With the Film en miniature, H 148 cycle, we return to the very beginning of Bohuslav Martinů's sojourn in Paris. Still resonating in it are echoes of his former enthralment with Impressionism, yet they are already augmented by the use of fashionable dances, as in the case of the introductory Tango, for example. Even as far back as in this early period, it does not concern a precise stylistic copy of period dances but their idealization recast into delightful piano music. The premiere of numbers 1 and 4 took place in Paris on April 2, 1927, and the entire work was published as early as 1929 by the Prague-based publisher Hudební matice Umělecké besedy (following the composer's unsuccessfully offering it to the Vienna-based Universal Edition). As Martinů's autograph shows, originally the cycle was meant to bear the title "On the Way. A cycle of piano pieces". Individual parts initially had different names too, partially relating to the composer's native Polička (for example, No. 3 was called in the autograph "Belvedere", while No. 4 bears the title "Lucký vrch" and No. 6 "Whimsical Promenade"), as well as Paris (next to No. 5 is written "Paris: Jardin du Luxembourg"). It is not known why the title Film en miniature was ultimately applied and why individual parts were published in an altered sequence, yet it is certain that Martinů authorized the new title in his correspondence. The cycle is dedicated to "Miss Fina Tausiková", with whom Martinů corresponded at that time. (The Paris-based Czech writer Richard Weiner dedicated to her his short story An Empty Chair.)
Aleš Březina, Martinů / Jeux, © 2008 Supraphon