Search - Darius Milhaud (Composer), Quatuor Parisii :: Darius Milhaud: The Complete String Quartets - Quatuor Parisii

Not only Bartok and Shostakovitch

Roberto Nemr | São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil | 07/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I thought the two main monuments of string quartets opuses in the XXth century were from these two composers listed above. But in actual fact, Milhaud, mostly known for his ballets Creation du Monde and Le Boeuf sur le Toit, who spent two years in Brazil (where I live) in the 20s, and was part of les Six (with Honnegger, Auric, Tallefeirre, Poulenc and Satie), produced 18 quatuors (one more than Beethoven, a target he set to himself in his youth and managed to achieve brilliantly). What a surprise to me was hearing to this consistent chamber music output, which if not up to the innovative qualities of Bartok, ranks at least in a par with Shostakovitch, varying from his early style, still influenced by Debussy and Stravinsky, through his most creative phase, of development of politonality and rhytmic variety (partly influence by his séjour in Rio de Janeiro, with the consul Paul Claudel, by the suggestion of Blaise Cendrars) through his more mature period in the US, where he brought to certain limits his previous experiences (as in the case of the Octet, where politonality is stretched to a zenith). Like our main composer in Brazil, Villalobos, Milhaud has a very extensive output, with 420 titles, including 10 symphonies, not always of the same stature, but clearly showing an exuberant imagination and rigour. I think it's more than time to hear more extensively this composer. At least I am doing so. Enjoy"