The Endellion String Quartet, City of London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox - Martinů: Concerto For String Quartet And Orchestra, Double Concerto, Sinfonia Concertante (1990)

One of the real pleasures of this disc is the sound engineering. It was recorded at Abbey Road in 1989, and offers a clear and full perspective that demonstrates what a beautiful sound Martinu gets out of an orchestra. The Double Concerto for strings, piano, and timpani reminds me strongly of Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta. Perhaps this only is coincidental. The music was written in 1938 during the discussions over the division of Czechoslovakia, and Martinu seems to have reflected this in his music. The strings of the City of London Sinfonia make an especially beautiful sound. The Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra is based on concerto grosso form, and is an exhilarating composition. Walter Piston wrote a concerto for the same combination of instruments, but Martinu's is better. The Pro Arte Quartet made the suggestion of a piece to Martinu, and I wonder if he was influenced by that Quartet's excellence in Haydn. The Endellion Quartet plays very well. As for the Sinfonia Concertante, it uses the same combination of solo instuments as in Haydn's composition of the same name. It is a joyful work, and the soloists play beautifully. If you only know Martinu from his Symphonies, I would recommend this disc strongly as another perspective on his orchestral writing.