{"id":1131,"date":"2022-03-03T07:45:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T13:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/performinghistory\/?p=1131"},"modified":"2022-03-03T07:45:23","modified_gmt":"2022-03-03T13:45:23","slug":"milhaud-discussion-changes-perception","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/performinghistory\/2022\/03\/03\/milhaud-discussion-changes-perception\/","title":{"rendered":"Milhaud – Discussion Changes Perception"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Darius Milhaud sitting on a couch. Picture from Milken Archive of Jewish Music)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One source that has been especially useful to me is the magazine article \u201c<\/span>The Evolution of Modern Music in Paris and in Vienna<\/span><\/a>\u201d that Milhaud himself wrote. Naturally, because this is a primary source of the figure I chose, there is a directness available to me that would not otherwise be there. I know that what is written on the page is the opinion of Milhaud. His compositions of course contribute to his impact on French music, but just as importantly, so does his discourse. Whether we like it or not, discussion has the ability to directly impact how people think and write about the same – or similar – subjects. This applies to modern day, as well as the past. By advocating for composers such as Debussy and Satie, Milhaud is knowingly bringing their names and their styles forward in hopes of convincing others of his opinion. Describing French music – specifically that of Satie – as, \u201c… renewed because of its plainness and purity, the spirit of French music, free from all foreign weight\u201d (Milhaud 448) is showing us what Milhaud deems this to be valuable knowledge. This is how he makes his case, and this is how Milhaud contributed to French music through discourse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With this knowledge, let\u2019s listen to an example of what Milhaud argues is quality French music. In Satie\u2019s \u201c<\/span>Socrate<\/span><\/a>\u201d the characteristics that Milhaud deems uniquely French are prominent.<\/span><\/p>\n