Milhaud

The very idea of undertaking Darius Milhaud: Complete Piano Concertos as a single unit is a daunting one, as Milhaud's work for the combination of piano and orchestra encompasses an extremely broad range of styles, from Milhaud's frothiest neo-Classical concoctions to his densest, most experimental vein. Conductor/composer Alun Francis, nonetheless, has scored with the comprehensive treatment as applied to Milhaud's variegated oeuvre ……

Uncle Dave Lewis @ AllMusic

Darius Milhaud evidently planned his musical career on a long-term basis. In 1920 he announced that he would write eighteen string quartets in his life, and he did so, completing his last quartet in 1951. Milhaud said that he did not plan on writing symphonies until 1942 (when he would be fifty years old), but that when a commission came in for a symphonic work to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, he judged that he was ready, and accepted the commission. Symphony No. 1 was the result…….

Milhaud was so prolific and also so uneven that few of us stray far beyond the handful of works which have stayed in the repertoire. The last work of his that I heard, Le train bleu, a ballet for Diaghilev which I had long wanted to hear, was typical: it was pleasant, competent and forgettable. So when it comes to his twelve numbered symphonies I wonder whether to take the plunge. Here we have an opportunity to sample his work in the most demanding of genres. This disc of the first two symphonies was a product of Plasson’s short-lived contract with DG.

This excellent collection of music by Darius Milhaud was issued for his centenary in 1992 and has some familiar and some not so familiar music. Le boeuf sur le toit (composed in 1917) is perhaps the composers most famous work and is a collection of melodies, tangos, sambas etc. that Milhaud heard while secretary to Paul Claudel, the Ambassador to Brazil. At one time Milhaud thought Le boeuf sur le toit might be good music for ……….The music is beautifully recorded.

David A. Wend @ Amazon.com

Distinguished chamber ensemble, The Fibonacci Sequence present their fifth disc in the instrument-led series of recordings focusing on music for clarinet. Now in its eighteenth year, the Fibonacci Sequence is considered one of the UK’s most distinguished chamber ensembles with a wide-ranging discography and impressive reviews. The ensemble has performed at the world’s leading festivals and venues and it has been chosen for the season 2012-2013 by the Concert Promotions Network.

Arabella Steinbacher is yet another obviously talented young violinist, but this enterprising release really throws down the gauntlet to the competition, showing how to be both brilliant and musically interesting. These three Milhaud concertos are all but unknown, but they give Steinbacher plenty of opportunity to display her glittering technique as well as emotional maturity. This may sound surprising given the composer, a member of Les Six and one often noted for his cool polytonal style, eclecticism, and emotional detachment.

Milhaud's seventh symphony followed right on the heels of the sixth, and displays many of the same characteristic touches and inventive powers as the predecessor in its three (rather than the predecessor's four) movements. It gives us another sparklingly jaunty first movement followed by a threateningly dark and bleak, long Grave. The last movement returns, apparently without afterthoughts, to the animated and vivacious spirit of the first movement. The whole work seems oddly balanced, but it works rather well. The eighth symphony starts out with music that both exhibits ……

G.D. @ Amazon.com

Many classical music listeners will be familiar with the name Darius Milhaud, but how familiar are they with his output? The owner of a bold, individual style, Milhaud was active for much of the 20th century, a modernist who is counted among the group of composers known as Les Six (a term coined by the music critic Henri Collet in 1920) and who was much influenced by jazz, polytonality as well as the sounds of Brazil. Bringing together many of his orchestral works, some of which are conducted by the composer himself, this release is the perfect starting-point for those wishing to become acquainted with his art.