Darius MILHAUD (1892-1974)
Symphony no. 6 (1955) [28:31]
Symphony no. 7 (1955) [22:47]
Ouverture méditerranéenne (1953) [5:30]
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/Michel Plasson
Rec. Toulouse, France, October 1992
Presto CD
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 439 939-2 [57:03]
Darius Milhaud, a leading member of the early 20th century French group that came to be known as ‘Les Six’, has to be one of the most astonishingly prolific composers of all time – certainly amongst prominent ones, anyway. A glance at his output tells us that, in a career lasting from around 1909 until a year or so before his death in 1974, he produced 12 symphonies, some 16 operas, 17 ballet scores, 21 concertos – as well as huge numbers of songs, film scores, chamber works and choral music. Composing seems to have been as natural to him as breathing, and yet it’s quite hard to identify his main characteristics as an artist.
That may be because he was such a creative chameleon; for instance, he had a productive flirtation with jazz and Latin American music in the 1920s – La création du monde and Le boeuf sure le toit being amongst his best-known works – but finally got a bit bored with that and moved on to a more Neo-classical phase, as in his woodwind works of the ‘30s, Suite d’après Corrette and La cheminée du Roi René. Though, to be fair, he sometimes brought those different strands together entertainingly, as in the Concerto for marimba, vibraphone and orchestra of 1947.
The symphonies occupy just under a quarter of a century in Milhaud’s career, from no.1 of 1939 to no.12 of 1962 (there are also six ‘Symphonies de Chambre’ for various small ensembles, composed between 1917 and 1923). The two on this disc were both written in 1955 in the USA, where Milhaud, a Provençal Jew, had fled at the beginning of World War 2. I’ll say right away that, for me, the 6th is much the stronger work of the two, and is a fine example of symphonic composition of that time. This is yet another of the works written for Serge Koussevitsky and his Boston Symphony Orchestra, though Milhaud has resisted the temptation to create a ‘concerto for orchestra’, and has written quite a subtle, understated piece – though it does have its fireworks.
As you can see, these recordings have been around for a long time, and I’m not quite sure why the CD has turned up again just now. They were out for a while on the American Arkiv label, but have reappeared in their original guise for DG. But there’s no doubt that the sound is more than acceptable, and the Toulouse orchestra, given Milhaud’s origins not so far away in Marseille, seems a natural choice.
The 6th Symphony has a serene opening, launching straight into the lullaby main theme high in the violins. The serenity remains, though as the music develops, there is a sense of tensions being kept in check. And indeed, tensions do surface in the ‘Tumultueux’ second movement, with angry outburst and military rhythms in the side drum. Plasson and his players bring out vividly the extremes of light and shade in this music – an essential characteristic of Milhaud. The mood is, however, stormy and explosive rather than sinister, and it ends quietly, leading to the lyrical beauty of the Lent et doux, where we find Milhaud in an unexpectedly romantic vein.
Plasson’s value as an interpreter is that he does not hurry this music, allowing it to unfold languorously. The ‘joyous and robust’ finale does succeed as a resolution of the whole piece – though I do find Plasson on the steady side here, depriving the music of some of its momentum. But the 6th comes across as a true symphony, well balanced and colourfully orchestrated.
I can’t quite say the same of the 7th, though its three-movement structure is unusual, with two quite short quick movements flanking a long, oppressive slow movement. This Grave is a powerful, wandering discourse in strings and woodwind, punctuated by frequent, but irregularly spaced, barked interjections from brass and percussion. The chirpy finale eventually chases away the shadows cast by its predecessor (though some may find its relentless busy-ness simply annoying!).
The final track is occupied by the short Ouverture méditerranéenne of 1953. If the 6th Symphony shows what Milhaud was capable of in a positive sense, this overture does so more negatively. After a surprisingly ponderous opening, the piece skitters about cheerfully for a few minutes, then…… stops.
But these symphonies are worth hearing, especially no.6, and Plasson and his players offer carefully prepared, well executed and well recorded readings. If you want to put these works in a wider context, though, it’s worth knowing that Welsh maestro Alun Francis has recorded all the symphonies for CPO, in lively, stylish performances.
Gwyn Parry-Jones
Previous review (original release): Rob Barnett
