Introduction

As a member of Les Six, Milhaud's music was influenced by rhythms of American jazz and popular Brazilian music: ragtime, maxixe, samba, and tango. He was a great proponent of polytonality and became one of the most prolific composers of the century. He composed over 400 works (14 concertos, 18 string quartets, 8 operas, 10 ballets, 7 cantatas, 14 sonatas, 8 symphonies, and other miscellaneous works.

Historical Context

Darius Milhaud was born in 1892. He ended up spending much of his life in America where the influence of jazz was apparent in him. He mostly conducted and taught in America. He was grouped with five under individuals, under the leadership of Cocteau, became known as Les Six. All of these six composers enjoys the art of neo-classicism and the all loved American jazz. Milhaud would continue to compose with this style and create a substantial body of work. He died in 1974.

His Famous Compositions

Milhaud wrote an inordinate quantity of chamber music. Much of it revolves around 18 string quartets, written between 1912 and 1950. These works are very consistent, yet barely explored and known in today's world. In these works, Milhaud's characteristic evolution can be seen, from the romantic first quartet to the relatively complex textures of the later works. Throughout, Milhaud's inventiveness is evident; the 14th and 15th quartets, for example, can be combined to form an octet, but they sound complete when heard separately. These types of innovations make Milhaud's music very appreciable and unique.

• List of Chamber Works by Milhaud
• Other Modern Composers
• Emory University: Darius Milhaud

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