Film: Martinu and America

Event Name:	Film: Martinu and America
Description:	Martinu came to America at age 51, preceded by his reputation as a prominent European composer whose oeuvre, however, was only partially known in America--the famous performances by Sergey Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra took place in the late 1920s; Martinu won the prestigious Elisabeth Sprague-Coolidge Competition in 1932. Some of his works were included in the programs of leading European performers such as the Belgian string quartet Pro Arte while on tour in America. At the time, Martinu only had a superficial acquaintance with American concert life; he did not speak much English, and felt that no one was waiting for him there. Nothing pointed to the fact that within a short time he would become one of the best known and most often performed contemporary composers. Fortunately, his friend and later his biographer, the Czechoslovak diplomat Milos Safranek, had paved the way for him--he had already established the first contacts prior to Martinus arrival on March 31, 1941. Soon afterwards Martinu managed to meet with the conductor Sergey Koussevitsky, and his premiere of Martinus Concerto grosso in November 1941 marked the beginning of a long string of success for Martinu on the new continent.
Type of Event:	Films - Movies
Event Agenda:
Event Location:	Cadogan Hall
Event City:	London
Type of Venue:	Cultural Center
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Event Start Date	02-Feb-10