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Little (Chamber) Symphony No.4: (Dixtuor pour instruments à cordes), Op.74, by Darius Milhaud is a work for 10 string instruments composed in Vienna in 1921. It is not to be confused with Symphony No.4. The music is polytonal and progresses through a variety of contrasting moods. The first two movements employ ostinatos to repeat basic musical ideas. The first movement is marked “Animé”. It is a lively dance in triple meter and stylistically refers back to the baroque period. The second movement is marked “Assez lent” and features multiple double bass solos. The final movement incorporates imitative polyphony in a fugal section.

Milhaud’s fourth little symphony is approximately 6 minutes in duration and contains the following movements:

1. Ouverture (approx. 0’45’’)
2. Choral (approx. 3’25’’)
3. Etude (approx. 1’50’’)

This little symphony was originally published by Dover Publications in 1922.

Instrumentation

• 4 Violins
• 2 Violas
• 2 Cellos
• 2 Double Basses

Reception

Little Symphony No.4 has received mixed reviews since its inception. G. W. Hopkins pointed out the “irritating antics” of this little symphony in his 1970 review in The Musical Times. Christopher Headington of the classical music review website Gramophone referred to the etude movement as “comic.”

Recordings

• A 1975 recording on vinyl on the ABC Westminster Gold label, featuring The Chamber Orchestra of The Leningrad Philharmonic conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvenski
• A 1994 CD recording on the Koch Schwann label, featuring Capella Cracoviensis and Karl Anton Rickenbacher
• A 1969 recording on vinyl on the Candide label, featuring the Orchestra of Radio Luxemburg

References

1. Mawer, Deborah (Winter 2008). "Milhaud's Late Chamber Music: Compositional 'Full Circle'?". The Musical Times.
2. Darrell, R. D. Milhaud: The Six Little Symphonies (CD liner notes). Espirit de France, 1972. pp.3.
3. Hopkins, G. W. The Musical Times Vol. 111, No. 1525 (Mar., 1970). pp. 287
4. Headington, Christopher. Milhaud Little Symphonies and Operas. Gramophone.co.uk.

External links

• Video - New Violin Family Orchestra performs - Darius Milhaud - Chamber Symphony No. 4 (1 of 3) (2:14) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUeSD1Wp3y8
• Video - New Violin Family Orchestra performs - Darius Milhaud - Chamber Symphony No. 4 (2 of 3) (2:58) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuqnLwvJ-GM
• Video - New Violin Family Orchestra performs - Darius Milhaud - Chamber Symphony No. 4 (3 of 3) (3:25) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cussANFHukI

v t e Darius Milhaud
List of compositions
Operas	L'Orestie d'Eschyle Christophe Colomb L'abandon d'Ariane La Délivrance de Thésée La mère coupable Le pauvre matelot David
Ballets	La création du monde Le Bœuf sur le toit Les mariés de la tour Eiffel L'éventail de Jeanne L'Homme et son désir Le Train bleu
Symphonies	No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 ("Te Deum") No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 No. 7 No. 8 ("Rhôdanienne") No. 9 No. 10 No. 11 ("Romantique") No. 12 ("La Rurale") No. 13 ("Pacem in terris") Little Symphonies No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6
Orchestra works	Saudades do Brasil Suite provençale
Incidental and film music	Days of Hope Dreams That Money Can Buy Judith Land Without Bread La Tragédie impériale Le jeu de Robin et Marion Le Voyageur sans bagage Love Cavalcade Madame Bovary Mollenard The Beloved Vagabond The Citadel of Silence The Private Affairs of Bel Ami
Chamber music	La cheminée du roi René Scaramouche Sonata for flute, oboe, clarinet and piano
Piano music	Le Bœuf sur le toit Saudades do Brasil
Collaborations	Genesis Suite Homage to Paderewski L'Album des Six Les mariés de la tour Eiffel L'éventail de Jeanne Mouvements du coeur Variations sur le nom de Marguerite Long
Named for Milhaud	Lycée intercommunal Darius-Milhaud
Related articles	Les Six Neoclassicism
Category

• Compositions for decet
• Symphonies by Darius Milhaud
• Chamber music by Darius Milhaud
• Chamber symphonies