Palinurus
The Living Force
Recently I stumbled upon this cantata on Youtube and enjoyed it very much.
Basically, there are two versions available: one in Czech and one in English. Both the lyrics are originally from Martinů albeit that the Czech version was an edit by Ferdinand Pujman.
Martinů wrote his text in English, based on the translation of the Epic in hexameters by Reginald Campbell Thompson, The Epic of Gilgamish (1928), in his own style, choosing freely what would fit his music best.
Martinů would have preferred to compose it to a text in Czech and, according to his biographer Miloš Šafránek, he regretted hearing too late about the recent Czech translation of the Epic by poet Lubor Matouš.
Later, Ferdinand Pujman translated Martinů's text on the basis of Matouš' work for what became Epos o Gilgamešovi.
I searched the web for the lyrics of both versions but came up empty handed.
More details here:
The Epic of Gilgamesh (Martinů)
Bohuslav Martinů
Czech version - Video 57:50 min.
Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959): The Epic of Gilgamesh, Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic, for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed Chorus and Orchestra. Text by Bohuslav Martinů (1954/1955).
I. Gilgamesh (Tablets 1;2)
II. The death of Enkidu (Tablets 7;8;10) [19:09]
III. Invocation Gilgamesh (Tablet 12) [38:36]
Otakar Brousek, reciter voice
Karel Průša, bass
Jiří Zahradníček, tenor
Václav Zítek, bariton
Marcela Machotková, soprano
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek
The English version has two distinct shortcomings: the different parts are available only in separate videos, and the first part is incomplete as it breaks off too early in mid-sentence. Approximately seven or eight minutes are missing there.
Total playing time: 46:17 min. which is considerably less than the Czech version above.
English version Part I - Video 12:17 min.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed - Gilgamesh (Tablets 1, 2) · Bohuslav Martinů · Pražský filharmonický sbor/Lukáš Vasilek · Lucy Crowe · Andrew Staples · Derek Welton
English version Part II - Video 17:13 min.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed - The Death of Enkidu Gilgamesh (Tablets 7, 8, 10) · Bohuslav Martinů · Pražský filharmonický sbor/Lukáš Vasilek · Lucy Crowe · Andrew Staples · Derek Welton
English version Part III - Video 16:47 min.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed - Invocation Gilgamesh (Tablet 12) · Bohuslav Martinů · Pražský filharmonický sbor/Lukáš Vasilek · Lucy Crowe · Andrew Staples · Derek Welton
Review of the English version:
Bohuslav Martinů - The Epic of Gilgamesh
Basically, there are two versions available: one in Czech and one in English. Both the lyrics are originally from Martinů albeit that the Czech version was an edit by Ferdinand Pujman.
Martinů wrote his text in English, based on the translation of the Epic in hexameters by Reginald Campbell Thompson, The Epic of Gilgamish (1928), in his own style, choosing freely what would fit his music best.
Martinů would have preferred to compose it to a text in Czech and, according to his biographer Miloš Šafránek, he regretted hearing too late about the recent Czech translation of the Epic by poet Lubor Matouš.
Later, Ferdinand Pujman translated Martinů's text on the basis of Matouš' work for what became Epos o Gilgamešovi.
I searched the web for the lyrics of both versions but came up empty handed.
More details here:
The Epic of Gilgamesh (Martinů)
Bohuslav Martinů
Czech version - Video 57:50 min.
Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959): The Epic of Gilgamesh, Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic, for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed Chorus and Orchestra. Text by Bohuslav Martinů (1954/1955).
I. Gilgamesh (Tablets 1;2)
II. The death of Enkidu (Tablets 7;8;10) [19:09]
III. Invocation Gilgamesh (Tablet 12) [38:36]
Otakar Brousek, reciter voice
Karel Průša, bass
Jiří Zahradníček, tenor
Václav Zítek, bariton
Marcela Machotková, soprano
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek
The English version has two distinct shortcomings: the different parts are available only in separate videos, and the first part is incomplete as it breaks off too early in mid-sentence. Approximately seven or eight minutes are missing there.
Total playing time: 46:17 min. which is considerably less than the Czech version above.
English version Part I - Video 12:17 min.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed - Gilgamesh (Tablets 1, 2) · Bohuslav Martinů · Pražský filharmonický sbor/Lukáš Vasilek · Lucy Crowe · Andrew Staples · Derek Welton
English version Part II - Video 17:13 min.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed - The Death of Enkidu Gilgamesh (Tablets 7, 8, 10) · Bohuslav Martinů · Pražský filharmonický sbor/Lukáš Vasilek · Lucy Crowe · Andrew Staples · Derek Welton
English version Part III - Video 16:47 min.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic for Soloists, Speaker, Mixed - Invocation Gilgamesh (Tablet 12) · Bohuslav Martinů · Pražský filharmonický sbor/Lukáš Vasilek · Lucy Crowe · Andrew Staples · Derek Welton
Review of the English version:
Bohuslav Martinů - The Epic of Gilgamesh