Milhaud, Darius

(born Sept. 4, 1892, Aix-en-Provence, France—died June 22, 1974, Geneva, Switz.) French composer. Milhaud studied at the Paris Conservatoire, then at the Schola Cantorum with Vincent d'Indy. He became known as one of Les Six, a group of young French composers. His music is characterized by polytonality (simultaneous use of different keys), as in (1921); though dissonant, his compositions retain a lyrical quality. The influence of jazz is audible in his best-known work, the ballet (1923). He wrote many ballets, operas, and film scores in the 1920s, culminating in the grand opera (1928). Milhaud had a longtime association with the Aspen Music Festival, which he helped found in 1949.

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