Darius Milhaud - String Quartet No. 9, Op. 140 (1935)

Darius Milhaud (4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and Brazilian music and make extensive use of polytonality. Milhaud is considered one of the key modernist composers.

String Quartet No. 9, Op. 140 (1935)
Dedicated to Mrs. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge

1. Modéré
2. Animé (3:35)
3. Très lent (7:34)
4. Décidé (15:22)

Quatuor Parisii

Description by Joseph Stevenson
Like his immediately previous and succeeding quartets, Milhaud's Ninth Quartet is dedicated to the American music patroness Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. It is a brisk and emphatic work. The first movement is short and calm, not much more than a somewhat extended introduction to the following movement. The second movement is agitated and rather grim. The third movement is calm and thoughtful. The fourth begins with a sense of unbounded rhythmic energy. In the middle section, this is harnessed to a march rhythm, which returns along with other material in pressing to an exuberant conclusion.