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Editorial Reviews

After Beethoven, few composers surpassed the fateful number of nine symphonies. As one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century, it's no surprise that Darius Milhaud was an exception. Between 1939 and 1961 he wrote 12 symphonies (his 13th is more of an oratorio and is not included in this otherwise complete five-CD set), mostly in response to commissions from American or European orchestras. Milhaud's oeuvre is vast and variable in inspiration; it's tricky to know where to turn after his acknowledged masterworks like "La Création du monde." The symphonies are a good bet. There's not a dud in the bunch, although there is occasionally an individual movement that seems to chatter on aimlessly. They are serious but never ponderous, and somewhat removed from the central symphonic tradition, being less concerned with rigorous musical argument and monumental form than with melodic profusion and contrasting moods. Pastoral elements are frequently encountered, as is a processional, funeral march-like tone in slow movements. Only a few of the symphonies are programmatic in any way -- one is designated "Rural," one is inspired by the Rhone river and another by the centenary of the 1848 revolution -- but movement titles give further evocative hints of character: "Fantasque," "Lumineux," "Mystérieux," "Joyeux et robuste," among many others. Alun Francis's recordings with the Basel Radio Symphony are lovingly shaped, and if Milhaud's symphonies are best sampled a few at a time, this complete set offers fertile ground for discovery. Scott Paulin, Barnes & Noble

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