Darius Milhaud - String Quartet No. 13, Op. 268 (1946)

Darius Milhaud (4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and Brazilian music and make extensive use of polytonality. Milhaud is considered one of the key modernist composers.

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String Quartet No. 13, Op. 268 (1946)
Dedication: à M. D.M.

1. Très décidé (0:00)
2. Barcarolle. Lent (2:53)
3. Mexicana. (7:00)

Quatuor Parisii
Thierry Brodard & Jean-Michel Berrette, violin
Dominique Lobet, viola
Jean-Philippe Marignoni, cello

Description by Joseph Stevenson
This is one of Milhaud's most joyous, untroubled works. When he wrote it he was still living in California, the war was over, and he was free to return to a liberated France when he felt conditions were right. Now, for the first time in years, he was spending time in a semi-tropical, Latin place: he had been invited for a visit by Carlos Chávez, the famous Mexican composer-conductor, who organized a concert of Milhaud's music at the Bellas Artes de México.

All these circumstances made for a very happy time, and Milhaud began his Thirteenth Quartet in Mexico. He dedicated it to his wife, Madeleine, because they considered thirteen their lucky number. The first movement is rollicking and jovial, with pizzicato chords suggesting guitars. The second movement is calm and serene. The final movement, a rhythmically wild one, is called "Mexicana" and is another in Milhaud's long string of Latin-American popular/dance compositions. It is clearly inspired by the local mariachi band music.