Darius Milhaud Technical note by Andrew Rose: part of the recording equipment must have been comparable to those later recordings. Suite pour Violin, Clarinet et Piano, Cinq Études pour piano et orchestre, “Working with both vinyl and shellac together Even so, the sound I found on these discs Op. 157b (1936) Op. 63 (1920) for a single CD is always a challenge - however surprised me by its quality, and set the bar good the 78s are, they're unlikely to be a really high for the Little Symphony, a much 01 Ouverture [1.35] 16 Vif [1.07] match for vinyl in terms of frequency range, earlier British recording. 02 Divertissement [2.50] 17 Doucement [2.41] dynamic range or surface noise. And yet, as 03 Jeu [1.28] 18 Fugues: vif et rythme [1.06] I think this CD shows, they can come Still, Protée gave me something to aim for 04 Introduction & Final [5.40] 19 Sombre [2.43] remarkably close - close enough that you with the Symphony, and I think I was able to 20 Romantique: tres animé [2.20] don't feel a major sonic gear-change going do it justice. In fact, the recording which gave Suite Symphonique No. 2 (“Protée”), on as we move from one to the other. the greatest trouble was the Trio Suite, where Op. 57 (1919) Suite de l’opéra “Maximilien”, intermodulation distortion, particularly between Op.110b (arr .1950) I was extremely fortunate to have unearthed clarinet and violin at the lower end of their 05 Ouverture [3.52] a set of US-pressed Victor 78s of the Protée registers, caused a lot of trouble and may 06 Prélude et Fugue [3.27] 21 Movement de marche [1.27] Suite in superb condition. These were remain just audible in some sections - though 07 Pastorale [5.18] 22 Interlude 1 [2.23] recorded only a few short years before the not, I hope, at a level which will spoil the 08 Nocturne [2.26] 23 Interlude 2 [1.20] earliest vinyl material, and as such at least a listener's enjoyment of this fabulous collection.” 09 Final [4.13] 24 Interlude 3 [1.37] 25 Interlude 4 [3.01] Troisième Symphonie pour petite orchestre 26 Interlude 5 [2.15] (“Sérénade”), Op. 71 (1921) 27 Interlude 6 (Final) [2.35]
10 Vivement [1.05] Trois Rag Caprices, 11 Calme [1.11] Op. 78 (1922) 12 Rondement [0.54] 28 Sec et musclé [2.21] remastered by: Sérénade pour orchestre, 29 Romance: tendrement [2.17] Op.62 (1920/1) 30 Précis et nerveux [2.18]
13 Vif [2.53] 14 Tranquille [6.24] 15 Vif [4.42] total CD duration [79.30]
2 11 SUITE FOR VIOLIN, CLARINET AND SYMPHONIC SUITE No.2, Op. 57 Darius Milhaud was born in Aix-en-Provence, provided many texts for the young composer PIANO, Op. 157b Performed by the San Francisco Symphony France, in 1892. The influences on his life to set, and became very close to Milhaud. Performed by Jacques Parrenin (violin), Ulysse Orchestra, conducted by Pierre Monteux. and compositional career were many and The novelist André Gide too, was an important Delécluse (clarinet) and Annette Haas- Recorded 14 April 1945, originally released varied, permitting him to produce an output early influence, impressing the composer with Hamburger (piano). Recorded c. 1952. in the USA on RCA Victor 11-8977, 11-8978 both copious and highly individual. Provence Christian themes of purity, suffering and Originally released in 1953 in the UK (Felsted and 11-8979. was his first inspiration: both its landscapes sacrifice which led to several works of RL89006) and in the USA on Period SPL 563. and its people informed his early development, specifically Christian inspiration, such as the SERENADE FOR ORCHESTRA, Op. 62 and he heard every day the songs of the Cantate de la croix de charité, the song-cycle LITTLE CHAMBER SYMPHONY No. 3, FIVE STUDIES FOR PIANO AND workers in his father’s almond dealership, Alissa, and many settings of Claudel’s texts, Op. 71 ORCHESTRA, op. 63 * and the comic songs of the local café- including perhaps his most famous work, Performed by Jean Pougnet (violin), Anthony SUITE “MAXIMILIEN”, Op. 110b concerts. He was also raised in a strongly Christophe Colomb. Pini (cello), Reginald Kell (clarinet), Paul TROIS RAG CAPRICES, Op. 78 Jewish area, and though never an orthodox Draper (bassoon), and George Eskdale Performed by the Vienna Symphony Jew, he retained deep religious beliefs. The Being excluded for military service for medical (trumpet) conducted by Walter Goehr. Orchestra, conducted by Henry Swoboda, Jews of Aix have their own liturgy which he reasons, Milhaud spent much of the 1914-18 Recorded on 30 September 1936, EMI matrix (* with Paul Badura-Skoda, piano). Recorded must have heard often. His opera Esther de war helping refugees, until in 1916 he obtained number CA15948. Originally released on in 1950. Originally released in the USA on Carpentras and the Poèmes juifs, among other a job in the French foreign ministry. The war Columbia DB1788. Westminster WL5051. works, are direct results of these early and its repercussions on humanity caused influences. him much pain, especially with the death in war service of his close friend Léo Latil. Paul He was a precociously talented child, playing Claudel had been appointed as ambassador Divine Art Record Company, duets with his father (a fine amateur pianist) to Brazil, and in 1917 Milhaud was invited to 8 The Beeches, East Harlsey from the age of three, and taking violin lessons join the embassy staff as the attaché in charge Northallerton DL6 2DJ, UK aged seven. He had already begun to of propaganda. His short stay (just under two All our recordings are available through good Tel: (+44) (0)1609 882062 compose by 1905, and realised that this was years) saw him organizing concerts to aid the record stores and mail order companies. Email: [email protected] to be his chosen field. At the age of 17 he Red Cross, as well as his official duties. The entered the Conservatoire in Paris, studying exotic sounds and rhythms of Brazil had an You can also use our direct secure on-line WARNING: Copyright subsists in all recordings issued under under Dukas, Leroux, Widor and Gédalge, impact on Milhaud and found its way into a this label. Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, and forming friendships with Auric and number of works thereafter. store and browse the catalogue in detail copying or re-recording thereof in any manner whatsoever will constitute an infringement of such copyright. In the United Honegger amongst others. Of equal (including reviews and artist profiles) at Kingdom, licences for the use of recordings for public performance may be obtained from Phonographic importance were his friendships with poet Returning to Paris, Milhaud found a new type www.divine-art.com Performance Ltd, 1, Upper James Street, London W1R 3HG. Francis Jammes, and Paul Claudel. The latter of society, the era of cabaret, café-bars, and
10 3 bohemian lifestyles in which poets, artists for its period, a unique blend of avant-garde the melodies superpose on a bass of austere contrast is found in the last piece [30] which and musicians thrived. It was at this time that experimentalism and sheer tunefulness. regularity, as essential as the circulation of Milhaud marks Précis et nerveux. Pizzicato strings Milhaud became a member of the group of the blood, the heartbeat and the pulse.” skip around in wide intervals, while the music composers known as “Les Six” under the During the 1920s Milhaud wrote several embodies subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints of mentorship of Jean Cocteau. He held soirées articles on compositional techniques, and One of the more overt expressions of this love ragtime and also a sentimental waltz figure. A in his flat at which many of the creative talents regular music criticism, and by 1930 with the of jazz was the piano work Trois Rag single key suffices at first; then additional keys discussed their new work, renewing immense success of his opera Christophe Caprices,Op.78, written in 1922, just after a and rhythms are introduced, creating a whirling friendships with Honegger and Poulenc, and Colomb (premièred in Berlin under Erich brief trip to the USA where he heard the Paul kaleidoscope of sounds in “polyrhythmic meeting Satie. During the 1920s he also Kleiber) he was well established as a major Whiteman Band, and which he orchestrated polytonality”. The music settles down into a travelled extensively, including trips to London, musical figure. He started to compose much a few years later. Whilst the work is inspired gentler chromaticism, and is brought to a halt where he discovered the then new and film and incidental music, continuing his by American popular tunes and rhythms, it by the drums’ repeated insistent strokes. exciting world of jazz, with extremely fruitful activities in music journalism; he began to interprets these in a symphonic manner, and results, and also Vienna, where he met suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, which would is not a blatantly “jazzy” piece in the way that Notes © 2006 Stephen Sutton Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. eventually confine him to a wheelchair. Martinu’s Trois Esquisses are. It led the way to his jazz-inspired masterpiece La création References: He was also involved in concert tours to the As a Jewish artist, Milhaud was a natural du Monde, written in 1923. Jeremy Drake: “Darius Milhaud” USA and the USSR, giving many target of the Nazi authorities, and after the Grove Music Online,accessed 27.01.06 performances as a pianist and conductor. His German occupation of France, he emigrated The first Caprice [28] is titled Sec et musclé http://www.grovemusic.com composition continued unabated; by this time to the USA, where he took up several teaching (“dry and robust”). It starts tonally, then he had fully developed the polytonality which posts, including one at Mills College, Oakland. combines three keys in polytonal passages, Digital restoration by Andrew Rose of Pristine had begun to underpin all of his music from He retained this position even after his return with solo bassoon and trombone adding hints Audio an early age. He so well mastered the to France in 1947 (giving it up only in 1971), of humour and romance respectively. In the Booklet design by Stephen Sutton technique that though his compositions are and for many years travelled back and forth orchestra, the texture is passed alternately Print preparation by Blake Printers Ltd. thoroughly “modern”, the transparency of his between the two countries. Despite his illness, between strings and wind. Series producer: Stephen Sutton scoring and the sheer brilliance of his he found enormous satisfaction in his hectic Cover photo of Darius Milhaud supplied by interweaving of different keys within a piece life, continuing to compose, teach and perform In the second movement [29], which is titled Lebrecht Music & Arts, www.lebrecht.co.uk always produce music which is approachable almost until his death in 1974. Romance, we are presented with sensuous © 2006 Divine Art Ltd and enjoyable at any level. Despite the chromatic passages, at first embodying also a technical complexity of his writing (compared The music presented on this CD was slight frisson which resolves into a relaxed PUBLISHERS: to the relative simplicity of Poulenc’s composed between 1919 and 1936, a period pianissimo. There is no tempo marking, only the Tracks 1-9 SACEM/G. Ricordi & Co compositions, for example), his music has, in which Milhaud experienced many life- word tendrement (“tenderly”). A complete Tracks 10-30 SACEM/Universal Edition
4 9 this device was described by Milhaud as a uncomfortable with the harmonic novelty of changing events, and was constantly swinging 6/8 Final, whose theme with its “justification of the word Étude”. The music the music that he was moved also to say that developing and refining his style. It should syncopated rhythm could well be a cabaret here is also more tonally complex throughout. “Each voice moves about in its own sweet be pointed out that, unusually, though his song. The piece ends in subdued mood. We return to simpler more open structures in way. If by chance the voices meet on their music is seen to be inspired by many factors the final movement [20], which though titled way out, so much the better.” Milhaud’s true as has been briefly mentioned, there are no Milhaud wrote two Symphonic Suites derived Romantique is marked trés animé. The piano genius, in creating polytonal writing, which real individual composers who can be seen from his large corpus of incidental music. His sets things moving and the trumpet responds, was in fact totally removed from any sense as forerunners; Milhaud truly stands apart as great friend Paul Claudel wrote the satirical with a syncopated chromatic melody. The of “randomness”, was not be truly recognised a unique and fascinating musical voice. drama “Protée” in 1913; Milhaud described cello chips in, and the music becomes more for some time. the work as “a strong mixture of truculent animated and richly-textured. The strings enter The Suite for Violin, Clarinet and Piano, Op. gaiety and poetry”. After a meeting with with gentle arpeggios in four different keys, The Suite of seven movements [21-27], 157b, was composed in 1936, and represents Claudel, Milhaud composed a few pieces, leading to a series of diminished-seventh completed in 1950, consists of the opera’s the most mature work presented here. It is designated Op.17, for chorus and orchestra; “blues” chords, and the sudden fortissimo end. symphonic interludes, each depicting and (for Milhaud) relatively straightforward. It they were rescored for small orchestra in summarising the scenes and action. As derives from incidental music written for a 1916, then in 1919 he was asked to develop Milhaud’s opera Maximilien was first mentioned, the music is quite severe in its production at the Théatre des Mathurins, the music, add some more pieces, and use performed in 1932 at the Paris Opera, and dissonance, keys clashing constantly, but Paris, of Anouilh’s play Le Voyageur sans a large orchestra. carries the opus number 110. It is the story this is not at all unsuitable for music which Bagages. Very typical of Milhaud is the of the Spanish Emperor of Mexico, a proud describes an armed popular uprising. This is bouncy, animated Ouverture [1]. The writing Thus was produced the Symphonic Suite No. man doomed to failure, removed from power particularly the case in the final which is taken is more challenging stylistically than 2, Op.57. The music was quite revolutionary by the hero Juarez, who is lauded by the from the Overture to the opera and in the technically, requiring a light touch and perfect and at the first performance, police had to be people as their saviour from colonialism. The main represents the figure of Juarez. intonation in the many octaves between called to calm down the over-excited music is rich in harmonic complexity, and is clarinet and violin. The second movement audience. (Similar stories are attributed to perhaps more than any other work We have described how Milhaud came across [2], titled Divertissement, is a lullaby which other Milhaud premières in this period). The uncompromising in its use of multiple tonalities early Jazz music in London where he heard begins with violin and clarinet only, the latter curiosity about the music was so great that which create suitable dramatic tension to suit the Billy Arnold Jazz Band. It hit Paris with a having to play tricky low repeated legato the conductor Pierné repeated the Suite the the opera’s story. The critics of the time were bang in the 1920s and Milhaud, on his return octaves, the piano joining in to recapitulate following week and it soon became a regular merciless: the most accommodating, Henri from South America, was fascinated by it, as the opening theme. The Jeu [3] is lively fun, feature in Paris concerts. Although based on Prunieres, did say that he felt the presence were many composers. In fact he adored the and the piano is excluded. Rhythms are Greek mythology, Milhaud used many Latin of a genius of undeniable power, and that he new genre, and wrote of “this new school of overlaid in a sparkling cascade of notes. The American figures in the piece, garnered from had rarely encountered an opera “so overflow rhythm which shakes us”, referring to how final movement [4] is in two parts: a rather his time in Brazil. The Ouverture [5] is a tango- with music”. However he was still so “these syncopations in the rhythms and in sombre Introduction being followed by a joyful, habañera, which is followed by a furious
8 5 Prelude and Fugue [6] for the brass section sonata-form movement of a classical brief calm episode a lilting waltz is played by around the main themes give the impression in which the rest of the orchestra provides a symphony, marked Vivement, with a lively the flute, before the march returns on the of a more robust polychromaticism. Marked backdrop. This section depicts a scene in the tune for flute forming its basis. The central trumpet, with syncopated strings behind. That Vif (one of Milhaud’s favourite expressions), play in which seals throw themselves into the section, Calme, [11] sees the strings present B/F fugato ensues. As the two keys are the movement provides clarity to each of the water with “braying, trumpeting and thumping a smooth melody over a bubbling extremely remote, sharing only one note, the two main keys simultaneously. Brazilian of tails and fins”. There follows a Pastorale background, while the final movement [12] bitonal aspect is clear to the ear. Two further influence is once again heard in the second [7], beautifully flowing and rocking, using is a lively Presto. Equivalent to a full scale keys appear, creating a quadritonal section movement [17]. The piano part is intricate, Latin syncopated rhythms very effectively. Rondo, though marked Rondement, its short of complexity yet which is never difficult on as is the flute’s line, heard mostly in the upper The subsequent Nocturne [8], though related span drags the polytonal writing into a the ear, before the march returns and the register, while the muted trombone sings a to a Bacchanale in the play, is gentle and definitively tonal final chord. movement ends where it started, in B flat crude street song behind. Marked Doucement, smoothly calm, not the wild orgy which might major. the music evokes a tropical evening, slow, be expected. The music of the Final [9] is It is fascinating to compare this little piece languorous and exotic. A marked contrast is rousing, rumbustious and bright, a fitting with the similarly titled Serenade for Orchestra, The second movement [14] is a gently heard in the third movement [18], titled climax to this fine work. Op. 62, also dating from 1920/1, which also swaying barcarolle, marked Tranquillo. Fugues: Vif et rythme. The plural is explained has three movements, of like character. It Pastoral in mood, with little variation in by the composer’s description: “a Although Milhaud wrote 13 full-scale could almost be described as the “grown- expression, the music is relatively tonal with superimposition of a four-part fugue in A in symphonies (including the un-numbered up” version, using a full-sized orchestra. The only the flute providing a chromatic melody the woodwinds, a three-part fugue in D flat in choral symphony Pacem in Terris), his first same brilliant writing, allowed more time to as contrast. In the third movement [15], also the brass, a four-part fugue in F in the strings, works with the title are tiny, compact pieces, develop, marks the piece as unmistakeably marked Vif, the tonality is also on the whole and a fugue with a subject combining the matching the work of Webern in conciseness. Milhaud. Here, polytonality is not the mere very restrained, with various contrapuntal notes of these three tonalities in the piano.” Of the three Little Symphonies for Chamber superimposition of chords, but forms the basis elements, many employing fourths in their Remarkably, the genius of the writing still Orchestra, the third, subtitled Sérénade, (Op. of contrapuntal writing in which scales and lines, straying off into remote keys, in prevents this structure from becoming a mere 71, dating from 1921) is perhaps the best- melodies in different keys are masterfully something akin to a rondo. cacophony, and each of the fugues is known, due in part to its inclusion (in the interwoven – creating sounds which while simultaneously audible with clarity. version we hear here) in the Columbia History thoroughly modern, create an overall sense Also from the same period come the Cinq of Music by Ear and Eye. In its total duration of tonality, as Milhaud himself said. Études, Op.63. The five studies, for piano and The fourth movement [19] is a musical of just over three minutes, it presents three orchestra, were written during the summer of palindrome, where after twenty bars, the music full yet miniscule movements, each a model The first movement [13] includes, according 1920. Milhaud describes each of the Études is written backwards, note for note, and using of musical miniaturisation. to the composer, “a fugato based on the as “a study of sound balance with the same instrumentation (though a brief opposition of F and B tonalities”. Marked Vif, polytonality”. In the first, [16], only two keys piano arpeggio, timpani roll and a concluding The first [10] corresponds to the opening it starts with a simple march in B flat. After a are used, though additional notes dotted triangle note are added). Known as a “crab”,
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