Out of the four hundred compositions of Bohuslav Martinů, only four are entrusted to the harpsichord. They are by no means marginal works, however, either in the context of literature for this instrument or in the context of Martinů's output. He wrote for harpsichord for the first time while in Paris, when around 1935 he was inspired by a harpsichordist at the Paris Conservatoire, Marcelle de Lacour, to whom he dedicated Deux pièces, H 244 and the unique Concerto for Harpsichord and Chamber Orchestra, H 246. Of course, he had encountered music for harpsichord many years earlier, especially thanks to the art of the phenomenal Wanda Landowská and the famous harpsichord concerto dedicated to her by Manuel de Falla. Martinů wrote his Sonata for Harpsichord, H 368 in 1958 while residing at Schönenberg, for the Basel harpsichordist Antoinette Vischer. It has three short movements played attacca. Laid out in free fantasy style, the work bears the traits of Martinů's late musical language, and at the same time makes masterful use of the instrument's timbral possibilities. In the first movement, the melody does not unfold continually: one musical idea follows on the heels of another. The beautiful melodic arch in the slow movement seems to suggest a longing reminiscence of Martinů's homeland - a mood we find in most of Martinů's late works. After a short transition comes the third movement, which after a passage of mounting excitement ends abruptly with pianissimo chords that suggest quiet reconciliation. Martinů also dedicated to Antoinette Vischer two short pieces in dance rhythm titled Deux impromptus, H 381.
Programme of the Bohuslav Martinů Festival's concert, December 6, 2004