Milhaud D. Saudades do Brazil. Dance Suite for piano

Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) — the French composer, conductor and musicologist, the graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied at Ch. Widor, V. d'Indy, P. Ducas. Milhaud is known as the distinguished representative of the Les Six, inspired by the ideas of its leader E. Satie, manifesting against the impressionism, which reigned that time in France. During the period of 1916–1919 the composer undergoes diplomatic service in Brazil, instilling his impressions of the folk Latin American music in the suite «Brazilian Dances» («Longing for Brazil»), dating 1921.The suite has imbibed such features of Milhaud as polytonality. The composer himself imparted his feelings as follows: «I stayed in the village... It was night wrapped in silence. I was looking at the sky, and quite of a sudden celestial and earthly rays reached my breast, carrying sounds and numerous tunes, sounding simultaneously, but existing independently… I was excited. Since that time I was always anxious to outburst this phenomenon in phonations, evoking thousands of synchronized tunes approaching to me from everywhere…».

Contents:

SOROCABA (Music text example)
LEME
COPACABANA
IPANEMA
CORCOVADO
TIJUCA (Music text example)
PAINERAS
LARANJEIRAS