Composer of the Week - Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) - Episode 5

Being confined to a wheelchair for twenty-six years didn't diminish Darius Milhaud's pleasure in life one bit. Characteristically upbeat he readily acknowledged that a principle source of his happiness came through his marriage to his cousin Madeleine. Together they continued to travel all over Europe and the US. After spending the war years in America, the Milhauds returned to Paris and subsequently divided their time between the two continents. Milhaud defined himself as both a Frenchman from Provence and a Jew. The Psalms of David reflect his attachment to his faith while compositions like the Stanford Serenade which he wrote in 1969 fill the air with Mediterranean colour. By contrast Kentuckiana brings alive Milhaud's natural ability to soak up the culture surrounding him.