Pacem in terris (Milhaud)

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Pacem in terris, Op. 404 is a choral symphony for alto, baritone, chorus and orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. Though often identified only by its title and opus number, it is considered Milhaud's thirteenth and last symphony. The piece was written in 1963, incorporating text written by Pope John XXIII [1] in his encyclical of the same year, which began with the words that Milhaud used as his title. At least a partial recording of this symphony is available on the Musique En Wallonie label, featuring the Brussels Belgian Radio and TV Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Franz André.

The American premiere performance and world premiere recording occurred in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the 1964-65 concert year, performed by the Utah Symphony Orchestra and the University of Utah Choruses, with Maurice Abravanel conducting and with the composer present.

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The Symphony No. 2, Op. 247, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. It was written in the U.S. in 1944 on a commission from the Koussevitzky Music Foundations in memory of Serge Koussevitzky's second wife Natalie, who had died in 1942. The premiere of the work was played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1946, with the composer himself conducting.

The Symphony No. 3, Op. 271, sub-titled Te Deum, is a work for orchestra and chorus by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece originated in a 1946 request by Radio France for a Te Deum celebrating the allied victory in World War II. Instead of confining himself to a setting of the liturgical text, Milhaud delivered a four-movement symphony in which the orchestra plays two movements alone. The chorus joins without words in Movement II; only in the finale is the Latin text of the Te Deum sung. This symphony is not to be confused with Milhaud's Chamber Symphony No. 3 "Sérénade," op. 71 (1921).

The Symphony No. 4, Op. 281, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1947 in response to a request by the French minister of education for a composition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Revolution of 1848. Milhaud wrote this symphony on board a steamship to France from the U.S., where he had lived since 1940. This symphony is not to be confused with Milhaud's Chamber Symphony No. 4, op. 74 (1921).

The Symphony No. 5, Op. 322, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1953 on a commission from Italian Radio. This work is not to be confused with Milhaud's Chamber Symphony No. 5 for Ten Wind Instruments, op. 75 (1922).

The Symphony No. 6, Op. 343, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1955 at the request of Charles Munch, for the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This work is not to be confused with Milhaud's Chamber Symphony No. 6, op. 79 (1923).

The Symphony No. 7, Op. 344, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1955 for a Radio Belge concert in Venice.

The Symphony No. 8, Op. 362, subtitled Rhôdanienne, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1957 on a commission from the University of California. Its four programmatic movements paint a musical landscape of the course of the Rhone River.

The Symphony No. 9, Op. 380, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1959 for the Fort Lauderdale Symphony Orchestra and its conductor Mario di Bonaventura.

The Symphony No. 10, Op. 382, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1960 for the hundredth anniversary of the U.S. state of Oregon.

The Symphony No. 11, Op. 384, nicknamed Romantique, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1960 on a joint commission from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Public Library, and received its premiere under conductor Paul Kletzki.

The Symphony No. 12, Op. 390, subtitled La Rurale, is a work for orchestra by French composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was written in 1961 for the dedication of the concert hall at the University of California, Davis, a campus historically focused on agricultural studies.

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The Little(Chamber) Symphony No.5, Op.75, also known as the Tentet, is a symphony for wind instruments written by French composer Darius Milhaud in 1922. It is his fifth chamber symphony, which is also referred to as the Petites Symphonies or Chamber Symphonies. The work was commissioned by Italian Radio and is dedicated to Marya Freúnd, a soprano singer and Milhaud's friend, who performed the premiere of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, conducted by Milhaud. The symphony was first performed at Champs-Elysées, Paris in 1923.

Little (Chamber) Symphony No. 3, Op. 71 by Darius Milhaud is a work for chamber orchestra that was composed in 1921. The work is also known by the title Sérénade.

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References

  1. Schulz, Reinhard. Darius Milhaud Symphonies 10-12 (CD liner notes). CPO, 1996. p. 9.