Darius Milhaud: Cello Concerto Nr. 1, Op. 136 (1934)

00:00 - I. Nonchalant
05:17 - II. Grave
11:32 - III. Joyeax
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Cello: Mstislav Rostropovich
Conductor: Kent Nagano
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
Year of Recording: 1989
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"Composed in Aix-en-Provence in 1934, this cello concerto is not only the first composition for cello by Milhaud, but also the most popular. He was very sick that year. In his autobiography, Milhaud wrote that he was bedridden, with pains in his feet, knees, and right arm. He tried all kinds of treatment without success. Although Milhaud thought he was slightly feverish and incapable of working or writing, he still composed and finished many of his works in 1934, including several chamber pieces, incidental music, music for two films, and two works for solo instrument and orchestra. This cello concerto is dedicated to Maurice Maréchal, who introduced it in Paris on June 28, 1935. The conductor was Désiré Émile Inghelbrecht. In addition, Grégor Piatigorsky, a Russian born American cellist kept Milhaud’s Violoncello Concerto No. 1 in his concert repertoire for several seasons after giving the U. S. premiere.

This first cello concerto is the shortest of his cello concertos, with two typically-good natured fast movements separated by a slow movement. In Roger Nichols’s book, Milhaud’s wife, Madeleine Milhaud, stated that Milhaud did not much care for the traditionally soulful or melancholic way of writing for the cello, so when he composed this concerto, he chose a contradictory style by starting off with a very lackadaisical theme.

This cello concerto embraces a wide variety of styles and moods. The first movement, Nonchalant, begins with a cadenza-like introduction for solo cello that contrasts, with the music that follows. After the introduction, the orchestra plays the main theme quietly. The theme is later played by the solo instrument against the background of a regular rhythmical accompaniment similar to a jazz texture. Then a new solo cadenza appears, creating another contrast within this movement. The second movement, Grave, is described by Ginsburg as starting with bitonality in a low range and the solo cello playing a forceful yet passive aria monologue. The theme moves up gradually from the lower to the upper register. The middle section uses various polyphonic devices to develop the thematic material. The last movement, Joyeux, is brief and energetic. It starts in a march or fanfare style and has a charming Latin American melodic and rhythmic flavor." (Kuei-Fan Chen)
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