The enormously prolific Bohuslav Martinů was one of the leading Czech composers of the 20th century. Forced to flee his homeland after the annexation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, Martinů settled initially in the United States where he wrote all six of his symphonies. These are amongst his most impressive and widely recorded achievements, combining driving energy and rhythmic flexibility with spontaneous melodies drawn from Czech folk songs. The two symphonies on this disc are predominantly lyrical works, yet highly contrasted.