Milý Franku: II. Dopisy Bohuslava Martinů Franku Rybkovi z let 1955 až 1959 / Dear Frank: II. Bohuslav Martinů's Letters to Frank Rybka from 1955 to 1959
Dear Frank: II. Bohuslav Martinů's Letters to Frank Rybka from 1955 to 1959

Author(s): Jana Honzíková, Vít Zouhar
Subject(s): History, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Cultural history, Music, Local History / Microhistory, Oral history, Recent History (1900 till today), Source Material
Published by: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
Keywords: music; correspondence; Bohuslav Martinů; Polička; composers; music history
Summary/Abstract: The second volume of Bohuslav Martinů's correspondence with Frank Rybka covers the period from 1955 to 1959. In them, the composer often refers to his new compositions, the cantatas Epic of Gilgamesh, The Opening of the Springs, The Legend of the Smoke From Potato Tops, etc. Another theme to which he repeatedly returns is the performance of operas (Marriage, Juliette). Frank Rybka's letters are also evidence of the composer's numerous travels around Europe, where the Martinů couple settled permanently in 1956. Once again, Rybka's willingness to help to the composer is evident, whether it was to verify the instrumental possibilities of the French Horn with the composer's son Boris Rybka or to secure transparent music paper from the Circle Blue Print company, which Martinů had been using in the United States since the 1940s, as it enabled easy reproduction of copies. Part of the second volume is one postcard of Frank Rybka from Polička. The last letters are focused on the visit of Rybka's son F. James to Switzerland. The closing writing of this volume is addressed to F. James Rybka, the younger son of Frank, who visited the composer only shortly before his death.

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