Darius Milhaud, Alun Francis, Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra Milhaud: The Complete Symphonies (Box Set) Genre:Classical This remarkable set of all 12 Darius Milhaud symphonies (five CDs) raises a number of immediate questions, not the least of which is why Milhaud's symphonies aren't recognized for their overall artistic merit more than the... more »y are. Milhaud started off, as so many composers of his generation did, dabbling in various avant-garde techniques, which are to some degree present in Symphonies 1 and 2 (dated 1939 and 1944, respectively). They are youthful, brash, and militantly French (lots of marching drums, trumpet fanfares, salutes, etc.). But by Symphony No. 3 (of 1946), Milhaud's temperament has stabilized and matured. His palette, though, expands in richness, and the symphonies to follow show Milhaud at his inventive best. Outstanding in this collection are Symphonies 5 and 6 (1953 and 1955), which are by turns moody and deliciously sweet, never atonal or dissonant. The fact that Symphonies 5 and 6 are rarely performed and never recorded makes these works alone a selling point for this collection. This is a stellar collection that belongs in every library of 20th-century music. --Paul Cook« less
This remarkable set of all 12 Darius Milhaud symphonies (five CDs) raises a number of immediate questions, not the least of which is why Milhaud's symphonies aren't recognized for their overall artistic merit more than they are. Milhaud started off, as so many composers of his generation did, dabbling in various avant-garde techniques, which are to some degree present in Symphonies 1 and 2 (dated 1939 and 1944, respectively). They are youthful, brash, and militantly French (lots of marching drums, trumpet fanfares, salutes, etc.). But by Symphony No. 3 (of 1946), Milhaud's temperament has stabilized and matured. His palette, though, expands in richness, and the symphonies to follow show Milhaud at his inventive best. Outstanding in this collection are Symphonies 5 and 6 (1953 and 1955), which are by turns moody and deliciously sweet, never atonal or dissonant. The fact that Symphonies 5 and 6 are rarely performed and never recorded makes these works alone a selling point for this collection. This is a stellar collection that belongs in every library of 20th-century music. --Paul Cook
CD Reviews
A much needed set!
J. Anderson | Monterey, CA USA | 09/01/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This set of five CDs fills a long standing need for a modern version of Milhaud's symphonies. It is easy to think of Darius Milhaud as primarily a miniaturist, and it is true that he resisted the symphonic form for a good part of his vast and surpassingly fecund compositional life (the first Symphony is marked Opus 210!), but this fine series of recordings gives that notion the boot. Meticulously prepared and recorded -the sound is superb!- the Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Alun Francis does Milhaud homage, and gives us a convincing look at these neglected works. The first four symphonies seem the weakest of the lot, a bit overly martial, and the horns have plenty to do, sometimes seeming much ado about nothing. As Milhaud assimilates the symphonic form, however, he naturally conquers it, producing, frankly, some of the most beautiful music around. Nos. 7, 11, & 12 are especially fine. You'll find no Germanic grappling in these works, indeed the smile of Provence is all over them. Milhaud's grasp of the symphonic form is mature and all-encompassing, yet employing such uncanny orchestration that one never loses the sense of hearing fine chamber music. Absolutely delightful. I'd not heard this orchestra before, and they're an impressive lot. If you don't know Darius Milhaud's music, perhaps some of his smaller pieces (even the marvelous songs!) are a better starting point, but these recordings won't disappoint even the unacquainted. If you already know and appreciate Milhaud's cast of mind, what are you waiting for!"
You'll Be Surprised
Eugene G. Barnes | Dunn Loring, VA USA | 10/10/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Milhaud's harmonic language is complex and challenging, the Basel band is top-notch, and the recorded sound is superb, so you'll find yourself coming back time and again to this pleasant, fulfilling set. The attractive price (as of this writing) is a major lure, so don't wait.If you've been finding yourself overly traumatized by the Mahler ethos, perhaps it's time to try the sunny transparency of these symphonies."
Spirited Performances
D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 08/03/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One forgets that Darius Milhaud was such a prolific composer (his catalog of compositions goes out to 441 opus numbers) and that he wrote 12 symphonies. Outside of Camille Saint Saens and Albert Roussel there have been few French composers who have been attracted to the symphonic form. The symphonies or Darius Milhaud are characterized by their impressionism and dedication to the traditional symphonic structure. Those written with three movements mimic the older sinfonia form of Alessandro Scarlatti. Each work has an individual voice.
The First Symphony was written at the start of the Second World War and has an immediate appeal with a strong pastoral melody that continues to develop and unfold during the movement. This is followed by an engaging scherzo and a moody slow movement that seems to float along, as if describing the sea. The final movement returns to the carefree mood of the first movement. The Fourth Symphony commemorated the Revolution of 1848 and was written in the United States where Milhaud was living. Each of the four movements describes an event: the insurrection, the dead of the Republic, the joys of Liberty and Commemoration 1948. The Fourth is a very straightforward symphony whose depictions are easy to understand and enjoy.
The Second Symphony was a commission from the Koussevitzky Foundation in 1944 and premiered in Boston in 1946. Cast in 5 movements, the symphony slowly builds from the peaceful first movement to the third movement (a kind of funeral march) with a fanfare played by the brass that shatters the peaceful mood. The fourth movement returns to the quietly reflective mood of the first two and the final movement is brilliant and exuberant. The Third Symphony was a departure for Milhaud - a symphony with chorus. The symphony bears the title Te Deum and begins with a jubilant fanfare followed by a remarkable second movement where the chorus sets the mood of the Te Deum singing a wordless accompaniment. The third movement is an exuberant short orchestral movement and the final movement brings in the chorus and orchestra in a glorious hymn of praise.
The Fifth Symphony was a commission from Italian Radio and is characteristic of Milhaud's linear symphonic structure. Although the symphony was written during a period of musical experimentation (in 1953) the music remains rooted in the French Impressionist style that makes Milhaud so recognizable. The composer stuck to the four movement pattern for his symphonies. The Sixth Symphony was written in 1955 for the 75th anniversary of the Boston Symphony. The Sixth differs from the Fifth by being more expansive; slower tempi with more shading. The melodies are more broken up than the more straightforward Fifth. Both symphonies contain marvelous melodies and complement each other with their energy and pastoral beauty.
Symphonies 7, 8 and 9 stand as a group, all of them composed during the 1950's and music where Milhaud gave more attention to the slow movements. This is apparent by looking at the timings themselves but as one listens to them. In the Seventh, the slow movement is characterized by choppy bit of melody from the orchestra over a grave melody played by the strings. The Eighth symphony is a depiction of the Rhone River as it travels through France. One immediately notices that the music is more astringent and the themes more broken. The slow movement sounds as if portraying the river at early morning when shrouded by mist and everything is viewed in the soft dawn light. The remaining movements are energetic and boisterous. The Ninth begins with a whimsical theme that quickly develops into an energetic short movement. The slow movement is ominous and melancholy but the mood breaks for the energetic final movement.
Symphonies 10 through 12 all date from the 1960's and all three had American commissions. These late symphonies have been termed neoclassical. The Tenth was commissioned for the 100th anniversary of the state of Oregon. It opens with the feel of a marching band in the use of snare drums and quick tempi to be followed by a quiet and reflective slow movement. The final movement is said to contain a theme based on the name Oregon. The Eleventh was commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Public Library and has a long meditative middle movement that has been interpreted as depicting the Dallas Public Library. The final movement is playful and boisterous. The Twelfth and final symphony was commissioned by the University of California at Davis. The symphony begins with a gentle pastoral theme that remains playful throughout the movement. The second movement has a march-like theme followed by a reflective slow movement. The final movement returns to the pastoral theme of the first movement and the symphony ends with a flourish.
The recordings come from the 1990's and each disc is in its own jewel case. The recording balance is superb and the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Basil, conducted by Alun Francis, play with real passion and commitment. These are highly interesting symphonies that deserve to be heard more often. Hopefully, this set will encourage their performance.
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An important set
G.D. | Norway | 03/31/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This set doesn't seem to have received critical attention sufficiently reflecting its importance. True, it isn't an entirely complete survey (the thirteenth choral symphony is missing, but that one is more of an oratorio), and Milhaud, being extremely prolific, had a certain tendency - at times - to lapse into mere note-spinning. This is not easy music, neither in terms of performance nor in terms of listening experiencing, and the polytonal and densely polyphonic style can indeed sound forbidding and overly busy; these works are far more "serious" in sound than one might be led to expect from familiarity with such works as `Le Boeuf sur le Toit'. But they are almost always surprisingly engaging and more variegated than you might expect, although often rather loosely constructed (though anyone listening to the cycle from beginning to end would be excused for feeling a little worn out).
The first symphony, one of the most immediately charming - and indeed best - of the cycle, dates from 1939. It is an essentially joyful, buoyant work, moving from attractive pastorality to pure exuberance, and is full of inventive textures and rhythms with a noble slow movement and a characteristically energetic scherzo. The fourth symphony is at least notionally programmatic with a martial first movement and a dark, march-like second movement contrasted with an inventive scherzo juxtapositing reflection with enthusiasm. The finale is pure optimism and joy. I am not sure whether it really adds up to very much, though, and a comparison of the two works on this disc would certainly go in favor of the first symphony, which is an impressive work indeed. Still, the fourth is an enjoyable work, very well worth hearing.
It took Milhaud five years from the conclusion of his first symphony before he embarked on the second. It is, however, a somewhat similar kind of work, and almost equally appealing - a little more poignant and serious with a more substantial emotional spine, but throughout its five movements full of instrumental, rhythmic and textural twists and quirks and colors. The core of the work is an impressive, solemnly reflective funeral march-like slow movement. The third symphony, however, is one of the best among Milhaud's symphonies; it opens with a rather stern first movement, followed by a remarkable second movement (with a wordless chorus), a jovial if rather insubstantial third movement and an almost barbarically buoyant, inventive finale.
The two following works are affable, neoclassical works of (mostly) high quality and level of invention. The fifth - Milhaud's longest symphony at barely above 32 minutes - is also one of the most interesting, contrasting understated, somewhat Stravinskian playfulness (and power) with exuberant swagger (with a fine, wistfully poignant and skillfully written second movement). The sixth, on the other hand, starts out in a lyrical and reflective mood with a becalmed, happy and thematically inventive first movement. It is followed by a boisterous second movement before swinging back to lyricism and again, in the finale, to muscular and rather brusque jollity - in the last two movements the feeling of empty note-spinning isn't far away, but the symphony as a whole is at least worthwhile.
The seventh symphony followed right on the heels of the sixth, and displays many of the same characteristic touches and much of the same level of invention as its 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 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 an almost uncanny and unnatural atmosphere and at the same time audacity and resoluteness - a result of Milhaud's skillful exploitation of his beloved trick of keeping the high and low instruments busy, almost cluttered, without anything in between. The cloudy and gloomy mood of the first movements dissipates later in the work, but this is overall probably Milhaud's darkest and bleakest symphony - and also one of the most interesting. The ninth is another small-scale work in the format of a colorfully strident and raucously buoyant first movement and a lively enthusiastic finale separated by a dark and shadowy second movement. It is not one of his most memorable creations, but worth hearing. Overall, the music on the disc of symphonies 7-9 is rather stark and sinewy, less colorful and immediately attractive than the earlier symphonies, but not less ultimately rewarding.
The last three symphonies (apart from the thirteenth, which is more of an oratorio and not included in CPO's survey) were written within a relatively short period of time in 1960-61. The tenth is the most substantial of them, with a gently beautiful slow movement and a magically atmospheric scherzo, but overall this is a rather loosely structured and slightly incoherent work. In the eleventh the second movement is again the most impressive, calm and reflective. The other movements are inventive and boisterously urban but a little harsh-sounding and gaunt (the first movement, nervous-sounding but lively is also impressive). The small-scale twelfth is overall a more contemplative work, combining light pastoral lyricism with something of the unabashed and colorful optimism and light spirits of Milhaud's earlier symphonies.
Performances by the Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra under Alun Francis are very good indeed, if not always quite as muscular and detailed as the ones by Toulouse orchestra under Plasson in the four symphonies once available from Deutsche Grammophon. The strings might sound a little thin at times, and the performances are sometimes a little earth-bound, but in general far better than merely satisfactory and often full of energy and color. CPO also provides better recorded sound than Deutsche Gramophon; indeed, the sound is crisply clear, well-focused and transparent. In sum, this is an important set that can be confidently recommended."
