Martinu: The Epic Of Gilgamesh

I enjoy the music of Martinu-I think of him as a musical sponge! While other composers in the 20th Century made conscious decisions to alter their musical direction, the changes they made were original and often startling. Martinu seems to me to have adapted periodically to the compositional zeitgeist, absorbing new trends but without ever finding his own original style. This is not necessarily a criticism for his music is always inventive, largely tonal and invokes a good deal of pleasure and satisfaction.There are certain constants-he loves a piano obligato supporting the orchestra for example-but there is little to a Martinu style. The 6 Symphonies are basically the same work adapted 6 times-the 4th is my favourite-similarly the piano concertos, but again this is not a criticism (Rachmaninov?) merely an observation.In choosing to compose a work based on the Epic of Gilgamesh, Martinu could have found himself in a task as prolonged as Wagner’s Ring, but he instead adopted the same format as Schoenberg with the Gurrelieder by setting fragmented episodes, resulting in what in this performance is a work of 51 minutes duration. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest known epic text, probably originating around 2000BC in Sumer, and like the myths and religion (same thing in my book!) of Greece and Rome, became adopted and adapted by later civilisations including the Akkadians, Hittites and Kassites and with over time elements becoming absorbed into Judeo-Christianity.The epic tells of the despotic King Gilgamesh who believes himself immortal, whose oppressed subjects pray to the Gods for deliverance. The Gods respond by creating an “innocent superman” from clay-Enkidu- who emerges from the desert as a wild man communing with nature, with long unkempt hair and a fearsome demeanour.His mission is to curb the powers of Gilgamesh!He is lured into having sex with a courtesan, and by giving in to temptation loses his innocence and his invincible powers. When he challenges Gilgamesh to combat, he is beaten-but so impressed is Gilgamesh that he raises up Enkidu and they become friends-indeed Enkidu is described as “beloved of Gilgamesh”.In ensuing episodes-which Martinu does not set-they set off on quests to tackle fearsome but divine creatures and to cut down the Sacred Cedar Tree which they believe will give them infinite knowledge. They fail in this task-but this impertinence so angers the Gods that they cause Enkidu to die, seemingly of natural causes-he slowly expires.Gilgamesh is bereft, and seeks to acquire the secret of eternal life, and on failing enters a temple and invokes a god to restore Enkidu from the earth, so that he might ask his spirit what lies in the underworld.In a dramatic scene, the spirit of Enkidu is revived!Martinu does not proceed beyond this point though the epic does.The work was a commission by Paul Sacher for his Basel forces, and composed in France through 1954-55. Much has speculated as to why Martinu chose to set the work in English, but the reasons are simple. He was unaware that there was a recent translation in Czech, but in any event was mindful-prompted by Sacher-that an English Language version would have more chance of future performances outside of Czechoslovakia than one in the more intractable Czech!His long sojourn in the USA where his reputation was high encouraged him to hope that lucrative performances would result, but he only lived for a year after the 1958 premiere and his prominence-and that of this work especially-faded rather rapidly.Until now there have only been recordings in the version Martinu later adapted in Czech-so on that score alone this version based on R.C. Thompson’s 1928 translation-STILL the authoritative version!-is very welcome, but when it receives a performance and recording of this standard the welcome is unreserved!I have become a great admirer of the conducting of Manfred Honeck, mainly with his orchestra The Vienna Philharmonic American Branch-which performs as the Pittsburgh Symphony-but with whichever orchestra he performs the results are always wonderful, technically at least.This live performance comes during Honeck’s second stint as Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic and was recorded live in the Rudolfinum Prague in early 2017.A first rate cast was assembled, and the narrator in the spoken link passages is Simon Callow, who intones the stilted quasi-Biblical and highly effective prose/poetry with perfect inspired passion.What can the listener expect? I mentioned earlier-much earlier (sorry!)-that I regard Martinu as a musical sponge, and this is never more evident than here.There are resonances of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Britten, Bartok (of the Bluebeard era!), Stravinsky, Miklos Rozsa’s score from the film Quo Vadis, Dream of Gerontius (seriously) and certainly Janacek and the rhythmic drive of Stravinsky. Martinu is distinguished by the tinkling piano obligato in many places.This is extraordinary when you realise that there are only three sections each lasting 16 or 17 minutes-and each section is sectional!It has to be said that a weakness of the work is that it is too often “bitty”-a brief but lovely idea emerges only to be gone never to reappear as the passage stops and we start on a new idea (and a new composer!).In a recent interview the conductor conceded that Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast permeated the work, and I agree when he wryly observed that this is no bad thing!I don’t think it is a masterpiece-but it is great fun, always enjoyable and can scarcely fail to impress.The recording is superb-very wide ranging frequency and detailed, with the different aural perspectives wonderfully caught.The soloists are all first rate-unusually!- the choir superb, and the Czech players give what we expect and love.Honeck gives a reading which is exciting and magisterial equally.If you don’t know this work-give it a try. If you do-this is the recording to have.Presentation is excellent in an attractive folding case with text included.A bargain at the price! 5 Stars. Stewart Crowe.

I already had a recording of this in Czech, which I picked up secondhand for 50 pence. I have to say that, much as I enjoyed it, this recording in English is better, not least because now I know what the music is describing without having to refer to the libretto. Beautifully packaged, beautiful all round.

Terrific in all respects - a magnificent moving and powerful performance, brilliantly performed and recorded. I was surprised to see it performed in English but that was apparently also the case with the original version as, for political reasons, Martinu was not sure that it could be performed in Czech. The narrator is Simon Callow. This worried me a bit at first as I think that he tends to over-act but I thought that he was excellent as the narrator here. The CD is beautifully presented with multi-lingual texts, interesting photos and an informative introductory essay, not to mention the memorable cover art.