The Parables reference Saint-Exupéry’s philosophical essay Citadelle (published in English as The Wisdom of the Sands), a series of journal notes, reflections, and interviews started in 1936 and published posthumously from the author’s estate in 1948. Martinů drew inspiration from this work for the later mottos for the first and second movements of the composition. The composer initially intended to use a motto from Saint-Exupéry in the third movement also, one that he had read “somewhere” but was unable to find again. It is an excerpt from the author’s autobiographical book Terre des hommes (published in English as Wind, Sand and Stars) from 1939, titled “In the Desert”. Martinů did not return to this version of the text with the “Desert”. It had probably served as a temporary “filler” for the originally intended passage from Saint-Exupéry’s writings, which Martinů searched for until the last moment, but in vain. In the end, Martinů created a new motto for the third movement using a loose compilation of quotes from Georges Neveux’s play Le Voyage de Thésée (1943), which he later also adapted to create the opera Ariane, H 370 (1958).
On 17 June 1957, Martinů confirmed in a letter to a close friend of his and his wife’s, Charlotte Reber in Basel: “I am starting to work on The Parables for Ch. Munch, which I found in that book by Saint-Exupéry.” According to markings in the autograph score, the first movement was completed in Rome on 1 July and the second movement also in Rome on 21 July 1957. He renewed work on the third movement of The Parables early in 1958, after a pause due to work on Fantasia Concertante. Concerto in B-flat for Piano and Orchestra No. 5, H 366 (1958).
The Boston Symphony Orchestra premiered the work in Boston under the baton of Charles Munch on 13 February 1959. The Czechoslovak premiere was held in Prague on 9 February 1961, with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Karel Ančerl.
Janina Müller, Arne Stollberg, The Bohuslav Martinů Complete Edition: Les Fresques de Piero della Francesca, The Parables, series II/2/7, Prague: Bärenreiter, 2023.