| Naxos | The Epic of Gilgamesh, an oratorio for soprano, tenor, baritone and bass soloists, choir and orchestra, was written at Nice and completed in 1955. It is dedicated to Maja Sacher, the wife of Paul Sacher to whom he had been indebted as a patron and then as a generous benefactor during his final years of illness. Martinu made use at first of the English translation of the ancient Babylonian epic by Campbell Thompson, a version that has seriously dated since its original publication in 1928 and 1930. A Czech translation of the English followed. The poem had its source in ancient Sumeria, to be expanded later in the Akkadian language of Babylonia. The hero, Gilgamesh, although the subject of legendary exploits, actually ruled in Babylonia about 2700 B.C. |
| Disc No: 8.555138 | |
| Price: Sek. 74 | |
| Name: Martinu The Epic of Gilgamesh | |
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| Order |
| Composer | Opus | Music | Key | Performer |
| Martinu, Bohuslav | Gilgamesh | Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra - Zdenek Kosler Slovak Philharmonic Chorus | ||
| Martinu, Bohuslav | The Death of Enkidu | |||
| Martinu, Bohuslav | Invocation |