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.