In this episode of Harmonious, the mentor–pupil relationship takes centre stage, with music by Darius Milhaud and Pierre-Max Dubois. By Milhaud we will hear Le carnaval d’Aix (1926), a sparkling work in which southern French lightness is combined with sharp harmonies and rhythmic energy. Also included is his compact Symphonie de chambre No. 6, an experimental miniature for wordless vocal quartet, oboe and cello, in which the voices function purely as sound.
Pierre-Max Dubois, a pupil of Milhaud at the Conservatoire de Paris, developed a modern yet accessible idiom in which craftsmanship, melody and playability play a central role. This is evident in his Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra from 1959 and in three Études de concert for piano.
Playlist
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Darius Milhaud – Le carnaval d’Aix (Op. 83b), 13 movements
Claude Helffer, piano / Orchestre National de France conducted by David Robertson -
Darius Milhaud – Symphonie de chambre no. 6 (op. 79)
Orchestre de Chambre de Radio-Luxembourg conducted by Darius Milhaud -
Pierre-Max Dubois – Concerto for saxophone and string orchestra
– Lento, Cadenze e allegro
– Sarabande
– Rondo
Vincent David, saxophone / Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie conducted by Georges-Elie Octors -
Pierre-Max Dubois – Études de concert for piano Nos. 4, 8 and 10
4: Aria
8: Ostinato
10: Oubanghi
Alain Lefèvre, piano
