Darius Milhaud

About this book

In common with his French contemporaries, Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) was, in his earliest music before 1918, much influenced by Debussy and to a lesser extent by Ravel. In 1920, however, he was labelled a member of 'Les Six', a group of innovative young composers, inspired by the music of Erik Satie and influenced by the ideas of Jean Cocteau. In this first major analytical study of a substantial selection of Milhaud's music, Deborah Mawer offers an interpretation of pitch structure in works of the 1920s through eight detailed case studies. Although the emphasis is on applications of extended voice-leading, motivic analysis and set theory, with many supporting musical examples, attention is also paid to the musical and historical context of Milhaud's works, especially their relationship to the music (and study) of Stravinsky. After 1940, Milhaud exerted important influence as a composer and teacher in the United States as well as in his native France. It is fitting, therefore, that this book develops recent analytical techniques and historical perspectives from North America and Europe, and will be of value to scholars and students of twentieth-century music on both sides.