Vocal music comprised around a quarter of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu’s extensive output, no fewer than 27 songs dating from 1912 alone, and much of it remaining unpublished during his lifetime.

Many of these set texts are drawn from Czech folk sources and poetry, though old Spanish, German, English and French poetry – sometimes translated into Czech – are also to be found. While echoes of Brahms, Dvorák and Schubert may be heard, Martinu’s own style emerges surprisingly early in his career.

Young Czech mezzo-soprano Jana Wallingerová, praised as ‘splendid’ (Der Neue Merker) and for her ‘full voice brimming with feeling’ and ‘brilliant technique’ (Hospodárˇské noviny), joins pianist Giorgio Koukl, whose Naxos recordings of Martinu’s piano music have gained the highest praise.

Contents:
- 6 Simple Songs, H.110
- 3 Lullabies, H.146bis
- 2 Small Songs In Folk Idiom, H.14
- 2 Songs On Russian Poetry, H.135bis
- 3 Goethelieder, H.94
- The Gnat’s Wedding, H.75
- 3 Children’s Songs, H.146
- Dead Love, H.44
- Czech Riddles, H.277bis
- 2 Songs, H.31
- Walk, I Walk Among The Hills, H.74bis
- How Dear To Me The Hour, H.106
- Blissfulness, H.81
- Tears, H.41; Mood Drawing, H.29
- A Song Of 1st November, H.72
- A Girl’s Dreams, H.22
- When We Are Both Old, H.10
- Before You Know It, H.6
- Night After Night In Dreams I See You, H.57
- 3 Songs On French Texts, H.88: No.3 Night
- Life’s Over For Me, H.43
- At Night, H.30
- Old Song, H.74
- Song On An Old Spanish Text, H.87
- A Song About Kissing, H.27bis
- I Know A Nice Green Grove, H.273