Darius Milhaud - Symphonies Nos.10, 11 and 12

Darius MILHAUD (1892-1974)

Symphony No.10, Op.382 (1960)

Symphony No.11 "Romantique", Op.384 (1960)

Symphony No12 "Rurale", Op.390 (1961)

Radio-Sinfonieorchester Basel

Alun Francis 

The cycle of Milhaud symphonies performed by the Basel Symphony Orchestra under Alun Francis doesn't seem to have garnered critical attention worthy of its importance. Milhaud, being extremely prolific, did indeed have a sometime tendency to engage in mere note-spinning, and the music here is not "easy" in the sense of, say, his `Le Boeuf sur le Toit', being often polytonal, densely polyphonic and at times almost overly busy. But the symphonies are almost always surprisingly engaging, and more variegated than you might expect, though often slightly loosely put together.

The last three symphonies (apart from the thirteenth, which is more of an oratorio and not included in CPO's survey) were written over a relatively short period of time in 1960-61. The tenth is the most substantial of them, with a gently beautiful slow movement and a magically atmospheric scherzo, but overall this is a rather loosely structured and slightly incoherent work. In the eleventh the second movement is again the most impressive, calm and reflective. The other movements are inventive and boisterously urban but a little harsh-sounding and gaunt (the first movement, nervous-sounding but lively is however impressive). The small-scale twelfth is overall a more light-hearted work, combining light pastoral lyricism with something of the unabashed and colorful optimism and light spirits of Milhaud's earlier symphonies.

Performances are very good indeed, crisp and fresh and sharply focused, if not always quite ideally muscular and airy, but overall energetic and colorful with the orchestral players remarkably able to maneuver the various technical hurdles thrown at them. CPO also provides very good recorded sound; clear, full and detailed.