Thursday, January 26, 2012

Little World Views

La Conservatoire Darius Milhaud...  (pronounced "meee-ooooh".  Hey, you in the green chair!  No!  It's not "meeee-owwww."  Settle down over there!)


...is named after the 20th Century composer who was born in Marseille - to parents who lived in Aix en Provence.   He went on to study in Paris and later taught in the United States at Mills College in Oakland, California.  He brought a jazz  and polytonal (expressing more than one key at a time in a given piece) influence into his compositions and is counted among the modernists as a result.

Among his American students:  Dave Brubeck and Burt Bacharach.  (I know, I know.  "But Mills College was a women's college," you're saying.  And you would be right.  It opened its doors to men for graduate school.  Who knew?)

Class dismissed...be cautious as you run through those gates!  They let out directly onto the rue! 

Yours in reflection on one of the local cool cats in music history,
leslie

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Madame LER (or is that Aix),

You are beginning to remind me of Ansel Adams. Perhaps you are a mondernist too? What a beautiful shot and snippet of Aix history. The next time I am in Aix, I might stop by to see you? Or at least Bodhi.

Bubba's Person

la fourchette said...

BP, Ansel Adams?!? wow. (low curtsy here.) Modernist, meh...not so sure...but I *do* love that classic black and white...always have! And you are welcome to visit anytime! (Sans Bubba, malheuresment. Allergies...me, that is, not bodhi.) Bodhi will welcome you in his finest form...as he does all of our guests...and share his games. He's very aware of playing fair and sharing his toys...not sure where he gets that, but it's nice to see! In fact, yesterday's pink patisserie selection was with you in mind...or at least your sweet tooth!

donna said...

phew!!......i'm sitting in the blue chair.......i had to check though.....Ah.....Darius Milhaud.......i have a CD i bought years ago of Symphonie numbers 1 and 2....plus the Suite Provencale......which the latter is why i bought it.....thanks for the pic and the history.....another reason to love Aix...like i needed more?

la fourchette said...

donna, 'phew' indeed - that green chair is already pretty crowded: with cats! Ah yes! Suite Provençale...a little hat-tip to his old 'hood! I'm more of a Baroque/Early Classical girl but I do like some of his work. (And how funny that when I studied about him in college I never *dreamed* I'd be wandering around the same streets!)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful image Leslie and an interesting article. I had a friend who loved Dave Brubeck. I myself, love any kind of jazz.

I'm sure you heard about Etta James passing. I will be miss her. Sigh...I loved her song At Last AANNDD I am in love with anyone who plays a sax!

la fourchette said...

Kris, merci, m'dear. I'm one of those Dave Brubek lovers...and Miles and Coltrane and...

I did hear about Ms. James...in fact, a friend sent me an email upon hearing of her death reminding me that we had seen her in concert together and how lucky we were to have had the chance back in the day...it was the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach and she was still standing and rockin' the house!

You migh also like:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...