Konzert Nr. 1 H 226

Bohuslav Martinu wrote his First Violin Concerto in Paris in 1932–33, this work having been commissioned by the violin virtuoso Samuel Dushkin. However, it was never performed during the composer’s lifetime and was even considered lost after his death. It was not until 1961 that musicologist and collector Hans Moldenhauer bought it from Boaz Piller, contrabassoonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Moldenhauer approached Czech violinist Josef Suk, who gave the world premiere of the work with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Georg Solti in October 1973.

This piano reduction is based on the musical text of the first edition. The solo part has been revised by a leading Czech violinist and performer of Martinu’s music.