twentieth century. In my enthusiasm to get to know the composer’s soul better and better, I gradually extended my repertoire with more pieces, tried to learn his entire music, whether symphonic, chamber, opera or song music, and I gathered any and all information available. Even though I do not share the opinion that the life of a composer explains his music, I believe that it is useful to know such information and that it may unveil unknown connections. In my search, I found out how humorous Martinů’s drawings and comments were. I had known that there were one or two drawings on posters or CD covers, but finding out that there are more than two hundred of them was an exciting discovery. When I held the original of the composer’s sketchbook in my hands, it was an unforgettable experience for me, and I realised how unique Martinů is among the world’s composers and what a pity it is that so few people actually know about this hobby of his. To me, the drawings I discovered meant further enrichment and a more extensive and deeper

knowledge of Martinů as a person who was extraordinarily witty and intelligent, and they made it possible for me to gain an insight into his soul from a different perspectve. The drawings of Bohuslav Martinů led to the idea of preparing a special edition of the right tunes. Compositions sorted in the form of a recital with three encores represent all the important style periods of the composer. The key to their selection was very simple – they are my favourites.

Michal Mašek
www.michalmasek.cz

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