Frank Martin to the light!

"The purpose of this new edition is to bring this masterpiece of piano literature closer to a wider circle of musicians ..." This is the wish of editor Paul Badura-Skoda in his foreword to the 8 Préludes pour le piano by Frank Martin. In fact, this cycle, composed in 1947/48 and dedicated to Dinu Lipatti, has been somewhat neglected recently, just as Martin's oeuvre in general has fallen somewhat into the background. What the Preludes Each one is a precious pearl with its own character and sound.

As an intimate connoisseur of Martin's music, Paul Badura-Skoda knows how to report many inspiring and interesting details. In particular, he incorporates his listening experiences from Martin's own interpretations, which once again raises the old question of whether a composer is also the ideal interpreter of his own works. In this case he certainly was, because Frank Martin was also a very competent pianist.
Also revealing is a short letter from Martin to the pianist Klaus Wolters, in which he answers a few questions of interpretation very precisely. This letter is included in the new edition as a facsimile together with translations.

The critical apparatus is detailed, but at the same time clear and reader-friendly. Not a matter of course in this day and age ... All in all, a new edition that should fulfill the publisher's wish quoted at the beginning.

Frank Martin, 8 Préludes pour le piano, UE 35 753, € 24.95, Universal Edition, Vienna 2014