Having completed the Sinfonie Concertante for Two Orchestras, H 219, in May 1932, Bohuslav Martinů composed the String Sextet for Two Violins, Two Violas and Two Cellos shortly thereafter. The Sextet consists of three movements: the first and final are fast and rhythmical, and these embrace a contemplative central movement. The inner harmony of the piece is further enhanced by a pattern, according to which each movement follows a three-part structure. The third part of the movement serves, then, as a sort of reminiscence of the movement’s first part.
The String Sextet exemplifies thematic treatment that is typical of Martinů: the theme serves as a short model, which then throughout the whole composition is further developed and elaborated. Martinů’s Sextet won first prize of the Elisabeth Sprague-Coolidge Award competition, which drew another 145 participating composers from all over the world. The main prize, $ 1.000, finally enabled Martinů to buy himself a piano. The April premiere of the Sextet, dedicated to Mrs. Coolidge, was a huge success. The Library of Congress audience required the piece to be repeated once again the same night.
After World War II, American Music Publishers (AMP) in New York expressed a desire to add a double bass part to the Sextet. Martinů accepted the offer, and later adapted the Sextet’s score. The resulting composition’s string orchestra version, still richer in sound, was first performed in 1951 in Louisville, USA, and was conducted by Robert Whitney.
Sandra Bergmannová, programme of the Bohuslav Martinů Festival's concert, 8. 12. 1998