Although Martinů, did not explicitly consider himself a choral composer, he wrote a whole series of works on commission for Czech choirs that are frequently performed to this day and are beginning to find a place in concerts abroad as well. Among the best known are Four Songs about Mary, H 235, Brigand Songs, H 361, and three series of "madrigals" from 1938, 1948, and 1959. The Madrigals for mixed voices also sometimes called "Part-Song Book", were written in the last year of Martinů's life. At this time it must have been definitively clear to him that he would never be allowed to return to his native country. His opera The Greek Passion, H 372, whose second version he completed in January 1959, deals with the fates of refugees condemned to a life in exile. Perhaps he was also aware of his approaching death: at least this is suggested by the increased intensity of his work in composing - during a mere eight months he wrote more than ten works, among them two cantatas, the Chamber Music No 1, H 376, and the Nonet No. 2, H 374.
These four madrigals for five voices were written at the rural home of Paul and Maja Sacher from 14 to 20 March 1959. Martinů dedicated them to Mrs. Marie Pražanová, who for the whole long decades of his absence from his homeland cared for members of his family with self-sacrificing devotion. Again Martinů found the texts in collections of Moravian folk poetry by Sušil and Bartoš. Within the span of a mere seven days arose one of his best choral cycles, which is clearly dominated by Madrigal No. 3, "In the World is Nothing Constant." Sophisticated use of open fifths and opposition of a solo voice to the tutti make this madrigal a riveting, intimate confession of the composer about his own relation to death
Aleš Březina, Bohuslav Martinů: Selected Masterpieces, © 2001 Supraphon Music a.s