Bohuslav Martinu's Half-time a representation of Parisian musical eclecticism of the 1920s /

by 1978- Cvorovic, Rachel McCormick

Bohuslav Martinu’s Half-time: Rondo per orchestra was the first major work the composer wrote after moving to Paris in October 1923. In this thesis, I challenge the initial critical perception that the work is exceedingly Stravinskian in style through a score examination that will reveal that the work is instead a fusion of numerous styles popular in 1920s Paris. Alongside a Stravinskian influence, elements of futurism, Impressionism, Satie’s aesthetic, and possibly neoclassicism are evident. As such a fusion, Half-time serves as a representation of the eclectic trend within Parisian music of the 1920s. This eclectic trend emerged as a result of the musical search for a response to the stylistic indulgences of the Romantic period. A reconsideration of the relevant resulting trends and a review of their application to Half-time will offer a new insight into the composer as well as Parisian music of the 1920s.