Songs / Psn – CD

This recording presents songs by Bohuslav Martin performed by soprano Martina Jankov, baritone Tom Krl and pianist Ivo Kahnek: Songs on One Page H 294, Songs on Two Pages H 302, New Slovak Songs H 126 and The New Garland H 288. Folk songs are probably one of the two strongest sources of inspiration behind Martins entire output. The composer carried Frantiek Suils extensive collection of Moravian folk songs with him on all his travels, and most of the folk texts in Songs on One Page, Songs on Two Pages and The New Garland come from this collection. As Dvok did in his Moravian Duets, Martin composed his own melodies and accompaniment, while the profound influence of folk music, its rhythms, melodies and harmonic procedures remains unmistakable. The songs were written in the early 1940s during Martins American exile in the midst of the Second World War, and represented a connection with home for the composer and his compatriots. Jan Masaryk often performed them with Metropolitan Opera soloist, soprano Jarmila Novotn. Through their expressive restraint and simplicity, these three song cycles offer a key to Martins entire late output. The collection New Slovak Songs is unique in Martins work: he collected the songs himself during his stay in Slovakia in 1920 and subsequently composed piano accompaniments for them. These three renowned performers, with an authentic relationship to folk music and Martins work, present a recording that brings out the fragile beauty of these songs.