Bohuslav Martinů - Viola Sonata, H.355

Bohuslav Jan Martinů (December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and briefly studied under Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk. After leaving Czechoslovakia in 1923 for Paris, Martinů deliberately withdrew from the Romantic style in which he had been trained. During the 1920s he experimented with modern French stylistic developments, exemplified by his orchestral works Half-time and La Bagarre. He also adopted jazz idioms, for instance in his Kitchen Revue (Kuchyňská revue). Viola Sonata (1955) Dedication: Lillian Fuchs I. Poco Andante 0:00 II. Allegro non troppo 8:02 Alexander Besa, Viola. Petra Besa, Piano. Martinů’s Viola Sonata dates from 1955 and the playing here conforms to the rather restrained impression left by the Hindemith.