Frank Martin (1890 – 1974) was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.

Martin developed his mature style based on a very personal use of Arnold Schoenberg's twelve tone technique, having become interested in this around 1932, but did not abandon tonality. In fact his preference for lean textures and his habitual rhythmic vehemence are at the furthest possible remove from Schoenberg's hyperromanticism. Some of Martin's most inspired music comes from his eighties; he worked on his last cantata, Et la vie l'emporta, until ten days before his death. He died in Naarden, The Netherlands.

(from Wikipedia)

I've just discovered Martin. His music offers quite an eclectic blend of many influences, such as impressionism, neo-classicsim and atonalism. Very interesting, because he developed a unique style based on these. All of the works on the 2 cd set I have listened to are quite different, from the neo-classicism of the Petite symphonie concertante, to the older pre-classical style of the Mass for double choir , & to the atonalism of Polyptyque. But even these descriptions are somewhat simplistic, his music is far more complex than that...

It's a shame that he isn't that well known. Perhaps, as the cd notes suggest, it is because he was from Switzerland, a country with a relatively young classical tradition?

What are people's impressions of Frank Martin?

Martin is, imo, one of those composers whose lack of popularity is a complete mystery. He may not be a Romantic, but this should not be taken to imply that his music lacks a strong emotional impact. Have you discovered the Concerto for Seven Winds, Percussion and Strings? It's under twenty minutes long, without any fat on its musical bones, but covers an impressive range of ground, rhythmically, melodically,and emotionally (especially in the middle movement). It's the kind of piece you'd think every orchestra would trot out at least once a decade as a showpiece for their first-desk wind and brass players, yet I think I've heard it live only once, years ago.

Other works I know and recommend include a striking harpsichord concerto, Ballades for trombone & piano and flute & piano (written as conservatory examination pieces, they really put the players through their paces; they exist also as orchestral pieces, but I haven't heard these), and some Etudes for strings which are quite enjoyable.

I've heard it said that it takes fifty years after a composer's death for him/her to be rediscovered; unfortunately this, if true, means that Martin will have to wait until the 20s....

It's no mystery why he lacks popularity. It certainly isn't because he composed good music...that's for sure.

I agree with LvB, Martin was a significant composer of the C20th.

Anyone who needs convincing should listen to his Sechs Monologe aus Jedermann (Six Monologues from Everyman) for baritone & orchestra. It's probably one of the best song-cycles of the century, the music has drama & the orchestration has to be heard to be believed! Who said atonal music cannot be engaging, accessible & interesting?

I like a lot of Frank Martin's music that I've heard. Some other recordings I like
include:

the one featuring cellist Christian Poltera & some others) w. Malmo Symphony;
very pretty and atmospheric (& also sorta like Zemlinsky and Debussy) 'Vin Herbé' featuring Sandrine Piau, RIAS Chorus and others; the odd but impressive sort of 'post-Wagnerian' 'Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke' which I have on recording featuring Christianne Stotijn, great young Dutch singer; also 'Tryptichon' w. singer Julianne Banse & violinist Muriel Cantoreggi w.German Radio Philharonic Orchestra cond. by Christoph Poppen is very moving. I also like some of the Masses by him I've heard. I think there is some
affinity with Honegger/Hindemith but his work can be very lyrical at times. A composer
I plan to check out more.

Ed

Martin has become one of my favourite composers. I really like his idiosyncratic, eclectic & individual style. It has been stated that he was probably one of the greatest composers of the C20th, but hardly anyone knows him outside Switzerland. Despite the fact that big names like Marriner, Menuhin & Nagano have made excellent recordings of his music.

I especially like Martin's Petite Symphonie Concertante. I think it's one of the greatest concertos of the C20th. He borrows the instrumentation (harpsichord, string orchestra) and form of the traditional Concerto Grosso, but adds harp & piano (Paul Sacher, who commissioned it, wanted a work with all of the stringed instruments in it). The form may be traditional, but the music sounds totally fresh and new. Think of a blend of atonalism (although it sounds very tonal for the most), Neo-Classicism & I even hear jazz in the harpsichord solo. It's such an engaging & incisive work, but that's what you come to expect from Martin, once you've listened to some of his music. All of the music that I've heard from him is top-notch...

It doesn't take much for a composer to become your favorite does it?

Why are you dismissing a composer, whose works I doubt you have ever heard fully? You haven't reported any such experience here, at least, nor any constructive criticism as to why you don't like him. Of course, this probably means you haven't listened fully to any of the works mentioned above. A clip on the internet only a few minutes long does not give justice to any longer work, as you undoubtedly know...

I think that it's far more interesting if you say something insightful, as the posters above have, rather than dismissing a composer with a few short sentences...

You want constructive criticism? You got it.

His music goes nowhere. There's no emotional content, no motivic development, lack of melody, poor harmonic language, his music doesn't center on anything profound, it just kind of lingers up in the air and has no kind of backbone. His artistic principles, whatever they may be, seem like a delusion of a composer that can't coupe with the fact that he doesn't have anything interesting to say musically. He couldn't write a melody to save his life.

Is that good enough or should I keep going?

"No kind of backbone?" You're joking, right? Listen to the Petite Symphonie Concertante, which I described above. It's built around a very conventional Concerto Grosso structure & is basically monothematic. I'd liken it to Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta.

& I bet my life that you haven't listened to his Mass for Double Choir which is actually based on early Christian music. Depite it's imprecise tonality, which I admit can be a major hurdle for some listeners, Martin's music (like Bartok's) exudes adherence to traditional forms & ideas. He wasn't an iconoclast, he was just updating & modernising the old approaches...

Well you obviously have your opinion and I have mine.

This is actually what MI say about EVERY composer he doesn't like. It is just his mantra.

Note that I never listened to Frank Martin and his music MAY lack emotional content, motivic development, melody and have a primitive harmonic language (is he talking about Karl Off, he just described perfectly Catulli Carmina...), but that would only be a coincidence, for he says that even of Messiaen, who is great at everyone of these levels.

Right and you've never said anything bad about any composer either. You use the same excuses for every composer you don't like too. You just happen to word it differently every time.

I mean calling Bliss old-fashioned? Like this is a good reason to dislike a composer.

Of course not. I said I didn't like Sibelius for some reaons, that I didn't like Vaughan Williams for others, and Galuppi for different ones. There are several reasons for being bad.

Exactly and I gave my reasons why I think Martin is bad.