Symphony No.7 - Darius Milhaud

Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alun Francis.
I - Animé: 0:00
II - Grave: 3:40
III - Vif: 12:35
Milhaud's Symphony No.7 was composed in 1955, immediately after the previous one. It was commissioned by the Belgian Radio for a concert in Venice. From this symphony onwards, Milhaud adopted a concise three-movement symphonic model that put the slow movement as the core of the piece. This approach resembles that of the origin of the symphony genre itself as the italian overture in its fast-slow-fast sequence.
The first movement is monothematic in form. It begins with a bright and lively main theme on strings, it unfolds in a colourful and carefree manner. After a more calm central passage, the music reaches a vigorous polytonal climax. The main theme is then briefly recapitulated before a short but firm coda ends the movement.
The second movement is written in form of an arch. It opens with a melancholic main theme on clarinet presented over menacing percussive blows. It passes in canon to violin and bassoon, before being fully exposed by strings. This material then develops in a contrapuntal manner in multiple lines. Menacing percussion returns and lead us to a dissonant climax. We return to the grim lyricism of the opening theme but with added polytonality between brass and woods/strings. A slow and heavy coda ends the movement.
The third movement is structured in sonata form. It begins with a gentle, dance-like main theme that contains some of the gravity found in the previous movement. It is contrasted by a more serene and lyrical second theme. A brief development, based on the main theme follows, reaching a big climax. The materials are then recapitulated in a varied way. After a second climax, a bright and syncopated coda ends the work.
Picture: "Solitude" (1955) by the Belgian painter Paul Delvaux.
Musical analysis mostly written by myself. Source: tinyurl.com/2auk5wz5
Unfortunately the score is not freely available.

[@mikalhowitzer5438]

the contrapuntal melodies in mvt. 1 sound like exact transcriptions of the improvised melodies of post-bop jazz musicians from the 60s onward, in particular freddie hubbard, tom harrell, woody shaw, etc. incredible how the two forms developed in parallel, offset by only a few years

[@AlexMadorsky]

Very apt analysis!

[@vicb4901]

Exactly, jazz kept redefining itself until the deaths of Coltrane and Miles. Classical music is the keeper of the flame while jazz festivals today feature everything but jazz...