Nonet for five wind instruments, three strings and piano, H 144, is one of Bohuslav Martinů's compositions written at the time of the composer's explosive growth and maturation of his distinctive compositional expression at the beginning of his stay in Paris. According to his biographer, B. It was to be performed in Prague, where Martinů sent the score to his friends. In the rush of work, he forgot about the composition and it was eventually lost, so that it remained missing for decades. Later, however, the manuscript of its final movement (Allegro moderato) was found. The previous two movements are still missing today. However, even this torso is a very rare testimony to the composer's creative development. It is mature music of dramatic tension and distinctive expression, which in some places is already close to the master scores of the composer's last period of development.
A sound recording of the work has been released on PANTON (order no. 11 0282), performed by members of the Czech Nonet and pianist Jiří Hubička. This recording of the work, made in November 1971, was also its premiere.
Jaroslav Smolka. Bohuslav Martinů: Nonet (fragment), score. Prague: Panton, 1974.