The chamber music of Bohuslav Martinu makes up a significant portion of his output. Unlike some composers, he often preferred composing for non-traditional ensembles. Instead of the typical piano trio combination of violin-cello-piano, this album primarily features works for violin, flute, and piano or harpsichord. This combination of instruments gives the composer unique sound possibilities, melodic groupings, and accompanimental figurations. The inclusion of the flute and Martinu's treatment of it makes it hard not to draw a comparison to composer Olivier Messiaen, who cataloged and imitated bird songs frequently in his music. In fact, the Flute Sonata, H. 308, was inspired by many natural sounds Martinu heard while in Cape Cod. Other works on the program include the neo-Baroque Promenades for flute, violin, and harpsichord, and the Five Madrigal Stanzas for violin and piano. All of the works on the album speak to Martinu's immense versatility for composing in a variety of different styles and his unique treatment of rhythm. The performances of all three musicians are simply first-rate. Pulling off the rhythmic intricacies of Martinu can be extremely different, as can managing the difference in timbre between these three instruments, but DuBeau, Hamelin, and Marion make it seem like child's play. Intonation is magnificently solid, balance could not be improved, and the sound quality of the recording makes listeners feel like they're on-stage. Martinu fans will definitely want this CD, but it would also make a wonderful introduction to the composer's chamber music. Bohuslav Martinu was born in Policka, a town located on the border of Bohemia and Moravia. The work of one of the most important Czech composers of his generation remained deeply influenced by his country's tradition and folklore. But the discovery of the music of Debussy and also his studies with Albert Roussel gave Martinu's compositions a more Western and even French flavour in his so-called “Parisian” period. From 1923 to 1940, he lived mostly in Paris, visiting Prague on a regular basis until 1938 to have his most recent works played. The Sonata for flute, violin and piano, written especially for the Marcel Moyse Trio, was created by the dedicatees on the Radio-Paris airwaves, on July 1, 1937. When in Paris, Martinu preferred working in the morning and then go for long walks in the afternoon, stopping in little cafés and second-hand bookstores. This is probably where he got his inspiration for the Promenades for flute, violin and harpsichord (or piano) in 1939; these four miniatures in the Baroque style have a very definite French charm. The rise of fascism in the young Czechoslovakian republic along with the war made it inevitable for Martinu to cut permanently his bonds with his country. Then came his exile to the United States, where he lived from 1941 to 1953. His settling in New York was not easy, but the warm welcome he received allowed him rapidly to make a place for himself in American musical circles. This period, therefore, was characterized by a constant flow of commissions for both symphonic and chamber music. Martinu always had a preference for chamber music, with an output of nearly 90 works, unusually high for the time. He particularly liked composing for different trio formations, producing 15 works in the genre. The Madrigal-Sonata for flute, violin and piano was composed after Martinu spent a few months in the countryside, getting inspiration from bird song. It is full of charm and can be looked upon as a true conversation à trois. It was created in 1942 for the twentieth anniversary of the American League of Composers. The following year, Martinu composed Five Madrigal Stanzas for violin and piano, again revealing his fascination with ancient forms–the English Madrigal of the Renaissance in particular–and recreating in a purely instrumental work the free direction of superimposed voices found in the older models. The Five Madrigal Stanzas are the result of the composer's encounter with Albert Einstein; the work is dedicated to the famous physician, who played it with Robert Casadesus, a frequent chamber-music partner. The dedication explains why the piano part is much more developed than the violin part–an unusual occurrence in the music of a composer who didn't otherwise worry about the level of technical difficulty of his work. The Sonata for flute and piano, dated 1945, is one of the most beautiful pieces of the repertoire, written, as was the Madrigal-Sonata, during a summer vacation Martinu spent in Cape Cod. The luminosity of the sky, the sounds of nature and the particular song of a regional bird, all inspired the sweet and simple melody. A certain melancholy mixed with lively rhythms are what characterize the sonata, dedicated to Georges Laurent, principal flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.