The only competition for this generally fine performance comes from Supraphon, a disc that may be very hard to find and that in any event is not dramatically superior to this one. Martinu’s The Epic of Gilgamesh deserves to be better known: it’s a masterpiece of his last years (composed in 1955), and anyone familiar with the exotic, haunted sound world of his Sixth Symphony will find more of the same here. Outstanding moments are many and varied: the taming of Enkidu by a courtesan, the battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and perhaps most of all the raising of Enkidu’s spirit and Gilgamesh’s questioning about what his dead friend saw in the underworld.
Zdenek Košler lets the tension sag a bit in Part II, which describes the death of Enkido and Gilgamesh’s sorrow, but otherwise he gives a faithful and colorful account of this hypnotic score. The soloists all perform well, with the possible exception of Eva Depoltová’s typically Slavic soprano, and the chorus does a very good job. Like the story itself, Martinu’s austere setting exudes a primal, timeless quality, and he makes particularly imaginative use of piano, harp, muted trumpets, and wordless chorus to create an unforgettable atmosphere. Honestly recorded, and with complete texts and translations included, this reissue makes an irresistible bargain.
