A little composition for mezzo-soprano and piano, Easter Song (Velikonoční, H 230), was published as a musical supplement to Lidové noviny (16 April 1933). Martinů mentions his collaboration with the magazine in a letter home dated 16 February 1933, where he states, among other things, that “They also want a piece for Lidové Noviny for Easter." The song of sixteen bars, introduced by the traditional blessing "Give God Happiness to the House", is based on the text of Karel Jaromír Erben's Prostonárodní písně a říkadla. Although it does not contain Marian themes, it is composed in the style of Four Songs about Mary, H 235, and The Plays of Mary, H 236.
A first recording of the composition was released by Naxos in 2014 (Martinů: Songs, Vol. 2 – The Months; Jana Wallingerová, Giorgio Koukl).
Jana Burdová, 2025