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Little Symphony No. 4 (Milhaud)

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Little (Chamber) Symphony No.4: (Dixtuor pour instruments à cordes), Op.74, by Darius Milhaud is a work for 10 string instruments composed in Vienna in 1921. It is not to be confused with Symphony No.4. The music is polytonal and progresses through a variety of contrasting moods. The first two movements employ ostinatos to repeat basic musical ideas.[1] The first movement is marked “Animé”. It is a lively dance in triple meter and stylistically refers back to the baroque period.[2] The second movement is marked “Assez lent” and features multiple double bass solos. The final movement incorporates imitative polyphony in a fugal section.

Milhaud’s fourth little symphony is approximately 6 minutes in duration and contains the following movements:

  1. Ouverture (approx. 0’45’’)
  2. Choral (approx. 3’25’’)
  3. Etude (approx. 1’50’’)

This little symphony was originally published by Dover Publications in 1922.

Instrumentation

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  • 4 Violins
  • 2 Violas
  • 2 Cellos
  • 2 Double Basses

Reception

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Little Symphony No.4 has received mixed reviews since its inception. G. W. Hopkins pointed out the “irritating antics” of this little symphony in his 1970 review in The Musical Times.[3] Christopher Headington of the classical music review website Gramophone referred to the etude movement as “comic.”[4]

Recordings

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  • A 1975 recording on vinyl on the ABC Westminster Gold label, featuring The Chamber Orchestra of The Leningrad Philharmonic conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvenski
  • A 1994 CD recording on the Koch Schwann label, featuring Capella Cracoviensis and Karl Anton Rickenbacher
  • A 1969 recording on vinyl on the Candide label, featuring the Orchestra of Radio Luxemburg

References

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  1. ^ Mawer, Deborah (Winter 2008). "Milhaud's Late Chamber Music: Compositional 'Full Circle'?". The Musical Times.
  2. ^ Darrell, R. D. Milhaud: The Six Little Symphonies (CD liner notes). Espirit de France, 1972. pp.3.
  3. ^ Hopkins, G. W. The Musical Times Vol. 111, No. 1525 (Mar., 1970). pp. 287
  4. ^ Headington, Christopher. Milhaud Little Symphonies and Operas. Gramophone.co.uk.
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