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The Symphony No. 1, Op. 210, by Darius Milhaud is a work for orchestra composed in France in 1939, during a period of illness and anxiety following the outbreak of World War II. Nearly fifty years old at the time and already a very prolific and mature composer, Milhaud had never attempted a symphony before. In spite of his expressed antipathy toward the "German music" typified by the symphony, he accepted a commission for this work from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, then approaching its 50th anniversary. Milhaud went on to write twelve more numbered symphonies by 1963.

In spite of the trying circumstances in which it was written, Milhaud's First Symphony is a bright, optimistic work in its composer's unique neo-classical style. With a total running time of some 24 minutes, the piece's four movements are:

1. Pastoral. Modérément animé (approx. 7')
2. Très vif (approx. 4'30")
3. Très modéré (approx. 6'30")
4. Final. Animé (approx. 6'20")

This symphony, which is not to be confused with Milhaud's Little Symphony No.1 "Le printemps", Op.43 (1917), is published by Heugel & Cie.

Recordings

• a 1943 mono recording on the Guild label, featuring the NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski
• a 1956 mono recording made by GDR Radio, featuring the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rolf Kleinert
• a 1991 digital recording by Michel Plasson and the Toulouse Capitole Orchestra, on Deutsche Grammophon
• a 1995 digital recording by Alun Francis and the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Basel, part of a boxed set of Milhaud's Symphonies No. 1-12 on CPO

References

1. Schulz, Reinhard. Darius Milhaud Symphonies 1 & 4 (Media notes). Susan Marie Praeder (trans.). CPO, 1998. pp. 8–9.

External links

• Video - Darius Milhaud - Symphony No. 1 (1 of 2) (12:25).
• Video - Darius Milhaud - Symphony No. 1 (2 of 2) (15:03).

v t e Darius Milhaud
List of compositions
Operas	L'Orestie d'Eschyle Christophe Colomb L'abandon d'Ariane La Délivrance de Thésée La mère coupable Le pauvre matelot David
Ballets	La création du monde Le Bœuf sur le toit Les mariés de la tour Eiffel L'éventail de Jeanne L'Homme et son désir Le Train bleu
Symphonies	No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 ("Te Deum") No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 No. 8 ("Rhôdanienne") No. 9 No. 10 No. 11 ("Romantique") No. 12 ("La Rurale") No. 13 ("Pacem in terris") Little Symphonies No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6
Orchestra works	Saudades do Brasil Suite provençale
Incidental and film music	Days of Hope Dreams That Money Can Buy Judith Land Without Bread La Tragédie impériale Le jeu de Robin et Marion Le Voyageur sans bagage Love Cavalcade Madame Bovary Mollenard The Beloved Vagabond The Citadel of Silence The Private Affairs of Bel Ami
Chamber music	La cheminée du roi René Scaramouche Sonata for flute, oboe, clarinet and piano
Piano music	Le Bœuf sur le toit Saudades do Brasil
Collaborations	Genesis Suite Homage to Paderewski L'Album des Six Les mariés de la tour Eiffel L'éventail de Jeanne Mouvements du coeur Variations sur le nom de Marguerite Long
Named for Milhaud	Lycée intercommunal Darius-Milhaud
Related articles	Les Six Neoclassicism
Category

• Classical Music

• Symphonies by Darius Milhaud
• 1939 compositions
• Music commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra