Milhaud Darius, *4 September 1892 Aix-en-Provence, †22 June 1974 Geneva, French composer of Jewish origin. As a particularly gifted violinist, Milhaud early started performing in public or even playing in quartets with professional musicians. He started studying at the Paris Conservatory in 1909, which allowed him to develop universal skills. He continued playing the violin (H. Berthelier), learnt harmony (X. Leroux), counterpoint (A. Gédalge), fugue (Ch.-M. Widor) and conducting (P. Dukas, V. d’Indy). He also attended Schola Cantorum for the composition course run by V. d’Indy. His study years (1909–15) were the period of gaining experience, exploring contemporary music (I. Stravinsky, E. Satie, A. Magnard, A. Schönberg), and friendships (G. Auric, A. Honegger, A. Tansman) that later allowed for collaborative artistic projects; Milhaud decided to devote himself to composing and gave up a career as a violinist. His early compositional attempts were inspired by poetry; the first works by Milhaud were written to texts by P. Claudel, F. Jammes (La brebis égarée) and A. Gide (Alissa). Cooperation with Claudel was especially fruitful, as numerous meaningful compositions were created (e.g. Sept poèmes de la connaissance de l’est, Protée, balet L’homme et son désir, opera Christophe Colomb and trilogy after Aeschylus, consisting of music to dramas Agamemnon and Les choëphores and opera Les euménides). World War I stopped his work on the opera La brebis égarée; Milhaud, though, was released from military service due to his health problems as he was diagnosed with incurable arthritis, which later caused a partial paralysis of the composer. Milhaud left for Brazil in 1916, invited by P. Claudel who was then a consul in Rio de Janeiro. As the embassy secretary, he had few duties, which encouraged travelling and exploring the new country, the culture of which fascinated Milhaud and stimulated his imagination (piano composition Saudades do Brazil, ballets Le boeuf sur le toit and L’homme et son désir). After coming back to Paris in 1918, Milhaud entered music life, presenting his works in public and being active among the composers who belonged to the association Nouveaux Jeunes, founded in 1917, forerunners of the later Les Six (Group of Six), named so in 1920 by H. Collet. The members were G. Auric, L. Durey, A. Honegger, Milhaud, F. Poulenc and G. Tailleferre who organised concerts together and met regularly during Saturday music evenings at Milhaud’s. The aim of Les Six was to promote new art under the slogans of J. Cocteau’s manifesto Le Coq et l’Arlequin and the patronage of E. Satie. The idea of the young artists was to avoid pathos, oppose the romantic tradition, focus on simplicity and humour, and look for inspiration in everyday life and popular and entertainment music (jazz, circus, music hall). 1920 was particularly rich in joint ventures (L’Album des Six, Les Mariés de la Tour Eiffel, concerts and the propaganda magazine “Le Coq”). The differences in the personalities of the composers of Les Six were too great for the group to survive as one formation, and they eventually parted ways in the mid-1920s, although they were still united by friendship and occasional concerts. Milhaud became very involved in the activities of Les Six; in his statements, he questioned the simplified assessment of the group, ignoring its diversity and only emphasising the community of ideals.
Milhaud’s artistic activity was particularly intense in the 1920s and 1930s; until the outbreak of World War II, numerous compositions were written, to Op. 200; Milhaud performed publicly (as a conductor, pianist and speaker) and travelled (e.g. Russia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the United States, England and Austria); a meeting with Schoenberg in Vienna in 1921 marked the beginning of a long-lasting friendship between the two composers. Some of Milhaud’s works caused scandals (Protée, Cinq études, La brebis égarée) and public outrage (Machines agricoles, Catalog de fleurs), others were a great success for the composer and brought him international fame (L’homme et son désir, La création du monde, Le pauvre matelot). In the 1920s, Milhaud’s sonic imagination was particularly influenced by jazz, which he encountered in Paris and London, and later became more familiar with during his stay in the United States in 1922. In 1923, the ballet La création du monde was created, inspired by African mythology and permeated with jazz elements, in which Milhaud used a jazz band. In 1924, two other ballets, different in style and character, were created almost simultaneously: Le train bleu for Diaghilev’s ensemble and Salade for Rolf de Maré’s ensemble. In 1925, Milhaud married his cousin, Madeleine Milhaud, who supported her husband’s career and also collaborated by writing libretti for several operas. After his fascination with jazz, Milhaud turned to chamber opera; Les malheurs d’Orphée (1924) and Le pauvre matelot (1926) are the best examples of this genre, and in 1927 a trilogy of one-act plays was created: L’enlèvement d’Europe, L’abandon d’Ariane, La délivrance de Thésée. Milhaud also returned to chamber symphony; the first two were created in Brazil, the remaining four in 1921–23. He also composed the opera Christophe Colomb (1928), an extensive composition for a huge performing ensemble, the premiere of which (Berlin 1930) was enthusiastically received. Milhaud returned to the form of grand opera even later (Maximilien 1930, Médée 1938, David 1953, La mère coupable 1965). The wide range of genres undertaken by Milhaud in the interwar years also included chamber forms, songs, film and theatre music.
Milhaud’s intense work, the period of his great successes and fame, was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. Until 1940, the composer was hiding in Aix-en-Provence, later he left with his family for the United States, taking advantage of the invitation to conduct his Symphony No. 1 in Chicago. He settled in California, where he was a professor at Mills College (Oakland). He continued to compose intensely; during his stay in the United States, he composed three great symphonies (No. 2, No. 3 “Te Deum” and No. 4 written on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1848 revolution), concerts, sonatas, quartets, works for children and the opera Bolivar, full of freedom slogans. In 1947, Milhaud returned to France and took up the position of professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory, which he held until 1962; he also taught in Oakland (until 1970), where he came regularly every year and a half and also conducted summer courses in Aspen (Colorado). In 1951, he completed String Quartet No. 18. In the 1950s, he continued composing great symphonies (from No. 5 to No. 9), concertos (including Concert royal), and in the 1960s, cantatas and quintets. In 1970, the opera-oratorio Saint Louis, roi de France was created. In 1971, Milhaud settled in Geneva, and his deteriorating health forced him to withdraw from public activity. However, he continued to compose, write articles, and work on a new version of his autobiography. Milhaud was a music critic and often spoke on issues important to contemporary music. He collaborated permanently with “Le Courrier Musical,” “Europe nouvelle,” “Le Jour,” wrote occasionally for “L’Humanité,” “Revue Musicale,” “Le Ménéstrel,” as well as for foreign magazines: “Chesterian,” “Modern Music” and “The North American Review.”
Milhaud’s creative output, comprising 443 compositions and representing all musical genres, is not easy to classify. The composer’s extraordinary creativity, musical intelligence and reliable craftsmanship determined the great diversity of this legacy. Milhaud did not keep off classical forms, but above all, he carefully observed modernity, which was a source of inspiration for him. The multitude of compositional interests did not affect the unity of his aesthetic attitude. Milhaud’s often-quoted famous statement, “I am a Frenchman from Provence and of the Jewish faith” (Ma vie heureuse), is of great importance. The spirit of his native Provence is very strongly reflected in his work, not only as a direct evocation of the landscape, atmosphere and folklore of this region (Suite provençale, Suite campagnarde, Ouverture méditerranéenne), but also in a broader context as a reference to the roots of Latin culture. According to Milhaud, it is characterised by such features as a love of clarity and simplicity, balance of form, elegance and conciseness. He was also familiar with the biblical and Jewish tradition, which inspired many of his works (Poèmes juifs, Six chants populaires hébraïques, Les rêves de Jacob, Ode pour Jerusalem). Milhaud advocates the purity of the French style, referring to its sources (Rameau, Couperin, Gounod) and negatively assesses the influence of the German romantics, especially Wagner. He also considers the legacy of impressionism in the form of a wave of imitation dangerous: “After all the mists of impressionism, wouldn’t this simple and clear art, renewing the tradition of Scarlatti and Mozart, represent the next phase (in the development) of our music?” (Notes sans musique). However, the need to be based on tradition does not mean standardisation of the musical language; Milhaud reaches for modern means, which he uses comprehensively and skilfully combines with traditional ones, so the demand for simplicity is combined with the pursuit of complexity, and reaching for tradition is accompanied by a preference for experiments.
The most important element in Milhaud’s compositions is the melody: lilting, simple, flexible and free. Its fundamental importance was emphasised by Milhaud, who clearly stated: “melody is the very essence of music” (Entretiens avec C. Rostand). He greatly appreciated lessons with A. Gédalge who particularly cared about the development of his students’ melodic sensitivity and often gave them unaccompanied melodies to write. When shaping the melody, Milhaud eagerly reached for folklore (Provençal, Brazilian, North American). He used it in a sophisticated way, treating the original material as a pretext for a sophisticated stylisation that was intended to give the impression that “it was an original melody, but composed by oneself. It must come from the spirit and heart of the composer” (Notes sur la musique). A characteristic feature of Milhaud’s compositional technique is the versatile use of polytonality. The first stage of exploration in this area is harmonic polytonality (Agamemnon, Les choëphores, Les euménides), which involves superimposing various chords to create complex multi-notes. The second stage is linear polytonality (String Quartet No. 5, Little Symphony No. 3), overlapping melodic lines belonging to different keys. The exploration of various ways of organising sound material determined the wide range of harmonic-tonal phenomena in Milhaud’s works (transpositions, alternations, modality, bi- and polytonality). Milhaud saw polytonality as an alternative tendency to atonality (article Polytonalité et atonalité, 1923).
Milhaud attached great importance to form, but he understood it not in terms of traditional patterns, but rather as a solid and logical structure with balanced proportions. He tried to avoid long-winded processing and excessive complications. This understanding of form is reflected especially in works with a tendency to chamber music (symphonies and chamber operas) by limiting the size and means of performance and simplifying the form. Avoiding thematic work gives these compositions a static character, and using a small ensemble makes it possible to bring out the specific sound of each instrument. Milhaud achieved a new quality of sound through instrumental means: comprehensive use of wind and percussion instruments (Little Symphony No. 5, Concerto for percussion and chamber orchestra, Les choëphores), the vocal voice treated instrumentally (the vocal line in String Quartet No. 3), and the piano as percussion, the use of vocals in ballet (vocal quartet in L’homme et son désir). Many stylistic threads appear in Milhaud’s work (impressionism, neoclassicism, expressionism, folklore, jazz); the composer believed that enriching the contemporary language is possible by appropriate usage of what the evolution of music has brought.
Literature: P. Collaer Darius Milhaud, Antwerp 1948; G. Beck Darius Milhaud, Paris 1949; Entretiens avec C. Rostand, Paris 1952; Correspondance P. Claudel – Darius Milhaud, “Cahiers P. Claudel” III, Paris 1961 (extended and revised ed. 1995); J. Roy Darius Milhaud, Paris 1968; C. Palmer Darius Milhaud, London 1976; Honegger-Milhaud: musique et esthétique. Actes du colloque international Arthur Honegger-Darius Milhaud, ed. M. Kelkel, Paris, J. Vrin, 1994; D. Mawer Darius Milhaud. Modality and Structure in Music of the 1920s, Hampshire 1997; Darius Milhaud, Entretiens avec Claude Rostand, ed. C. Roy, Bourg-la-Reine, Zurfluh, 1999; Jean Cocteau, Darius Milhaud, Correspondance, ed. P. Caizergues, J.Mas, Saint-Denis, Novetlé-Massalia, 1999; T. T. Nguyen Ngoc Le sentiment amoureux dans le théâtre lyrique français des années 30 à travers Médée de Darius Milhaud et La Poule noire de Manuel Rosenthal, Paris 2000; M. Milhaud Mon XXème siècle, ed. M. Clary, P. Fardet, J. Roy, Paris, France musiques: Bleu nuit, 2002; A. Brill Jüdische Identität im 20. Jahrhundert: die Komponisten Darius Milhaud und Alexandre Tansman in biographischen Zeugnissen und ausgewählten Werken, Neuried, Ars et Unitas, 2003; P. Cortot Darius Milhaud et les poètes, Paris, École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), 2003 (unpublished doctoral dissertation); B. L. Kelly Tradition and Style in the Works of Darius Milhaud 1912–1939, Aldershot 2003; J.-A. Joubert, Ch. Delpierre, L. Pons Darius Milhaud, 1892–1974, Montrem, les Amis de la musique française, 2003; Darius Milhaud: catalogue des oeuvres, Paris, Durand-Salabert-Eschig, 2004; Madeleine et Darius Milhaud, Hélène et Henri Hoppenot, Conversation: correspondance 1918-1974 complétée par des pages du Journal d’Hélène Hoppenot, ed. M. F. Mousli, Paris Gallimard, 2005; L. Ch. Amos An examination of 1920s Parisian polytonality: Milhaud’s ballet „La création du monde”, Ann Arbor, UMI, 2007; M. Ricavy, R. Milhaud Darius Milhaud: un compositeur français humaniste sa traversée du XXe siècle, Paris, Éditions Van de Velde, 2013; Darius Milhaud: compositeur et expérimentateur, ed. J. Harbec, M.-N. Lavoie, Paris, Vrin, 2014.
Compositions
Instrumental:
orchestra:
Suite symphonique No. 1 Op. 12, 1914
Little Symphony No. 1 “Le Printemps” Op. 43, 1917
Little Symphony No. 2 “Pastorale” Op. 49, 1918
Suite symphonique No. 2 “Protée” Op. 57, 1919
Little Symphony No. 3 “Sérénade” Op. 71, 1921
Little Symphony No. 4 Op. 74, 1921
Sérénade en trois parties Op. 62, suite symphonique, 1921
Little Symphony No. 5 Op. 75, 1922
Little Symphony No. 6 Op. 79, 1923
Introduction et Marche Funèbre Op. 153b, suite symphonique, 1936
Suite provençale Op. 152c for orchestra, 1936
Symphony No. 1 Op. 210, 1939
Symphony No. 2 Op. 247, 1944
Jeux de Printemps Op. 243, suite symphonique, 1944
Suite française Op. 248 for orchestra, 1944
Symphony No. 3 “Te Deum” Op. 271, 1946
Symphony No. 4 “1848” Op. 281, 1947
Sept danses sur des airs palestiniens Op. 267, suite symphonique, 1947
Kentuckiana Op. 287, suite symphonique, 1948
West Point suite Op. 313, 1951
Symphony No. 5 Op. 322, 1953
Ouverture méditerranéenne Op. 330, suite symphonique, 1953
Suite campagnarde Op. 329 for orchestra, 1953
Symphony No. 6 Op. 343, 1955
Symphony No. 7 Op. 344, 1955
Symphony No. 8 “Rhodanienne” Op. 362, 1957
Aspen Sérénade Op. 361, suite symphonique, 1957
Symphoniette Op. 363, 1957
Symphonie concertante Op. 376, 1959
Symphony No. 9 Op. 380, 1959
Symphony No. 10 Op. 382, 1960
Symphony No. 11 “Romantique” Op. 384, 1960
Les funerailles de Phocion Op. 385, 1960
Aubade Op. 387, 1960
Symphony No. 12 “Rurale” Op. 390, 1961
Ouverture philharmonique Op. 397, 1962
A Frenchman in New York Op. 399, suite symphonique, 1962
Ode pour les morts des guerres Op. 406, 1963
Musique pour Prague Op. 415, 1965
Musique pour Lisbonne Op. 420, 1966
Musique pour l’Indiana Op. 418, 1966
Musique pour Ia Nouvelle-Orleans Op. 422, 1966
Promenade Concert Op. 424, 1967
Musique pour Graz Op. 429, 1969
Musique pour Ars Nova Op. 432, 1969
Suite en sol Op. 431, 1969
Musique pour San Francisco Op. 436, 1971
Ode pour Jerusalem Op. 440, 1972
for instrument/s and orchestra:
Poème sur un cantique de Camargue, concertino for piano and orchestra Op. 13, 1913
Ballade, concertino for piano and orchestra Op. 61, 1920
Cinq études, concertino for piano and orchestra Op. 63, 1920
Concerto No. 1 Op. 93 for violin, 1927
Concerto No. 1 Op. 108 for viola, 1929
Concerto Op. 109 for percussion and chamber orchestra, 1930
Concerto No. 1 Op. 127 for piano, 1933
Concerto No. 1 Op. 136 for cello, 1934
Printemps Op. 135, concertino for violin and chamber orchestra, 1934
Fantaisie pastorale Op. 188, concertino for piano and orchestra, 1938
Concerto Op. 197 for flute and violin, 1939
Concerto No. 2 Op. 225 for piano, 1941
Concerto No. 1 Op. 228 for 2 pianos, 1941
Concerto Op. 230 for clarinet, 1941
Concerto No. 2 Op. 255 for cello, 1945
Concerto No. 2 Op. 263 for violin, 1946
Concerto No. 3 Op. 270 for piano, 1946
Concerto Op. 278 for marimba and vibraphone, 1947
Concerto No. 4 Op. 295 for piano, 1949
Suite opus 300 Op. 300 for 2 pianos and orchestra, 1950
d’Automne Op. 309, concertino for 2 pianos and chamber orchestra, 1951 (other title: Concertino d’automne)
d’Eté Op. 311, concertino for viola and chamber orchestra, 1950
d’Hiver Op. 327, concertino for trombone and chamber orchestra, 1953
Concerto Op. 323 for harp, 1953
Suite cisalpine Op. 332 for viola solo and orchestra, 1954
Concerto No. 2 Op. 340 for viola, 1955
Concerto No. 5 Op. 346 for piano, 1955
Concerto Op. 365 for oboe, 1957
Concerto No. 3 “Concert royal” Op. 373 for violin, 1958
Concerto No. 2 Op. 394 for 2 pianos, 1961
Concerto Op. 407 for harpsichord, 1964
Music for Boston Op. 414 for violin solo and orchestra, 1965
Stanford Serenade Op. 430 for oboe solo and orchestra, 1969
chamber:
Sonata No. 1 Op. 3 for violin and piano, 1911
String Quartet No. 1 Op. 5, 1912 (revised version 1952)
Le printemps Op. 18, sonatina for violin and piano, 1914
Sonata Op. 15 for 2 violins and piano, 1914
String Quartet No. 2 Op. 16, 1915
String Quartet No. 3 (with soprano) Op. 32, 1916
Sonata No. 2 Op. 40 for violin and piano, 1917
String Quartet No. 4 Op. 46, 1918
Sonata Op. 47 for piano, flute, oboe and clarinet, 1918
String Quartet No. 5 Op. 64, 1920
String Quartet No. 6 Op. 77, 1922
Sonatina Op. 76 for flute and piano, 1922
String Quartet No. 7 Op. 87, 1925
Sonatina Op. 100 for clarinet and piano, 1927
String Quartet No. 8 Op. 121, 1932
String Quartet No. 9 Op. 140, 1935
Pastorale Op. 147 for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, 1935
La cheminée du roi René Op. 205, suite for a wind quintet, 1939
String Quartet No. 10 Op. 218, 1940
Sonatina Op. 221 for 2 violins, 1940
Sonatine à trois Op. 221b for string trio, 1940
Sonatina Op. 226 for violin and viola, 1941
String Quartet No. 11 Op. 232, 1942
Quatre visages Op. 238, sonatina for viola and piano, 1943
Sonata No. 1 Op. 240 for viola and piano, 1944
Sonata No. 2 Op. 244 for viola and piano, 1944
String Quartet No. 12 Op. 252, 1945
Duo Op. 258 for 2 violins, 1945
Elégie Op. 251 for cello and piano, 1945
Sonata Op. 257 for violin and harpsichord, 1945
Danses de Jacaremirim Op. 256 for violin and piano, 1945
String Quartet No. 13 Op. 268, 1946
Farandoleurs Op. 262 for violin and piano, 1946
String Trio Op. 274, 1947
String Quartet No. 14 Op. 291, 1949, can be performed with String Quartet No. 15 as an octet
String Quartet No. 15 Op. 291, 1949, can be performed with String Quartet No. 14 as an octet
Les rêves de Jacob Op. 294, suite for oboe and string instruments, 1949
String Octet Op. 291 (for 4 violin, 2 violas and 2 cellos), 1949
String Quartet No. 16 Op. 303, 1950
String Quartet No. 17 Op. 307, 1950
Piano Quintet No. 1 Op. 312, 1951
String Quartet No. 18 Op. 308, 1951
String Quintet No. 2 Op. 316, 1953
Sonatina Op. 324 for violin and cello, 1953
Sonatina Op. 337 for oboe and piano, 1954
String Quintet No. 3 Op. 325, 1956 (for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos)
String Quintet No. 4 Op. 350, 1956 (for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos)
Duo Concertant Op. 351, sonatina for clarinet and piano, 1956
Divertissement Op. 299b for wind quintet, 1958
String Sextet Op. 368, 1958
Sonata Op. 377 for cello and piano, 1959
Paris Op. 284b for 4 pianos, 1959
Sonatina Op. 378 for viola and cello, 1959
Concert de chambre Op. 389 for piano, wind quintet and string quintet, 1961
Fanfare Op. 400 for 2 trumpets and trombone, 1962
String Septet Op. 408, 1964
Piano Quartet Op. 417, 1966
Piano Trio Op. 428, 1968
Hommage à Igor Stravinsky Op. 435 for string quartet, 1971
Wind Quintet Op. 443, 1973
for solo instruments:
Suita Op. 8 for piano, 1913
Variations sur un thème de Cliquet Op. 23 for piano, 1915
Sonata No. 1 Op. 33 for piano, 1916
Le printemps Op. 25 for piano, 1919 (part 1)
Caramel Mou Op. 68 for piano, 1920
Le printemps Op. 66 for piano, 1920 (part 2)
Saudades do Brazil Op. 67 for piano, 1921
Trois rag caprices Op. 78 for piano, 1922
Sonata Op. 112 for organ, 1931
L’automne Op. 115 for piano, 1932
Quatre romances sans paroles Op. 129 for piano, 1933
Scaramouche Op. 165b for 2 pianos, 1937
Quatre esquisses Op. 227 for piano, 1941
Les Songes Op. 237 for 2 pianos, 1943
Le bal martiniquais Op. 249 for 2 pianos, 1944
La muse ménagère Op. 245 for piano, 1945
Une journée Op. 269 for piano, 1946
Carnaval à la Nouvelle-Orléans Op. 275 for 2 pianos, 1947
L’enfant aimé Op. 289 for piano, 1948
Sonata No. 2 Op. 293 for piano, 1949
Le candélabre à sept branches Op. 315 for piano, 1951
Hymne de glorification Op. 331 for piano, 1954
Petite suite Op. 348 for organ, 1955
La couronne de Marguerite: Valse en forme de rondo Op. 353 for piano, 1956
Sonatina Op. 254 for piano, 1956
Ségoviana Op. 366 for guitar, 1957
Sonatina pastorale Op. 383 for violin solo, 1960
Six danses en trois mouvements Op. 433 for 2 pianos, 1970
Sonata Op. 437 for harp solo, 1971
pieces for children
Vocal music:
Deux poèmes Op. 39 for choir a cappella, 1919
2 poèmes de Cendrars Op. 113 for choir a cappella, 1932
Cantique du Rhône Op. 155 for choir a cappella, lyrics P. Claudel, 1936
Quatrains valaisans Op. 206 for choir a cappella, lyrics R.M. Rilke, 1939
Huit poèmes de J. Guillen Op. 371 for choir a cappella, 1958
Adam Op. 411 for choir a cappella, lyrics J. Cocteau, 1964
Vocal-instrumental:
Poèmes de F. Jammes Op. 1 for voice and piano, 1912
Poèmes de F. Jammes Op. 6 for voice and piano, 1912
Alissa Op. 9 for voice and piano, lyrics A. Gide, 1913
Sept poèmes de la connaissance de l’est Op. 7 for voice and piano, lyrics P. Claudel, 1913
Trois poèmes en prose de Lucile de Chateaubriand Op. 10, for voice and piano, 1913
Quatre poèmes de Léo Latil Op. 20, for voice and piano, 1914
Poème do Gitanjali Op. 22 for voice and piano, lyrics R. Tagore (French adaptation A. Gide), 1914
3 poèmes romantiques Op. 11 for voice and piano, 1914
3 poèmes romantiques Op. 19 for voice and piano, 1914
D’un cahier inédit du journal d’Eugenie de Guerin Op. 27 for voice and piano, 1915
Deux poèmes de Coventry Patmore Op. 31 for voice and piano, (French transl. P. Claudel), 1915
Deux poèmes d’amour Op. 30, for voice and piano, lyrics R. Tagore (French transl. E. Sainte-Marie Perrin) 1915
3 poèmes Op. 37 for voice and piano, lyrics D.G. Rossetti and A. Meynell, 1916
3 poèmes de L. Latil Op. 2 for voice and piano, 1916
Child poems Op. 36 for voice and piano, lyrics R. Tagore, 1916
Poèmes juifs Op. 34 for voice and piano, lyrics author unknown, 1916
4 poèmes de Claudel Op. 26 for voice and piano, 1917
Chansons bas Op. 44 for voice and piano, lyrics S. Mallarmé, 1917
Le retour de l’enfant prodigue Op. 42, cantata, lyrics A. Gide, 1917
2 poèmes de Rimbaud Op. 45 for voice and piano, 1917
Poèmes de F. Jammes Op. 50 for voice and piano, 1918
Machines agricoles Op. 56 for voice and orchestra, 1919
Psalm 129 Op. 53b for voice and orchestra, 1919
Les soirees de Petrograde Op. 55 for voice and piano, 1919
3 poèmes de Cocteau Op. 59 for voice and piano, 1920
Catalogue de fleurs Op. 60 for voice and orchestra, lyrics L. Daudet, 1920; also version for voice and piano, 1920
Quatre poèmes de Catulle Op. 80, for voice and chamber orchestra, 1923
Six chants populaires hébraïques Op. 86 for voice and orchestra, 1925
Prières journalières à l’usage des juifs du Comtat Venaissin Op. 96 for voice and piano, 1927
Liturgie comtadine Op. 125 for voice and piano, 1933
Pan et Syrinx Op. 130, cantata, lyrics P. Claudel, de Piis, 1934
5 chansons Op. 167 for voice and piano, lyrics Ch. Vildrac, 1937
Cantate pour la paix Op. 166, lyrics P. Claudel, 1937
Cantate nuptiale Op. 168, 1937
Cantate pour l’inauguration du Musee de l’Homme Op. 164, lyrics R. Desnos (for reciting voice and orchestra), 1937
Les deux cités Op. 170, cantata, lyrics P. Claudel, 1937
Cantate de l’enfant et de la mère Op. 185 for reciting voice and orchestra, lyrics M. Carême, 1938
Les quatre éléments Op. 189, cantata, lyrics R. Desnos, 1938
4 chansons de Ronsard for voice and piano, 1940; also version for voice and orchestra, Op. 223, 1941
Cantate de la guerre Op. 213, lyrics P. Claudel, 1940
Couronne de gloire Op. 211 for voice and chamber orchestra, lyrics Rabbi Salomon (transl. M. Venture, A. Lunel), 1940
Le voyage d’éte Op. 216 for voice and piano, lyrics C. Paliard, 1940
Rêves Op. 233 for voice and piano, lyrics anonymous texts from the 20th c.), 1942
Cain et Abel Op. 241 for voice and orchestra, 1944
La liberation des Antilles Op. 246 for voice and piano, (Creole music, French adaptation A. Joyau-Dormoy) 1944
6 sonnets composés au secret Op. 266 for voice and piano, lyrics J. Cassou, 1946
Chants de misère Op. 265 for voice and piano, lyrics C. Paliard, 1946
3 poèmes de Supervielle Op. 276 for voice and piano, 1947
Le jeu de Robin et de Marion Op. 288 for voice and orchestra, lyrics Adam de la Halle, 1948
Naissance de Vénus Op. 292, cantata, lyrics J. Supervielle, 1949
Cantate des proverbes Op. 310, fragments from the Bible, 1951
Petites légendes Op. 319, for voice and piano, lyrics M. Carême, 1952
Le château de feu Op. 338, cantata, lyrics J. Cassou, 1954
Tristesses Op. 355 for voice and piano, lyrics F. Jammes, 1956
Fontaines et sources Op. 352 for voice and piano, lyrics F. Jammes, 1956; also version for voice and orchestra, 1956
La tragedie humaine Op. 369, cantata, (fragments from: Les Tragiques A. d’Aubigné) 1958
Cantate sur des poèmes de Chaucer Op. 386, 1960
Cantate de l’initiation (Bar mitzvah Israel 1948–1961) Op. 388, 1960
Suite de quatrains Op. 398 for reciting voice and orchestra, lyrics F. Jammes, 1962
Pacem in terris Op. 404, chorale symphony, (texts from the Encyclical of Pope John 23, 11.04.1963), 1963
Suite de sonnets Op. 401, cantata, 1963
Adieu Op. 410, cantata, lyrics A. Rimbaud, 1964
L’amour chante Op. 409, for voice and piano, 1964
Cantata from Job Op. 413 (texts from the Bible), 1966
Cantate de psaumes Op. 425 for voice and orchestra, transl. P. Claudel, 1967
Scenic:
Esther de Carpentras Op. 89, opera buffa in 2 acts, libretto by A. Lunel, 1927 premiere Paris 1938
La brebis égarée Op. 4, opera in 3 acts, libretto by F. Jammes, 1915, premiere Paris 1923
L’homme et son désir Op. 48, ballet, libretto by P. Claudel, 1918, premiere Paris 1921
Le boeuf sur le toit Op. 58, ballet, libretto by J. Cocteau, 1919, premiere Paris 1920
Les euménides Op. 41, opera, libretto by P. Claudel after Aeschylus, 1922, premiere Anvers 1927
La création du monde Op. 81, ballet, libretto by B. Cendrars, 1923, premiere Paris 1923
Les malheurs d’Orphée Op. 85, chamber opera in 2 acts, 1924, libretto by A. Lunel, premiere Brussels 1925
Le train bleu Op. 84, ballet, libretto by J. Cocteau, 1924 premiere Paris 1924
Salade Op. 83, ballet, libretto by A. Flament, 1924, premiere Paris 1924
Le pauvre matelot Op. 92, chamber opera in 3 acts, libretto by J. Cocteau, 1926, premiere Paris 1927
L’enlèvement d’Europe Op. 94, L’abandon d’Ariane Op. 98, La délivrance de Thésée Op. 99, 3 operas-minutes, libretto by H. Hoppenot, 1927, first premiered in Baden-Baden 1927, the other two in Wiesbaden 1928
Christophe Colomb Op. 102, opera, libretto by P. Claudel, 1928, premiere Berlin 1930
Maximilien Op. 110, opera in 3 acts, libretto by F. Werfel, R.S. Hoffman and A. Lunel, 1930, premiere Paris 1932
Les songes Op. 124, ballet, libretto by A. Derain, 1933, premiere Paris 1933
Médée Op. 191, opera in 1 act, libretto by M. Milhaud, 1938, premiere Antwerp 1939
Bolivar Op. 236, opera in 3 acts, libretto by M. Milhaud after J. Supervielle, 1943, premiere Paris 1950
Les cloches Op. 259, ballet, libretto after E.A. Poe, 1945, premiere Chicago 1946
Adame Miroir Op. 283, ballet, libretto by J. Genêt, 1948, premiere Paris 1948
David Op. 320, opera in 5 acts, libretto by A. Lunel, 1953, premiere Milan 1956
Fiesta Op. 370, opera in 1 act, libretto by B. Vian, 1958, premiere Berlin 1959
La mère coupable Op. 412, opera in 3 acts, libretto by M. Milhaud after P.A. Beaumarchais, 1965, premiere Geneva 1966
Saint Louis, roi de France Op. 434, opera-oratorio, libretto by P. Claudel, 1970, premiere Rio de Janeiro 1972
music to numerous theatre plays, including dramas by Aeschylus in the adaptation by P. Claudel Agamemnon 1914 and Les choëphores 1915, premiere Brussels 1935; Protée, lyrics P. Claudel, 1919; L’Annonce faite à Marie, lyrics P. Claudel, 1932
film music, music for children, for military bands, radio auditions
arrangements of pieces by G. Auric, F. Poulenc and E. Sati for orchestra, for violin and piano and for piano
Works:
Polytonalité et atonalité, “La Revue Musicale” IV, 1923
Etudes, Paris 1927
Notes sans musique, Paris 1949 (autobiography), 2nd ed. as Ma vie heureuse, Paris 1987/ Bourg-la-Reine 1998
Notes sur la musique, ed. J. Drake, Paris 1982 (selection of writings)
