Bohuslav Martinů
A prolific Czech composer who synthesized the rhythmic drive of his homeland with the bright textures of Parisian modernism into a uniquely vibrant sound.
1890–1959 (age 69)·Czech composer·Birthday: December 8·The Lost Generation
Biography
Bohuslav Martinů was a composer of relentless energy and curiosity, whose vast output is a map of 20th-century musical currents filtered through an indelible Czech accent. A violinist in the Czech Philharmonic, he fled the confines of Romantic tradition for Paris in the 1920s, immersing himself in the music of Stravinsky and Les Six. The result was a spiky, neoclassical style full of motoric rhythms and jazz-inflected harmonies, heard in works like 'La Bagarre.' Forced into exile again by the Nazis and later the Communist takeover, he lived in America and Switzerland, his music deepening with a homesick lyricism in his symphonies. Prolific to a fault, Martinů wrote in nearly every genre, from operas like 'The Greek Passion' to charming chamber works. His music is characterized by an almost physical exuberance, a flowing, dancing quality that makes even his most complex works feel alive and immediate.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Bohuslav was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bohuslav Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
Bohuslav's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 50
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 60
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1959Died at 69
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
Key Achievements
- Composed six symphonies, considered central works of the mid-20th century orchestral repertoire.
- Wrote the opera 'The Greek Passion,' based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis.
- Produced a significant body of concertante works, including multiple concertos for piano, violin, and cello.
- His ballet 'Špalíček' is a celebrated stage work incorporating Czech folk tales and melodies.
Did You Know?
He was notoriously absent-minded; he once fell out of a second-story window while deep in thought about a composition.
He wrote many of his works while in exile, never returning to his native Czechoslovakia after 1946.
He composed his first symphony at the age of 52, proving to be a late-blooming master of the form.
A serious accident in 1946, where he fell from a balcony, affected his health for the rest of his life.
“The artist must be in his work as God is in creation, invisible and all-powerful; one must sense him everywhere but never see him.”
