Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) was a French composer whose prolific output drew on jazz, Brazilian music, and polytonality.

Polytonality: The simultaneous use of two or more musical keys. Milhaud made overlapping tonal centers a defining feature of works such as La création du monde.
La création du monde: A 1923 ballet by Milhaud that combines jazz influence with a score for chamber orchestra. Its blues-inflected writing and layered tonalities concentrate two of his signature interests.
Gabriel Fauré: A French composer known for refined melodies, subtle harmony, and works spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Fauré taught Milhaud at the Paris Conservatoire and helped shape his early musical education.
Arthur Honegger: A Swiss-born composer who became a leading member of the French group Les Six. Honegger and Milhaud shared membership in Les Six while pursuing markedly different musical styles.
Dave Brubeck: An American jazz pianist and composer known for work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Brubeck studied with Milhaud at Mills College and credited him as an influential teacher.
Jazz: A musical tradition shaped by improvisation, syncopation, and distinctive rhythmic and harmonic practices. Milhaud brought jazz rhythms and sonorities into concert works after encountering the music in the United States.
Le bœuf sur le toit: A 1919 orchestral work by Milhaud built around Brazilian popular melodies. It turns tunes Milhaud encountered in Brazil into a rapid, circular concert piece.
Paul Claudel: A French poet, playwright, and diplomat whose writing often drew on religious themes. Milhaud’s work with Claudel in Brazil led to music for the play Protée and the opera Christophe Colomb.
Francis Poulenc: A French composer and pianist associated with Les Six and a distinctive blend of wit and lyricism. Poulenc was Milhaud’s fellow member in Les Six and a prominent peer in Parisian musical life.
Burt Bacharach: An American composer, songwriter, and pianist known for melodic popular songs and film scores. Bacharach studied composition with Milhaud at Mills College.

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