Epic of Gilgamesh took place in Basel on 23 January 1958 and the concert was repeated the following day. Paul Sacher conducted the Basel Chamber Orchestra and the Basel Chamber Choir. The Czechoslovak premiere of the work took place on 28 May 1958 in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House in Prague during the Prague Spring festival.
Aleš Březina, The Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition: The Epic of Gilgamesh, H 351, series VI/2/1, Prague: Bärenreiter, 2014.