We have no recordings of the Chansons de l’opéra du gueux, Milhaud’s 1937 settings for solo voice and instruments of songs from Pepusch and Gay’s Beggar’s Opera, but two new discs bear excellent performances of his version for small orchestra, Carnaval de Londres. Unlike Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera and its resultant orchestral suite, Milhaud’s 26 […]
Continue ReadingKarl Anton Rickenbacher
Opera
Serious opera as well as serious fun, the Opéras-minute are exquisitely orchestrated, melodious and unexpectedly moving. The libretti by Henri Hoppenot make short work of classical grandeur. In “L’enlèvement d’Europe”, “L’abandon d’Ariane,” and “La délivrance de Thesée,” men, women and monsters are swept along with astonishing dispatch by the familiar disasters and miracles of Greek […]
Continue ReadingMusic For Piano
Milhaud’s piano music displays the same broad stylistic range as the rest of his opus. Especially in the earlier works, the gentle, eccentric Paris of Satie, Fauré and Ravel is audible, although Milhaud’s own robust personality always shines through. This is especially apparent in the brief selections played by Milhaud and his friend Marguerite Long […]
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