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- Milhaud, Darius
Duration: 5 minutes
Description: Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) composed his SYMPHONIES FOR SMALL ORCHESTRA, No. 2: PASTORALE, Op. 49 (CHAMBER SYMPHONY No. 2) in 1918, shortly after completing its companion piece, the SYMPHONIES FOR SMALL ORCHESTRA, No. 1: LE PRINTEMPS. Written during the final year of World War I, the work reflects a turn toward intimate scale and clarity of expression, qualities that distinguish much of Milhaud’s early output. Cast in three concise movements, the PASTORALE evokes both the serenity of rural life and the composer’s characteristic rhythmic vitality, fusing French lyricism with a fresh modernist sensibility. Today, while not as frequently programmed as his later large-scale symphonies, the PASTORALE remains admired for its elegance, transparency, and inventive use of a modest orchestral palette, offering insight into the beginnings of Milhaud’s lifelong engagement with the symphonic form. Instrumentation: 1.0+EH.0.1: 0.0.0.0: Str (1.0.1.1.1). Reprint edition.